Toronto FC struggles without Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe: Canadian MLS recap

COLORADO RAPIDS 1 – TORONTO FC 0

Toronto FC played without their two high profile offseason acquisitions and it showed. Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe were out of the lineup for Toronto. Defoe continues to recover from a mild hamstring strain while Bradley is nursing a quad injury.

Toronto put in a solid performance in the first half but they lacked attacking creativity and a cutting edge in front of goal without their top two designated players. Their effort improved in the second half, Kyle Bekker came close on two free kicks and Dwayne De Rosario sent a header above the crossbar, but it was Rapids striker Edson Buddle who jumped on a defensive miscue by TFC to bury the game’s lone goal in the 77th minute.

On top of Bradley and Defoe’s absence, the Reds were without starting midfielders Jonathan Osorio and Alvaro Rey and starting centre back Doneil Henry. Bekker assumed Bradley’s role as the primary ball-mover in midfield and was a bright spot on an otherwise dreary day. He didn’t convert but he came dangerously close on his free kick attempts as his confidence grew as the game went on.

Ultimately, Toronto struggled to seal the deal with their stars on the sideline. The good news is that both could return as early as next weekend. Bradley and Defoe haven’t been around long but they’re already showing their worth.

THE QUOTE: "To tell you the truth, in the second half I thought there was only going to be one team that was going to win that game. The cruelty of football isn't it, when you hit the post and 30 seconds later they score at the other end." – Toronto FC manager Ryan Nelsen

NEXT GAME: Saturday, April 19 – at FC Dallas, 8:30 ET

MONTREAL IMPACT 1 – CHICAGO FIRE 1

Now make it six games without a win to start the season for the Montreal Impact. Jack McInerney scored in the 42nd minute in his Impact debut to give Montreal a 1-0 lead until Chicago striker Quincy Amarikwa equalized in the 54th minute.

It was Montreal’s third straight draw after opening the year with three consecutive losses. Stretching back to 2013, the Impact have two wins in their last 18 MLS games, including a 3-0 loss to Houston in the playoffs. The end of season slide cost Marco Schallibaum his job. So far, his replacement Frank Yallop isn’t faring any better.

Hoping to inspire change, the Impact traded 2012 No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wenger to Philadelphia for McInerney, who was the seventh pick in 2010. They’re looking for the 21-year-old to form a productive partnership up front with Marco Di Vaio and help turn the team’s fortunes around.

Saturday’s performance was a shining example of what’s wrong with Montreal. After McInerney’s goal, Chicago attacked relentlessly. Montreal was outpossessed, outchanced, and outhustled by a team that is also without a win in 2014.

THE QUOTE: "It's not obvious, it's not easy. It's tough, actually. You're at home, you take the lead, you need to get points from that. Teams are better than us, and we deserve the results we're getting. We need to get out of this rut. Other teams won't help us out of this. It's up to us." – Impact midfielder Patrice Bernier

NEXT GAME: Saturday, April 19 – at Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 ET

LOS ANGELES GALAXY 1 – VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 0

The Whitecaps had chances to grab the lead early but couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities and Robbie Keane made them pay. Keane struck less than two minutes after the start of the second half and that was all the Galaxy needed to grab all three points.

The speed of Darren Mattocks and Kekutah Manneh gave Los Angeles’ backline trouble in the first half. They were able to break through the defence and forced Galaxy keeper Jaime Penedo to make three difficult saves to keep the game scoreless.

Vancouver faded after Keane’s goal, failing to truly test Penedo again in the final 45 minutes. Since entering MLS in 2011, they’ve never won on the road against L.A. They hung tight with a perennial power but if the Whitecaps are going to make a run this year in the Western Conference, the Galaxy are a team they will have to learn how to beat. How Vancouver responds to this loss, they host L.A. at B.C. Place next weekend, could go a long way in telling us just how realistic their playoffs hopes are.

THE QUOTE: "We showed that we were able to compete with the top teams away from home. One minute of lack of concentration at the start of the second half cost us." – Whitecaps manager Carl Robinson

NEXT GAME: Saturday, April 19 – vs. Los Angeles Galaxy, 7 ET

PLAY OF THE DAY: Jack McInerney scores first goal for the Impact

Marco Di Vaio sends Jack McInerney on a clear breakaway and McInerney puts in his first goal playing for the Impact.

Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @israelfehr.