It’s now or never for Toronto FC.
Technically, Saturday’s road game against the New York Red Bulls isn’t a must-win game for Toronto, as it can’t be officially eliminated from playoff contention with a loss or draw against its Eastern Conference rivals.
But without a victory, it’s difficult to envision TFC qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Toronto (7-10-12) currently sits 11th in the East, two spots and four points adrift of FC Cincinnati, which holds down the ninth and final playoff berth. Both Cincinnati and 12th-place D.C. United have a game in hand on Toronto, who has five matches remaining in the regular season, while New York City FC and the Columbus Crew are also in the hunt for that final post-season berth.
Four of TFC’s last five matches of the campaign are on the road, where they have only won twice in 13 outings this season. So, if Toronto has any chance of clinching its first playoff berth in six years, it will have to overcome its poor road record and pick up points away from home down this crucial do-or-die stretch of the season.
They’ll also have to find a way to stop leaking goals. TFC have gone 13 consecutive matches without a clean sheet while conceding 26 times during that span. The Reds have coughed up three goals in a match on five occasions during this 13-game run.
Protecting a lead would also have to be high on Toronto’s priority list. The Reds squandered two separate leads and had to rely on a 90th-minute goal from Matheus Pereira to earn a come-from-behind 3-3 draw versus Orlando City SC on Wednesday. Had Toronto not wasted its advantage and seen things out, it could have entered this weekend in a virtual tie with Cincinnati for ninth in the East.
Instead, TFC blew it and now have some major work to do in order to have a realistic chance of making the post-season.
“I think there's a lot of things that need to happen in order for that because that's ultimately a big thing to reach the playoffs. But we can do it,” winger Theo Corbeanu said after the Orlando game.
“We can absolutely do it, and on another day, we can come away with more. It's a draw. It's not a loss, but it really does feel like a loss. So, very disappointing. But I think that if our belief is as high as it's been recently, we can definitely do something special and get this team into the playoffs where we belong.”
Making life even more difficult for Toronto this weekend is the fact that it will be missing three members of its starting back four.
Centre back Benjamin Kuscevic and fullback Richie Laryea were both cautioned versus Orlando, which means they'll be suspended for the road game against New York due to yellow card accumulation. Coach Robin Fraser revealed earlier this week that Walker Zimmerman isn't expected to return to action until next week. The veteran centre back has been sidelined for the last two matches with an ankle injury.
With the three key defensive starters ruled out, players such as Nicksoen Gomis and Zane Monlouis could be required to step up in a big way against the Red Bulls.
"I feel like because of the injuries we've had this year, we have so many guys who have played along the backline that we have lots of choices. To be honest, we have Nicksoen, we have Zane, we have Jackson (Gilman), we have Kobe (Franklin) and Laz (Lazar Stefanovic). We have a number of guys who can play and have played throughout the season," Fraser said.
"So, I think it's not so much like we're backed into a corner, and we can only do this or that. We still have options, and it just depends on how we feel particular groups or particular individuals match up against the Red Bulls."
Elsewhere in MLS this weekend…
• The Vancouver Whitecaps have already clinched a playoff berth, but their hold on first place in the Western Conference is tenuous. Both St. Louis City SC and FC Dallas are within two points of the Whitecaps, who were held to a 0-0 draw in St. Louis on Wednesday. Vancouver is winless in four games (three draws) and will be looking to earn its first victory in a little under a month when it pays a visit to conference rivals Austin FC.
• These are dire times for CF Montreal. The Black and Blue are coming off a 3-0 home loss to Atlanta United on Wednesday. After the game Montreal coach Philippe Eullafroy spoke with angry supporters in the stands who held up a banner that read “Shame on you" during the game. You can understand their frustration as Montreal sits in last place in the East and could be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss away to the Seattle Sounders this weekend.
• Fresh off officially clinching a playoff berth, Inter Miami will look to keep its momentum going when it visits Atlanta United. Lionel Messi is on pace to win an unprecedented third consecutive league MVP award as he has an MLS-best 37 goal contributions (23 goals and 14 assists). But he’s not the only danger man for Miami. Uruguay’s Luis Suárez has 15 goals and 10 assists, while Argentinian Rodrigo De Paul has anchored the midfield with five goals and 14 assists.
• Is there any stopping St. Louis City SC? The Midwest club started the season in poor form as it dwelled near the bottom of the Western Conference. But St. Louis has since put together a 19-game unbeaten run in MLS (21 games in all competitions) and climbed to second in the West. St. Louis could extend its streak and potentially overtake Vancouver for top spot in the West with a win on the road over Minnesota United.
• The latest edition of the “Hell is Real” Derby — that’s a fantastic moniker, isn’t it?
— unfolds on Sunday when FC Cincinnati hosts Ohio rivals Columbus Crew. Cincinnati currently clings to the ninth and final playoff berth in the East while Columbus is four points adrift in 13th place. The Crew have one of the league’s worst road records this season but it will have to overcome that in order to pull out a win it desperately needs to stay alive in the playoff race.
• Saturday’s Texas Derby between the hometown Houston Dynamo and visiting FC Dallas should be a heated affair — even more so than usual — because it has major playoff implications. Dallas sits third in the West, just two points adrift of conference-leading Vancouver, while Houston is trying to move from fifth into fourth, which would mean home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 27 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.
