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TORONTO - Toronto FC went 1-2-2 during an injury-plagued Florida training camp, coming home to a frozen tundra. Star striker Jermain Defoe has yet to touch down and fellow marquee signings Michael Bradley and Gilberto have been hampered by injury. Goalie Julio Cesar is on international duty with Brazil in South Africa and backup forward Bright Dike is already probably out for the season after tendon surgery. Manager Ryan Nelsen has been down three fullbacks and three strikers. Minor niggles have turned into more bothersome setbacks. Its meant extra minutes for some players and new positions for others. For an MLS franchise that has gone all-in on the transfer market in a bid to finally make the playoffs after seven seasons of failure and a woeful 51-105-66 record, there is still much work to do. The good news is Toronto has a bye this weekend when 16 clubs kick off the 2014 season. Toronto opens March 15 in Seattle. "We planned that brilliantly," Nelsen said dryly after practice Tuesday under the bubble at the teams well-appointed north Toronto training ground. Nelsen, in his second year at the helm, has managed to find some positives in the rocky pre-season. "It did expose our weaknesses," he said. "You always get exposed at some part of the season, whether its injuries or suspensions or international call-ups or something like that." "We know what we have, we know what we need to be and where we need to get to," he added. "Its good to know now rather than a quarter or halfway through the season. "Well be a different animal come the 15th but in the back of my mind, its a nice thing to know moving forward." Depth is an issue. Toronto can field an impressive starting 11 but pre-season has already shown that the wrong combination of injuries at the wrong position can cause havoc. The team remains very much a work in progress. Even MLSsoccer.com, which ranked TFC 17th out of 19 teams in its weekly "power rankings," has Toronto 14th in its pre-season list. "Were not all aboard the bandwagon just yet," said the website. Nelsen, whose team went 6-17-11 last season, says he doesnt concern himself with "outside voices." But the former New Zealand international knows that whipping up a gourmet meal is more than just buying the right ingredients. "Just because you make some changes, its not like a light switch. It does take time," he said. "Thats the beauty of sport. "But in saying that we fully expect to get where we want to be. And if you think the expectations are high outside, theyre probably higher inside. But we know its hard and we know its a journey to get to." The pre-season injury list has included forwards Gilberto (quadricep) and Dike (tendon), midfielders Jonathan Osorio (flu) and Daniel Lovitz (knee) and fullbacks Mark Bloom (quadricep), Bradley Orr (calf) and Justin Morrow (hip). Bradley, who withdrew from the U.S squad to face Ukraine in Cyprus, is nursing a minor foot issue. More worrying for Nelsen is the fact that the injuries to Bloom and Orr started as minor issues but got worse. "Well definitely be addressing it," Nelsen said. "You always get niggles and you always get injuries but theyre re-injuries. When you re-do an injury, its major cause for concern." Nelsen expects everyone to be ready for the season. Defoe, the former Tottenham star, is expected to join the team after Wednesdays England friendly against Denmark. "As soon as he plays the game for England, hell be on a plane over," said Nelsen. Still, that means a longer road for team chemistry. Although, unlike past off-seasons, Torontos transaction list has been relatively short and very select. Bradley, Defoe, Gilberto, Cesar, Morrow, Jackson, Orr, and veteran midfielder Dwayne De Rosario are all targeted as starters. The injuries at fullback have meant rookie centre back Nick Hagglund has been shifted to an emergency right back. "Couldnt be more happy with Nick," said Nelsen. Cheap Air Max 97 Nz .C. -- Charles Oakley, one of the NBAs all-time tough guys, may not return to the Charlotte Bobcats bench next season because of a painful back condition he says was caused during an assault last year in Las Vegas. Air Max 97 Nz Wholesale . -- Jim Furyk was 10 shots worse and right where he wanted to be Saturday in the BMW Championship. http://www.cheapairmax97nz.com/. Mars announced Saturday that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will join him as part of his halftime show. Super Bowl halftime performers often have collaborators. Cheap Air Max 97 Nz Clearance . -- Hal Steinbrenner says Alex Rodriguez is "a great player" and "obviously an asset," but the New York Yankees managing general partner wouldnt discuss the third basemans possible return to the team following a season-long suspension. Cheap Air Max 97 Nz Shoes . 1 player in the world. So Duval gutted it out Thursday at the Byron Nelson Championship despite the pain from a muscle issue in his right elbow, a day after his stepson had to drive him because he couldnt even use that arm.Toronto FC return to league action on Saturday against New York Red Bulls but the Reds will be without their most influential player, midfielder Michael Bradley, who has now left to join up with the United States squad for their pre World Cup training camp. After a difficult run in the league, TFC managed to advance to the final of the Amway Canadian Championship in Vancouver on Wednesday night. Despite losing 2-1 against the Whitecaps at BC Place after extra time, Toronto won the tie on penalties. The Form: Toronto FC have lost three straight in Major League Soccer, and their home form has been poor, losing two of their three games at BMO Field this season against Colorado Rapids and New England Revolution. Defensively, the Reds have had some shaky moments in their last couple of league games, conceding four goals at Dallas and home to New England. Ryan Nelsens team will be buoyed by their progression in the Canadian Championship: Its a game we really wanted to win," said the coach following the match in Vancouver. "No matter how we got through, we got through. When you play these games and they go to extra time, it can be a real positive when you come out with a win. Guys have played together now, they will harden up and any 90 minutes they experience in the future will be a walk in the park compared to this." The Big Question: Will Toronto FCs players have enough gas left in the tank? With the Amway Canadian Championship semifinal in Vancouver going all the way to penalty kicks on Wednesday night, there will be some tired legs within TFCs squad. However, Toronto FC had a bye weekend in MLS leading up to the match in Vancouver and have only played seven league matches so far this year, so the effect of a lengthy cup tie may not be as negative as it could have been if the schedule had been more difficult. The Lineup: Bradley Orr partnered Doneil Henry in the centre of defence in Vancouver but veteran defender Steve Caldwell is likely to return to the lineup against the Red Bulls. Mark Bloom and Justin Morrow are set to return in the fullback positions, although Nick Hagglund has impressed this year whenever he has been given an opportunity. With Bradley gone, Torontos midfield could see two young Canadians paired together with the potential for Kyyle Bekker to play alongside Jonathan Osorio, although Osorio has also been played by Nelsen on the left side of midfield recently.dddddddddddd Draft pick Daniel Lovitz was impressive when he came on as a substitute for his Toronto FC debut in Vancouver on Wednesday. Jermain Defoe was left on the bench against the Whitecaps but should be back in the team on Saturday. Ryan Nelsen will be hoping Defoe is motivated to prove a point after being left out of Englands World Cup squad. The Opposition: New York Red Bulls won the Supporters Shield last year, finishing with the best record in MLS during the regular season. Mike Petkes team have had a mixed season so far. They got off to a slow start, failing to win in their first six matches, but since then things have picked up, and they were unbeaten in four - with three wins - prior to losing a crazy game at home to Chicago Fire last weekend 5-4. Whenever the Red Bulls visit, much of the attention is focused on France star Thierry Henry, but it is his attacking partner Bradley Wright-Phillips who has been capturing the headlines of late. Wright-Phillips scored a hat-trick (his second of the season) against Chicago and has now scored eight goals in his last four matches. The London born forward leads the league in scoring with nine goals, and has been developing a strong understanding with Henry. Red Bulls coach Petke and TFCs Nelsen know each other well. They won MLS Cup as teammates at DC United back in 2004. Petke was a finalist for MLS Coach of the Year in 2013 after guiding New York to the top of the standings in his first year in charge. The Odds: With Toronto FCs current poor run in MLS and their disappointing home losses against Colorado and New England, New York will arrive at BMO Field confident of taking at least a point home with them, especially given the loss of Michael Bradley. The Red Bulls have a very good record against Toronto FC and are unbeaten in their last ten matches against the Reds dating back to June 2009. Theyve out-scored them 25-5 during that stretch. In fact, New York have only lost four of 18 meetings all-time against Toronto. Where To Watch: Join me, Jason deVos and Kristian Jack for Toronto FC against the New York Red Bulls, live on TSN on Saturday at 4:30pm ET, 1.30pm PT. ' ' '