After being freshly eliminated from playoff contention, Toronto FC will welcome FC Cincinnati to BMO Field, a club who is having the exact opposite season as the Reds. The Garys will be looking to clinch the Supporters Shield in what would be their first major trophy since joining the MLS in 2019.
This match will mark the end of the Terry Dunfield era in Toronto where things couldn’t have gone worse albeit Dunfield, the first former Toronto FC player to coach the club, should be respected given the tough position he was put into following Bob Bradley’s exit. During his stint as caretaker, Toronto FC have been 28-6 where signs of hope have been few and far between. Glimmers of hope however were seen through breakout midfielder Alonso Coello and Hamilton-born goalkeeper Luka Gavran who saved a Monsef Bakrar penalty in his MLS debut. “We don’t see the good things we do because of the poor things we do more often,” Gavran said following the NYCFC match, a sign of some accountability for his team’s poor performances this season. Terry Dunfield was not short of praise for Luka stating, “He’s worked his ass off and greatly deserved this opportunity.”
The Reds are actually on the road to make history this season, but for all the wrong reasons. TFC need two points from their final four league fixtures to avoid either matching or setting a new club record for the fewest in a 34-game MLS season (23 in 2012), while they have to score at least two more goals to surpass the fewest-ever for this club in a single regular season (25 in 2007).
This Saturday can be a lesson for Toronto who should aim to emulate FC Cincinnati's path from last to first in a matter of a couple seasons, who now have the chance to win the Supporter’s Shield, two years removed from finishing dead last. When asked about the matchup, FC Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan, who should be leading the race for MLS coach of the year responded, “We’ll anticipate their healthiest and strongest, which obviously has a couple very dangerous wingers.” Noonan continued, “I think they’re an experienced team. Despite results not being in their favor, they have enough experience and quality to cause us a lot of problems. When you’re not in the playoff picture, there’s things that you might try at this stage so we need to be prepared for multiple things.”
On Friday, manager Terry Dunfield confirmed that Lorenzo Insigne, Raoul Petretta and Brandon Servania are all out for Saturday's matchup. “He felt some tightness and by the end of the Miami match, he has done some scans that we are assessing but some leg soreness remains,” discussed Toronto manager Terry Dunfield when asked about Insigne’s health. While Toronto’s starman is sitting out, Cincy’s starman Luciano Acosta is having a career year, leading the MLS golden boot race with 15 goals and 12 assists in 2023. The Argentine who is now eligible for the US and also recently inked a contract extension through the 2026 season, with an option for 2027, will look to lead his club to history.
So, we have the worst in MLS vs the best, with nothing to lose for Toronto, this match has the potential for growth towards the John Herdman era at TFC while also having the opportunity to be an ugly sendoff for interim manager Terry Dunfield.
*Cover photo is credited to Eric Medeiros/Area Sports Network*
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