CF Montreal can sweep their MLS season series with Toronto for a second successive campaign when the two sides square off in the final Canadian Classique of the year on Sunday at BMO Field.
The Reds are winless in their last 11 matches in all competitions, losing all of their Leagues Cup encounters, while Le CFM snapped a two-game unbeaten run at home when they lost 1-0 versus DC United in that same tournament.
Match preview
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A season which was supposed to be a big turnaround campaign for Toronto has not materialised, in fact, things seem to be getting worse for the 2017 MLS Cup champions with every match.
TFC have lost eight successive matches in all competitions and six straight MLS affairs, only three shy of matching their regular-season record losing streak set in 2012.
For a team that invested so much in veteran strikers with a reputation for finding the back of the net, the Reds have been quiet in the attacking third, without a goal in their last six competitive fixtures.
We often see the fortunes of a football club change drastically when a new manager arrives, but in the case of TFC, it has been the complete opposite as Terry Dunfield has yet to earn a point since replacing Bob Bradley as coach in late June, while Dunfield has not even been able to celebrate a single goal scored.
Now names like Canadian head coach John Herdman are being mentioned as possible replacements, but regardless of all the rumours, this team is running out of time to try to salvage a season which has gone off kilter, with the Reds currently 11 points behind the playoff line in the Eastern Conference, and only 10 games to go.
With just 19 points after 24 league fixtures, it is their lowest total to this stage of a domestic campaign since 2021 (15), while their four-game goalless drought domestically equals the longest TFC have ever gone without finding the back of the net in a single MLS campaign.
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Toronto are not the only Canadian side in MLS struggling to score at the moment, as Montreal enter this contest without a goal in their last three domestic road fixtures.
Their record at home has kept them in playoff contention, with eight of their nine victories occurring in Montreal, while the 2023 away form of Le CFM has held them back, claiming a mere five points in 12 regular-season encounters.
Hernan Losada's men are, however, in a much better position than their Eastern Canadian rivals, with a game in hand on DC United, who they trail by a single point for that final playoff berth.
Montreal have a 100% domestic record this season when scoring the opening goal, conceding in only one of those nine wins.
Defensively, they have looked a lot less comfortable on the road than at home, with 27 of their 32 goals conceded in this competition coming away from Montreal.
Lately, Le CFM have had their way with TFC, winning five of the last six competitive games against them, while they have not lost to them at BMO Field in league play since 2020 (1-0).
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Team News
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Toronto was dealt another significant blow this week with the club announcing that goalkeeper Sean Johnson could miss four to six weeks after fracturing his hand, while Greg Ranjitsingh, Lorenzo Insigne, Victor Vazquez, Cristian Gutierrez, Adama Diomande and Michael Bradley missed all of their Leagues Cup matches due to lower body injuries.
During the secondary transfer window, the club signed Prince Owusu from SSV Jahn Regensburg in Germany until the 2024 season with an option for 2025, and Matt Hedges was dealt to Austin FC, with the Reds receiving £294,823 in General Allocation Money next season with the possibility of another £78,619 depending on Hedges' roster status when 2024 begins.
Latif Blessing started both Leagues Cup matches for Toronto and has featured in their last three competitive fixtures since joining them in trade from the New England Revolution, with the Reds giving up Mark-Anthony Kaye in that deal.
Montreal could be missing Romell Quioto yet again as he has struggled to recover from a hamstring strain, while Mathieu Choiniere has featured in the team's last three competitive games after previously sustaining an ankle injury.
At the beginning of this month, Montreal signed goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois to a three-year contract extension with an option for 2027, a day after trading centre-back Rudy Camacho to the Columbus Crew in exchange for £314,478 in General Allocation Money.
Chinonso Offor has scored in both matches versus the Reds this year, notching the winner in their previous visit to BMO Field when he and Zachary Brault-Guillard netted at the Canadian Championship quarter-finals, giving Le CFM a 2-1 triumph.
Toronto possible starting lineup:
Romero; Franklin, Rosted, Mabika, Petretta; Ibarra, Osorio; Blessing, Servania, Marshall-Rutty; Bernardeschi
CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Sirois; Waterman, Campbell, Corbo; Herrera, Piette, Choiniere, Lappalainen; Duke; Offor, Opoku
We say: Toronto 1-0 CF Montreal
Sunday might be the best opportunity for Toronto to end their lengthy losing run, as Montreal have looked unhinged and out of sorts away from home, which we believe the Reds can take advantage of.
How to watch
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
