Toronto FC's Adrian Serioux (left) hopes to be back in the lineup against DC United on Saturday night. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

Toronto FC goes after its first win in Washington on Saturday night as the squad faces DC United in a showdown for first place in the MLS Eastern Conference.

It's the third straight week the Reds have played in a first-place battle.

"Every week we seem to be playing the top of the table — it's weird," midfielder Carl Robinson told MLS.net. "We're going in confident, and hopefully it'll be a good game and the best team will come out on top."

So far the pressure of playing for top spot hasn't got to Toronto FC, who have gone 3-0-1 during their last four games. But those matches have all come within the friendly confines of BMO Field.

On the road it's a different story. Since entering the league, Toronto is 5-22-6 away from home.

Toronto FC bounced back from a disappointing 1-1 tie against the struggling but defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew last weekend. On Wednesday, the Reds beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 in the opening match of the Canadian Nutrilite Championship.

The Whitecaps entered the game in second place in the USL first division, still buoyed by their defeat of TFC in last year's tournament. But the Reds shut them down with an a solid defensive effort.

TFC closed out April with key wins over MLS powerhouses Kansas City and Chivas USA.

But winning in Washington will be tough. TFC has lost all three matches it has played at RFK stadium, outscored 11-4.

"We're going out there for one result and that's to win," defender Adrian Serioux said.

"They're looking for the same thing. It's going to be one of those battles ... from what I've heard it's tough for Toronto to win in D.C. So we're going to go in there with a new game plan, a new face and hopefully come out of there with something to smile about."

Toronto coach Chris Cummins isn't hinting at what changes he might make.

"[It remains to be seen] whether we play a 4-5-1 to counter, whether we go 4-4-2 or whether we stay in the 4-3-3 and keep attacking," Cummins said. "The best form of defence is go on attack. You'll have to see on Saturday."

TFC has had success with its three-striker formation in the past four matches. While there have been plenty of chances, the Reds have managed just four goals in their past four outings. The lack of finish is something the team will need to address.

Serioux is hoping he's fit enough to be part of the winning strategy. He has been battling a stiff neck and was kept out of Wednesday's match against Vancouver.

"You want to play in every game but your health comes first," Serioux said. "My body's not as young as it used to be, so any little nicks and dings I get here I've got to make sure I'm ready to go 100 per cent."

Midfielder Sam Cronin is still nursing a sore hamstring, but he'll probably play on Saturday.

Cummins said the rookie midfielder trained on Thursday with no problems and told the coach that he could play if called upon. Cummins noted that Cronin could have played against Vancouver, but he didn't want to take the chance of overexerting the young player.

DC stars Luciano Emilio and Christian Gomez rested during the first half of their team's 1-1 draw with Kansas City on Wednesday.

But the duo are expected to start on Saturday, along with TFC nemesis Jaime Moreno. The all-time MLS scoring leader has made the Reds a significant part of his record, with four goals in six matches against Toronto.

"He's a fantastic player. He likes to pull players out of positions," Robinson said. "Obviously he doesn't have the best of legs as he did a couple of years ago, but he's got a very clever footballing brain. His teammates complement him because he's got Emilio up top who's very quick."

DC United is one point up on TFC for top spot in the Eastern Conference.