John Herdman has pledged to work on Toronto FC's shortcomings ahead of Saturday's derby versus CF Montreal, which he has described as a "six-pointer".
Toronto ended a miserable 10-game winless run by beating the Philadelphia Union 2-1 last weekend but were then brought crashing back to earth in midweek.
An Inter Miami team without Lionel Messi or Sergio Busquets, and with Luis Suarez limited to a substitute role, beat the Reds 3-1 to leave them eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's trip to Quebec, Herdman said getting on the right side of the fine margins must be their focus, saying: "We'll fix some things.
"We'll fix our set-pieces and move forward. We've got to look, mentally, at how we stay stronger, collectively, tactically how we adjust to manage these tougher periods.
"We will own this together and next task is on to Montreal. We've got two days to get ready for Montreal. Massive game. Six-pointer. We'll get after it.
Winger Derrick Etienne Jr., meanwhile, thinks the match comes at an ideal time.
"It comes at the right time," he said. "We want to get back to winning ways and I don't think there is any better way than getting a win in the derby."
Montreal are level on points with Toronto but are on the rise after a 1-0 win over Atlanta United and Wednesday's 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls, coming from behind twice in the latter game.
Mathieu Choiniere put through his own net in midweek but has impressed this season amid speculation he could leave the club, and boss Laurent Courtois has moved to highlight his contribution.
"He wants to give everything for his club, and I need Mathieu, not only for his versatility but also for the mentality and identity we want to have here," Courtois said.
"Now the player wants to get something to feel more valued, and at the end of the day we're all the same right? You just want to be valued for what you give, and he gives a lot."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
CF Montreal – Josef Martinez
Martinez scored both of Montreal's goals off the bench on Wednesday, his 22nd multi-goal MLS match and his second as a substitute.
The striker's 22 multi-goal games are tied for third most in league history.
Toronto FC – Federico Bernardeschi
Bernardeschi has scored six goals in five matches against Montreal, including a hat-trick in the rivals' last meeting.
Only Brian White (seven versus St. Louis City) has scored more goals against a single opponent in MLS since Bernardeschi joined the league in July 2022.
MATCH PREDICTION – CF MONTREAL WIN
Montreal have won five straight home matches against Toronto, the longest home winning streak by either team against the other in the history of the series (54 matches).
They twice came from behind against the Red Bulls on Wednesday and have now lost just two of their last 11 matches (three wins, six draws). With home advantage on their side, they will be favourites.
Indeed, Toronto are winless in their last eight away games (two draws, six losses), including losing their last five road matches in a row.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
CF Montreal – 56.1%
Toronto FC – 21.2%
Draw – 22.7%
Colorado Rapids v Real Salt Lake: Armas resets focus for Rocky Mountain Cup clash
Colorado Rapids boss Chris Armas hopes recovering players and resetting the team's focus will help them come through Saturday's Rocky Mountain Cup clash with Real Salt Lake.
Colorado saw their three-game unbeaten run halted as they lost 3-2 to the LA Galaxy in midweek, just falling short of a comeback after going 2-0 and 3-1 down.
The Rapids sit fifth in the Western Conference standings, two places and six points adrift of Real Salt Lake, albeit having played one additional game, ahead of Saturday's matchup.
With Omir Fernandez and Calvin Harris missing due to knocks, Colorado were depleted last time out, but Armas is hoping for a clean bill of health this weekend.
"I don't harp on too much about what we don't have, but we'll get back and we'll recover, reload and then throw everything at Salt Lake on the weekend," Armas said.
"We'll have some guys getting healthy, Omir [Fernandez] is back, so we'll be ready to go. It's good to see Johnny [Lewis] have a strong performance.
"We'll have enough to cause Salt Lake some problems."
"Every player knows this is going to be a big game for us, for the club and for the fans," forward Cole Bassett added.
"I don't think this is one you have to motivate us for. We know the importance."
Real Salt Lake, meanwhile, stayed within two points of Western leaders Los Angeles FC as the teams played out a 1-1 draw in midweek, Brayan Vera equalising after Pablo Mastroeni's team fell behind early on.
"We knew if we could have taken all three points it would have been a dream performance, but that result and a fantastic performance is in line with the team we are and the mindset we must have," Mastroeni told KSL Sports.
"It's not going to be an easy game", he added of this weekend's derby. "I just want to see this type of resilient, committed performance.
"Every team in this league is a super difficult opponent. There's just no easy game".
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Cole Bassett
Bassett scored his eighth goal of the season on Wednesday, extending his career-high tally in 2024.
He also has a career-best 12 goal contributions this season as his four assists are tied for the second-most in a single year in his career (five in 2020).
Real Salt Lake – Brayan Vera
Vera scored the fourth goal of his MLS career in Real Salt Lake's draw with LAFC, all of which have been from outside the box.
Since Opta began detailed data collection of MLS in 2010, Vera and David Beckham (11) are the only players with at least four goals with 100% of them coming from outside the box.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Real Salt Lake beat Colorado 5-3 in the last Rocky Mountain Cup matchup on May 18, recording their 20th regular-season win over the Rapids since the start of 2014, three more than any other team has managed against a single opponent in that span.
Colorado are, however, unbeaten in seven regular-season home games (five wins, two draws), earning six points more at Dicks Sporting Goods Park this year (23) than they did throughout the entire 2023 season (17).
Real Salt Lake have only lost one of their last 12 MLS road games, though seven of those have finished level, making the draw a real likelihood here.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 35.4%
Real Salt Lake – 38.5%
Draw – 26%
Philadelphia Union v Nashville SC: Curtin hails record breaker Sullivan
Jim Curtin hailed Cavan Sullivan after he became the youngest player in MLS history this week, with more minutes potentially on the horizon when the Philadelphia Union face Nashville SC.
Sullivan replaced Tai Baribo, who scored a hat-trick, for the final five minutes as the Union ended a near-four-month wait for a home win by thrashing the New England Revolution 5-1.
At just 14 years of age, Sullivan has surpassed Freddy Adu as the youngest ever MLS player, also becoming the youngest debutant among the top North American professional sports leagues and the big five European leagues, UEFA Champions League and Europa League, dating back to 1988.
"It was a special, special night," Union head coach Curtin said afterwards. "The place had a buzz. This is just the first chapter in Cavan's career.
"For those that don't know, we do have a plan for him. It's not just minute by minute or day by day; there is a plan in place.
"You guys don't get to see him every day in training, but the staff does, and the time was right to give him an opportunity.
"The reality is, guys, he's not a normal kid. We've known that from the start. Because he's different, he has a different plan and a different trajectory to other players in our group."
Sullivan's second senior outing could come against a Nashville team sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference, two points above Philadelphia, but looking over their shoulders after five straight defeats.
The latest of those losses – a comprehensive 3-0 reverse against Orlando City – led forward Jacob Shaffelburg to demand better.
"We haven't been playing well for the fans" Shaffelburg said.
"They should know that we're trying our hardest, we're working hard, but they do deserve better. We got to give them better."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Philadelphia Union – Tai Baribo
On Wednesday, Baribo became the first Israeli player in MLS history to score a hat-trick.
Israel is the 50th different nation to produce a player that scored at least three goals in an MLS match.
Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar
Nashville attempted eight shots in their defeat to Orlando on Wednesday, the 12th time this season they have been held to fewer than 10 shots in an MLS match.
Mukhtar (41) has created more than twice as many chances as his next closest team-mate this year, with Sam Surridge teeing up 17 attempts. His creativity could be key.
MATCH PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN
Nashville have lost five straight matches for the first time in club history with three of those defeats coming on the road.
They have managed only two wins in their last 12 away from home across all competitions (three draws, seven defeats), so approach this one as clear outsiders.
The Union, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Nashville, winning three and drawing three, including a 2-1 road victory in early April.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Philadelphia Union – 45.1%
Nashville SC – 28%
Draw – 26.9%
New England Revolution v FC Dallas: Result all that matters to Porter
Caleb Porter says the New England Revolution need a result "by any means possible" as they prepare to face FC Dallas in their last MLS game before the Leagues Cup break.
The Revs have lost three straight matches and four of their last five, their latest defeat coming by a 5-1 scoreline versus the Philadelphia Union in midweek.
They are bottom of the Eastern Conference, already 11 points adrift of a guaranteed playoff place and five off the play-in spots, yet Porter remains positive.
"We have to be better. I still feel very good about our chances but certainly, a win on Saturday would go a long way to setting us up ahead of the Leagues Cup and the run-in," Porter said.
"I still feel very good about our chances, we've got games in hand. We should be healthier in those games.
"What I'm looking for is a result by any means possible."
Dallas, meanwhile, sit 11th in the West but are looking up after a difficult start, making it three wins from their last four matches in midweek.
After their 3-1 derby win over Austin FC, interim head coach Peter Luccin said courageous play will be key if they are to continue moving forward.
"This is FC Dallas' style, we want to play from the back. I like the ball, I think the team likes the ball, but to play from the back, we need courage to show in the right moments," he said.
"This is a thing that we'll have to improve because in the very specific and important moments, we didn't show for the ball.
"But we are working on that and it's going to take time. Right now what we can see and I think what everybody can see is that the team is ready to compete. The team is competing every single game."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New England Revolution – Xavier Arreaga
The Revs' 5-1 defeat at Philadelphia on Wednesday was the third time they have conceded five or more goals in all competitions this season after not doing so once from 2020 to 2023.
Centre-back Arreaga will be key if they are to atone for that showing here.
FC Dallas – Petar Musa
Musa has scored in four straight MLS matches, the longest streak by a Dallas player since Paul Arriola did so in five straight in May 2022.
Musa and Arriola are the only Dallas players to score in at least four straight league matches over the last six seasons.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN
After winning five of six matches from early June to early July, New England have lost three league games in a row. This is the Revs' fourth losing streak of three or more games this regular season.
However, they did beat Dallas in the teams' last head-to-head meeting in March 2022, having failed to win any of their previous 10 against them (one draw, nine losses) since 2012.
Dallas' recent victories, however, have all come at home, failing to win any of their last 13 road games since last October (three draws, 10 losses). Perhaps this game represents an opportunity for slumping New England.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New England Revolution – 41.5%
FC Dallas – 31.8%
Draw – 26.7%
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