Toronto FC must keep moving forward after their dramatic defeat to Atlanta United made it four straight losses, said John Herdman ahead of Wednesday's clash with Orlando City.
The Reds' miserable run continued on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 by Atlanta in remarkable circumstances.
The Five Stripes' Jamal Thiare lurked behind Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran and stole possession from him as he went to kick the ball long, before converting into an empty net.
Despite the nature of the result, Herdman believes their performance represented a step in the right direction, saying: "The team took a big step.
"The players were all in. You got that sense they were grinding out a result, but also had chances to win it.
"What can you say about the last goal? It's tough. I didn't have too many words. It's just gut-wrenching, but at the same time, there has got to be a response coming into the midweek game at home against Orlando.
"We've got to keep moving forward. It's tough to take with 10 seconds left. I asked the fourth official how long was left, he said 10, I turned to walk to the bench and it was in the back of the net."
Orlando are also out of sorts, only winning one of their last seven matches (two draws, four losses), and going down 4-2 at New York City last time out.
Midfielder Dagur Dan Thorhallsson says finding a better balance out of possession will be key to changing their fortunes.
"We've done it before and we know how to do it, but I feel like right now the balance just isn't quite there and that's something that we need to look at," he said.
"It's good that we started scoring, but now we need to stop conceding so many goals."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Toronto FC – Federico Bernardeschi
Bernardeschi scored his eighth goal in MLS this season – a team-high total – in last week's defeat to Atlanta.
He has overperformed his expected goals (xG) total of 6.21 for the campaign and ranks joint-fifth in the league for total shots on target (28, alongside Andres Gomez). Can he provide the inspiration?
Orlando City – Duncan McGuire
McGuire is Orlando's leading scorer for 2024 after netting his seventh goal of the season last time out, with that tally coming from just 12 shots on target.
MATCH PREDICTION: ORLANDO CITY WIN
Having won seven of nine matches across all competitions between late April and May 22, Toronto have now failed to win any of their last seven (two draws, five defeats).
They have lost their last four, including each of their last two at home – 1-4 versus the Chicago Fire and 1-2 against Nashville SC.
Orlando, meanwhile, have taken 12 points on the road so far this season – a tally only bettered by five Eastern Conference rivals. The Lions are also unbeaten on their last five trips to Toronto, winning on three occasions and drawing twice.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Toronto FC – 30.7%
Orlando City – 44.2%
Draw – 25.1%
Columbus Crew v Toronto FC: Herdman lays down the gauntlet for the Reds following ‘turning point’ fixture
John Herdman insists that Toronto FC’s defeat to Orlando City must be a turning point in their MLS campaign ahead of facing in-form Columbus Crew this weekend.
Toronto had taken an early lead through Derrick Etienne but were compounded to a fifth straight defeat that leaves them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Nashville SC.
Head coach Herdman acknowledged his side’s poor recent form, and ensured conversations would be had with his players and staff to ensure they return to winning ways sooner, rather than later.
“This has to be a turning point for the club tonight,” Herdman said. “I said that to the players after the game, ‘It has to be the turning point.’
“There's going to be some hard conversations in the next two days starting with all of us looking at ourselves in the mirror for that 20-minute period.
“What happened there? And why is it happening? Why do we fall into that trap game after game after game?”
However, they will have to do so against a Columbus side in a rich vein of form having earned a third straight triumph with their 2-0 win over Nashville last time out.
The Crew currently occupy third place in the Eastern Conference and are one of three sides chasing runaway leaders FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami.
Head coach Wilfried Nancy commended his team’s recent displays and said he intends to do everything possible to keep that feel-good feeling in the camp before welcoming Toronto to the Lower.com Field.
“I'm going to talk about the present moment because it's a fact: They are really good,” Nancy said of his side.
“They are really good. We are going to try to do everything to help them to stay like this because
for me, it's a key point. It's a key point about the way we want to play.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Columbus Crew – Cucho Hernandez
There is arguably no one better in the MLS right now than Cucho Hernandez as he kept up his impressive recent form for the Crew.
Since returning from injury, the Colombian has registered six goals and four assists in his last five matches, with his most recent coming in their 2-0 win over Nashville as he set up Christian Ramirez to open the scoring at the Lower.com Field.
Toronto FC – Federico Bernardeschi
Federico Bernardeschi continues to be an attacking force for Toronto, and he will be needed on top form if his side are to halt their current five-game winless run.
The Italian has been involved in 14 goals in his last 10 MLS matches (eight goals, six assists), including an assist against Orlando City last time out.
MATCH PREDICTION: COLUMBUS CREW WIN
Columbus are expected to emerge victorious, with Nancy’s side winning 76.7% of Opta’s data-led simulations heading into the encounter.
The Crew have an impressive home record, losing one of their last 30 home matches in all competitions dating back to May 2023 (W20 D9). In that streak, 12 of those victories have been by a margin of two or more goals.
Columbus also boast an impressive record over their opponents and are unbeaten in their last five league matches against Toronto. Before this run, Columbus had won just two of their previous 14 meetings with Toronto dating back to 2016.
Toronto, however, will be out to cause an upset. Their current five-game losing run is the seventh losing streak of five or more matches since the start of the 2021 season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Columbus Crew – 76.7%
Draw – 13.9%
Toronto FC – 9.4%
Philadelphia Union v New York Red Bulls: Schwarz expecting tough encounter against the Union despite their recent form
New York Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz believes his side must improve against a ‘tough’ Philadelphia Union side ahead of their encounter at Subaru Park.
The Red Bulls maintained their four-match unbeaten run with a 2-2 draw against DC United last time out, aided by Cristian Dajome’s early dismissal for the visitors.
Schwarz’s side sit fifth in the Eastern Conference and are among a cluster of teams tightly packed in the middle of the division, with every victory important at the halfway stage of the season.
The Red Bulls head coach praised his side’s mentality to gain a point against the Black and Red’s last time out but expects a difficult match against the Union.
“I think what we have to improve, especially with our ball position is the structure which we have lost in some moments which we will analyse ahead of the game,” Schwarz said.
“But the mentality to come back was good to not lose the last game and to get this important point at home. We analysed this and it is very clear how we want to play, and we want to create these situations and these moments.
“They are a very good team with a good structure, they are aggressive in their pressing and have that individual quality as well.
“They have the quality to build-up with the centre-backs and have good deep runs, and it will be a tough game for us.”
For Philadelphia, their winless run continued against fellow strugglers Chicago Fire as they were edged out of a seven-goal and are now without a win since their 3-0 win against New England Revolution back in May.
The Union had led 3-1 entering the final 10 minutes of play before conceding three goals in nine minutes to lose 4-3, marking the first time in the club’s history that they had lost a match in which they led by multiple goals entering the 80th minute.
Their latest defeat was their fifth in a row and leaves them second-bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, level on points with DC United at the foot of the table.
Curtin was left hurt by the loss and highlighted their inability to defend set-pieces as something to work on before facing the Red Bulls.
“The guys did well to get themselves from 3-1 up, from there it was pretty comfortable until about the 82nd minute, and we started conceding corners that we didn’t need to concede,” Curtin said.
“The little things then became big issues. The thing that we have been pretty good at over the years which has been defending set-pieces, we have come up really small and we get punished.
“It hurts, but again, I sound like a broken record, but the group will have to regroup quickly and go again against New York.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Philadelphia Union – Daniel Gazdag
Following his return from international duty with Hungary at Euro 2024, Daniel Gazdag found himself on the scoresheet once again in the Union’s 4-3 defeat to Chicago Fire last time out.
Gazdag’s goal and assist at Soldier Field took his tally 12 goal involvements in 17 MLS appearances, and his influence in attack will be needed if Philadelphia are to return to winning ways.
NYRB – Cameron Harper
After scoring in three consecutive MLS matches in May, Cameron Harper has rediscovered his goal-scoring touch for Schwarz’s side.
The American has scored two goals in his last two games against Toronto FC and DC United and should he find the back of the net again, he will become the first player since Bradley Wright-Phillips in 2016 to have multiple streaks of three or more games with a goal in a single season.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Despite Philadelphia slightly edging Opta’s data-led simulations, their recent form suggests that the encounter at Subaru Park will be an evenly contested affair.
The Union have lost their last five league matches for the first time in the club’s history following a 4-3 defeat to Chicago Fire on Wednesday.
However, Curtin’s side can take confidence from their recent record against their opponents. Philadelphia are unbeaten in their previous 12 meetings with the Red Bulls in all competitions (W8 D4) dating back to 2019.
But New York will take confidence from their 2-2 draw with DC United. It marked the 12th time this season the Red Bulls have scored multiple goals in a match after doing so just eight times during the entire 2023 season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Philadelphia Union – 38.9%
Draw – 26.5%
NYRB – 34.5%
Dorival Junior confirmed Endrick will earn his first start for Brazil ahead of their Copa America quarter-final with Uruguay.
Endrick will replace future Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior after the Ballon d'Or hopeful picked up his second yellow card of the tournament against Colombia.
The teenager, who has scored three goals in nine appearances for the Selecao Canarinha, will join Raphinha and Rodrygo in attack for the fixture at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
"The attack has already been decided. Raphinha, Endrick and Rodrygo. I hope we can continue finding the way to goals," Junior said.
"I think the work focuses on giving athletes the possibility of attacking the opponent's last line. We hope Endrick is very well prepared to deliver on everything we expect from him.
“We lost an important player, but we gained a player who has been emerging, looking for an opportunity. Who knows, this could be Endrick's moment."
Brazil scored five goals in their group fixtures at the tournament, four of which came in the first half, their highest tally since 1999 at that stage of the competition (5).
Raphinha netted his seventh international goal in Brazil's final Group D fixture against Colombia, but insisted that Endrick's arrival in the starting line-up would not affect his role in the side.
“My role on the field does not change. Endrick plays another position. We have that profile of adapting quickly to any position," he said.
"My position on the field is not going to change. It will change depending on one or another player and the circumstances of the game.”
Dorival, meanwhile, said Brazil were under no illusions about the challenge of facing a Uruguay team who finished top of their first round group with a 100% record.
"They are a team that deserves all our respect," the Brazilian coach said.
"This could be a semi-final or the final of the Cup. We are rivals who know each other and respect each other and it will be a great match."
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