Minimal East: Toronto visits Cincinnati

The bottom two of the MLS Eastern Conference will meet on Saturday when Toronto FC meets FC Cincinnati.

Toronto FC (3-13-6, 15 points) have lost four games in a row and have not beaten any of their last seven games (0-5-2) while sitting alone in last place. .. The club is in the middle of the start of 22 of the worst games in team history.

FC Cincinnati (3-10-8, 17 points) are in 13th place in the east, the worst 12 games of the MLS in a row (0-5-7). The team has also lost three games in a row.

It should have been a season for Cincinnati to remember the opening of a new 26,000-seat stadium, but the club haven’t won the venue yet and have stood 0-4-5 so far. Encounters with the lowest team represent the best chance for a victorious breakthrough.

Last Saturday, Inter Miami CF beat Cincinnati 1-0 in a heartbreaker when defender Brek Shea scored a goal in the 90th minute in a home game. Shutout meant Cincinnati have only scored one goal in their last four home games.

Cincinnati defender Nick Hagglund is expected to exceed 10,000 MLS minutes in Saturday’s game. “Getting through these tough times, in my opinion, is just about confidence. If we don’t stick together, it will be difficult, we look into each other’s faces and you have to make things your own. “

Toronto will be on the field for the first time in 15 days on Saturday. The Reds suffered a three-on-one defeat in a row against Miami and CF Montréal on the streets.

During the downtime, five Toronto players were on an international mission. Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea (Canada), Eriq Zavaleta (El Salvador), Kemar Lawrence (Jamaica), Yeferson Soteldo (Venezuela). All will be available on Saturday.

It’s been a very challenging season for the Reds, losing to Cincinnati for the first time in June and making a 2-0 decision in a game in Orlando, Florida.

Each of Toronto’s last 11 goals has been scored by a different player without the need for aggressive performers.

“We know the bottom line dynamics (ranking),” said Javier Perez, Toronto head coach. “Everyone thinks you are a vulnerable team so I think they are going to be very aggressive … It will be a very close game like any other game in the league. . “

-Field level media

Comments are closed.