Reds face gauntlet, beginning with Crew

TFC plays champs in the first of four games in ll days

- NEIL DAVIDSON

Coach John Herdman isn't putting too much stock in the fact that Toronto FC, since losing 4-0 in Columbus on July 6, has posted a better league record than the defending MLS champion.

Toronto, which beat visiting Austin 2-1 on Saturday, has won four of six league outings (4-2-0) since that setback at Lower.com Field, while the Crew are 3-2-2.

"I don't put any credence (in that)," Herdman said. "I just look at their squad and I salivate."

Its easy to see why. Columbus had an MLS-high five players at the allstar game on its home field in July: defenders Rudy Camacho and Steven Moreira, midfielder/captain Darlington Nagbe, and forwards Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi.