TORONTO - It's goals galore when Toronto FC plays these days. And that's not all good.

Greg Vanney's team leads Major League Soccer in goals scored per game (1.63). But it also ranks 19th out of 20 teams in goals conceded (1.63).

Going into Saturday's game in New England, Toronto has given up 11 goals in its last three road games. And yet it managed to tie New York City FC (4-4) and the Columbus Crew (3-3) during that stretch.

Vanney acknowledges that tightening the defence is Job 1.

"If you look at our goals and kind of source them back, they come from little silly things that should be dealt with before we get ourselves into a reactive state," said the Toronto coach.

The other issue is getting the team to move together and read plays the same way.

"We get the defending right and continue to attack the way we are, we're going to be in really good shape," said Vanney.

Toronto is looking to newly signed defender Ahmed Kantari to consolidate the defence. The 30-year-old Moroccan international centre back is poised to make his debut.

"I think he can help us out quite a bit. He's an experienced player," goalkeeper Joe Bendik said of the former Lens defender. "We tighten up a couple of things in the back and we won't be having the same discussion."

Toronto (8-7-4) and New England (7-9-7) both have 28 points although Toronto, in fourth place, ranks above the Revolution due to goal difference. Toronto also has four games in hand.

"It's like a Cup final for us ... We have to go into it as if we don't win, we're not making the playoffs," New England striker Charlie Davies told reporters this week

The Revs are unbeaten in two (1-0-1) after snapping a five-game losing streak. Four of those defeats came on the road.

Vanney expects New England star Jermaine Jones to return to action. The U.S. international midfielder was on the bench last week for the first time since undergoing hernia surgery in June.

New England is 3-1-5 with Jones in the lineup and 4-8-2 without him.

"He's a big part of their mentality and a big part of their team," said Vanney. "So I suspect and we're prepared for him to be back on the field.

"To me they're just a no-nonsense team. They're coming at you and they're coming at you fast, both from a defensive pressure standpoint and from an attacking standpoint."

Toronto is hoping that Italian sparkplug Sebastian Giovinco's sore heel survived a needless trip to Denver for the mid-week all-star game, in which he didn't play. Fellow striker Jozy Altidore, who replaced Giovinco in the all-star lineup, flew directly to Boston from Denver

Toronto has other holes in its lineup.

Captain Michael Bradley is out for seven to 10 days with a calf issue. Defenders Ashtone Morgan (adductor strain), Clement Simonin (knee), Mark Bloom (quad) and Nick Hagglund (appendix), and forward Luke Moore (ankle) are also unavailable.

Midfielder Collen Warner is suspended for yellow card accumulation.

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