Bitter rivals Toronto and CF Montreal will clash on Saturday at BMO Field in the first Canadian Classique match of the 2024 MLS campaign.
The Reds conceded a pair of late strikes to lose 2-0 versus Nashville SC in midweek, while Montreal suffered a 3-1 defeat to the Columbus Crew.
Match preview
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Missing many of their regulars through suspension, the Reds, minus their banned manager John Herdman, employed a new tactic on Wednesday, putting in five midfielders to try to clog the middle of the field and prevent any scoring opportunities.
It nearly worked as Toronto held Nashville off the scoresheet for 80 minutes but eventually succumbed to all the pressure, conceding multiple goals in consecutive matches and losing in both instances.
Another defeat on Saturday would match their longest losing run in this competition this season (three), while they have conceded as many times in their previous two domestic encounters (five) as they had in their four MLS matches before that.
Four of the six TFC victories in MLS this season have occurred at BMO Field, where they have posted three clean sheets in 2024.
Meanwhile, five of their six league defeats this year have occurred when they have given up the opening goal, though they have only done that once at BMO Field in MLS play this year (3-1 defeat to Sporting Kansas City).
Since defeating Atlanta United 2-0 in March, the Reds have scored 11 goals in their last eight MLS encounters, but only one came in the opening half.
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Herdman is not the only manager experiencing a slump, as Laurent Courtois's men in Montreal lost for a third successive time in MLS play on Wednesday.
Over that span, they have allowed 10 goals, including three or more in each of those defeats, while netting once or fewer in three of their previous four domestic affairs.
A defeat on Saturday would mark the first time Le CFM will have suffered four consecutive losses in this competition since the 2020 campaign.
Montreal are winless in their last five domestic affairs away from home, having been outscored by a combined margin of 14-4 over that stretch.
They have yet to collect a point in the 2024 regular season when conceding the opening goal, doing so on four separate occasions.
Le CFM have won their last five matches in all competitions versus Toronto, including three successive triumphs at BMO Field.
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Team News
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Sean Johnson, Kevin Long, Prince Owusu and Federico Bernardeschi were all forced out of the Toronto lineup in midweek through suspension but are all eligible to return this weekend, as is their manager, John Herdman.
Richie Laryea was also suspended for their match on Wednesday but is still recovering from hamstring surgery, while Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty is dealing with a hamstring strain himself and Brandon Servania remains out after rupturing his ACL.
Shane O'Neill is unlikely to feature because of a quad strain, Lorenzo Insigne came off the bench for a second match running and Charlie Sharp made his MLS debut after being signed to a short-term contract from Toronto FC II.
Raheem Edwards missed the previous Montreal clash with a sore abdomen, Nathan-Dylan Saliba was unavailable due to a hip issue, Josef Martinez did not feature because of a problem in his knee and Lassi Lappalainen remains questionable after suffering a recent knock in training.
Matias Coccaro remains sidelined after suffering a long-term leg injury, and Kwadwo Opoku is nearing a return from an ankle ligament tear.
Mathieu Choiniere converted a 42nd-minute penalty for Le CFM on Wednesday, but that was all the home fans would have to cheer about.
Toronto possible starting lineup:
Johnson; Rosted, Long, Gomis; Bernardeschi, Longstaff, Coello, Spicer; Osorio, Etienne; Insigne
CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Sirois; Campbell, Waterman, Sosa; Ruan, Piette, Choiniere, Lassiter; Duke; Toye, Vilsaint
We say: Toronto 2-0 CF Montreal
Both teams are struggling at the moment, but the Reds should get plenty of difference-makers back this weekend, which could pay dividends.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
