Toronto FC will be out to produce their first win of the season and snap an undesirable record when they host Inter Miami CF on Saturday in an Eastern Conference matchup.
Toronto (0-1-2, 2 points) has been ahead in all three of its matches this year but has failed to win each one of them, earning the mark of being the first team in MLS history to drop points from winning positions in its opening three games.
Toronto’s most recent outing was a 1-1 draw at home with Columbus on March 11 in which Deandre Kerr scored in the 24th minute for the Reds. Columbus got the equalizer in the 75th minute and neither team could find the game-winner over the final 15 minutes.
“I don’t think we did a good enough job of getting control of the game, getting up the field,” Toronto coach Bob Bradley said. “The moments when we did get up the field and balls turned over we weren’t able to either stop transition or run hard enough with enough guys back to deal with certain situations.”
The Reds have not won a league match since Aug. 28, a span of nine matches (0-6-3).
Toronto has not been able to field a handful of its best players this season because of injuries, and winger Lorenzo Insigne (groin), forward Adama Diomande (hamstring) and defender Shane O’Neill (headaches) have been ruled out for Saturday’s match.
Federico Bernardeschi leads the team in scoring with two of Toronto’s four goals.
Inter Miami (2-1-0, 6 points) head north after a 1-0 loss at New York City FC on March 11. Miami has allowed just one goal over its first three matches — and that was an own goal in the setback to NYCFC — after winning its first two matches 2-0.
It’s the best start to a season in Inter Miami’s four-year history.
Miami will be without one of its top players, as well, after team captain Gregore broke his foot in last week’s loss and will be out up to six months after surgery.
“We’re going to miss Gregore — he’s the heart and soul if our team — and the team’s going to be different without him,” Miami coach Phil Neville said. “We’re going to need everybody to contribute.
Miami has won its past five matches against Toronto and is 5-1-0 all-time against the Reds.
–Field Level Media
