TORONTO FC vs. PHILADELPHIA UNION
BMO Field | Toronto, Ontario
Saturday, September 24 | Week #29 | MLS Game #294
5 pm ET (MLS LIVE, TSN2, The Comcast Network)
It’s a meeting of a pair of clubs still solidly in the hunt for places in the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs when Toronto FC meet Philadelphia Union on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field. Toronto FC are on the precipice of a second consecutive playoff berth, still sitting atop the Eastern Conference table after a dramatic late 3-3 home draw with the New York Red Bulls last Sunday afternoon. Union also hold down a playoff position, still in fourth place in the East after starting a long road swing with a 2-1 loss at the Portland Timbers last Saturday afternoon.
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- Jozy Altidore scored a pair of goals – now with eight goals in his last eight matches – and Michael Bradley scored his first goal of the season while setting up another as Toronto FC came back for a 3-3 draw with the New York Red Bulls on Sunday afternoon at BMO Field.
- Chris Pontius netted his 11th goal of the season, but Union had their winless run extended to three matches following a 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers on Saturday afternoon at Providence Park.
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Sebastian Giovinco, Drew Moor and Jozy Altidore all scored first-half goals as TFC eased to a 3-1 win Aug. 20 at Talen Energy Stadium.
- Toronto FC has won four meetings in a row in the all-time series, claiming all three matchups in 2015, including the last two both at BMO Field. Sebastian Giovinco has scored in each of the four games, with four goals and one assist in that span.
- Before the last year’s season series sweep, Union had a seven-game undefeated streak alive in the series, winning four of those games, including three in a row before the first TFC win in 2015.
REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Peter Manikowski; AR2 (opposite): Philippe Briere; 4th: Silviu Petrescu
MLS Career: 79 games; FC/gm: 24.8; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 18; pens: 22
SUSPENDED: TOR: Armando Cooper (through Sept. 25) … PHI: Joshua Yaro (through Sept. 25)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: TOR: Michael Bradley, Marky Delgado … PHI: Brian Carroll, Raymon Gaddis
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: TOR: Justin Morrow … PHI: Ken Tribbett, Tranquillo Barnetta, Joshua Yaro, Alejandro Bedoya
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (16 meetings): Toronto FC 6 wins, 19 goals … Union 6 wins, 23 goals … Ties 4
AT TORONTO (8 meetings): Toronto FC 4 wins, 12 goals … Union 2 wins, 13 goals … Ties 2
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Sebastian Giovinco, Drew Moor and Jozy Altidore all scored first-half goals as TFC eased to a 3-1 win Aug. 20 at Talen Energy Stadium.
- Toronto FC has won four meetings in a row in the all-time series, claiming all three matchups in 2015, including the last two both at BMO Field. Sebastian Giovinco has scored in each of the four games, with four goals and one assist in that span.
- Before the last year’s season series sweep, Union had a seven-game undefeated streak alive in the series, winning four of those games, including three in a row before the first TFC win in 2015.
- Coaches record: Jim Curtin vs. TOR: P6 W2 L4 T0… Greg Vanney vs. PHI: P6 W4 L2 T0
LAST MEETING (MLS):
8/20: PHI 1, TOR 3 (Tribbett 24 – Giovinco 18; Moor 30; Altidore 44)
- TFC took the lead after just 18 minutes. After receiving a knockdown in midfield from Jozy Altidore, Marky Delgado sent a ball across the field which found a streaking Sebastian Giovinco. His left-footed shot hit the right post, rolled across the line and hit the left post before settling in the goal.
- Union pulled level six minutes later when defender Ken Tribbett sent in a diving header from a Tranquillo Barnetta free kick. But TFC were back in front just six minutes later through nearly identical circumstances, as Drew Moor dove to head home a Michael Bradley free kick whipped into the area.
- Toronto extended their lead in the dying minutes of the first half when Altidore collected a pass at the top of the area, powered his way through the Union defense and put a shot off the post and in.
- PHILADELPHIA UNION (4-2-3-1): Andre Blake - Keegan Rosenberry, Ken Tribbett (Joshua Yaro 46), Richard Marquez, Fabinho - Alejandro Bedoya, Warren Creavalle (Roland Alberg 62) - Ilsinho (Fabian Herbers 74), Tranquillo Barnetta, Chris Pontius - C.J. Sapong.
- TORONTO FC (4-4-2): Alex Bono - Steven Beitashour, Eriq Zavaleta, Drew Moor, Justin Morrow - Marky Delgado, Michael Bradley, Will Johnson (Nick Hagglund 71), Jonathan Osorio - Jozy Altidore (Tosaint Ricketts 74), Sebastian Giovinco (Jay Chapman 81).
