TORONTO FC vs. NEW YORK RED BULLS
BMO Field | Toronto, Ontario
Sunday, September 18 | Week #28 | MLS Game #292
5 pm ET (MLS LIVE, FOX, TSN2)
It’s a top-of-the-table clash when Toronto FC and the New York Red Bulls meet in a massive match toward the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs picture on Sunday afternoon at BMO Field before a FOX audience. With the right combination of results, either team can clinch their place in the postseason with a victory, or even a tie for Toronto FC. TFC return home off a third consecutive away win, a 2-1 triumph at the Chicago Fire leaving them two points clear of the Red Bulls and New York City FC. The Red Bulls are riding a club-record 11-game undefeated run in league play, despite being hauled back into another 2-2 draw by D.C. United last Sunday at Red Bull Arena.
It's No. 1 vs. No. 3 in the East in a head-to-head matchup for the top spot in the conference at BMO Field.
Having lost just once in their last eight league matches, Toronto FC (No. 1 in East, 46 points) currently sit atop the East, just five points behind West leaders FC Dallas for the best record in MLS.
The Reds' main threat in attack is US national team forward Jozy Altidore who is in superlative form with six goals in his last eight matches after struggling with nagging hamstring issues earlier in the year. Altidore's regular strike partner, reigning MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco, could also be back from injury for this game.
The Red Bulls (No. 3 in East, 44 points) have their own star players in stellar form, including Golden Boot leader Bradley Wright-Phillips (18 goals) and MLS assist leader Sacha Kljestan (15 assists). If they beat TFC and rivals New York City FC draw or lose in their match on Saturday night, the Red Bulls will finish the weekend all alone as the new Eastern Conference leaders.
- Altidore: The best is yet to come
- Will Giovinco return?
- Toronto setting sights on lifting another trophy?
- Stejskal: BWP deserves more love
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- Jozy Altidore netted his sixth MLS goal of the season – all coming over the last eight matches – as Toronto FC moved back atop the Eastern Conference following their 2-1 win at the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening.
- Bradley Wright-Phillips moved back atop the MLS Golden Boot standings with his 18th goal of the season, but the Red Bulls were hauled back into a late draw with D.C. United for the second time in four weeks, reaching a 2-2 result Sunday afternoon at Red Bull Arena. Wright-Phillips has scored 62 goals over the last three seasons, the most in a three-year span in MLS history.
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season, having split the first two at Red Bull Arena. On May 28, Bradley Wright-Phillips netted a hat trick – all within the opening 27 minutes – as the Red Bulls took a 3-0 win. Sebastian Giovinco netted a first-half penalty kick then set up a late insurance goal from Marky Delgado in a 2-0 Toronto FC win in the season opener for both clubs on March 6.
- TFC is undefeated in their last three home matches vs. the Red Bulls, with victories in the last two meetings there. The Red Bulls last won in Toronto in 2013, a 2-1 victory at BMO Field.
- The win in the first meeting this year was the first ever for Toronto FC at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls were 5-0-1 all-time in Harrison before the TFC win; the triumph also snapped an eight-game home undefeated streak for the Red Bulls vs. TFC (7-0-1), which began Oct. 25, 2009. The Red Bulls are now 10-2-1 all-time in home matches vs. Toronto FC.
REFEREE: Robert Sibiga. AR1 (bench): Daniel Belleau; AR2 (opposite): Jeff Muschik; 4th: Geoff Gamble
MLS Career: 18 games; FC/gm: 23.5; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 5; pens: 4
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: TOR: Michael Bradley, Marky Delgado … NYR: Connor Lade
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: TOR: Justin Morrow … NYR: Kemar Lawrence, Ronald Zubar, Felipe Martins DISABLED LIST: NYR: Gideon Baah (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (25 meetings): Toronto FC 7 wins, 25 goals … Red Bulls 13 wins, 48 goals … Ties 5
AT TORONTO (12 meetings): Toronto FC 5 wins, 16 goals … Red Bulls 3 wins, 14 goals … Ties 4
2016 (MLS):
3/6: NYR 0, TOR 2 (Giovinco 82; Delgado 91+)
5/28: NYR 3, TOR 0 (B. Wright-Phillips 4, 25, 27)
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season, having split the first two at Red Bull Arena. On May 28, Bradley Wright-Phillips netted a hat trick – all within the opening 27 minutes – as the Red Bulls took a 3-0 win. Sebastian Giovinco netted a first-half penalty kick then set up a late insurance goal from Marky Delgado in a 2-0 Toronto FC win in the season opener for both clubs on March 6.
- TFC is undefeated in their last three home matches vs. the Red Bulls, with victories in the last two meetings there. The Red Bulls last won in Toronto in 2013, a 2-1 victory at BMO Field.
- The win in the first meeting this year was the first ever for Toronto FC at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls were 5-0-1 all-time in Harrison before the TFC win; the triumph also snapped an eight-game home undefeated streak for the Red Bulls vs. TFC (7-0-1), which began Oct. 25, 2009. The Red Bulls are now 10-2-1 all-time in home matches vs. Toronto FC.
- Coaches record: Greg Vanney vs. NYR: P5 W2 L3 T0 … Jesse Marsch vs. KC: P7 W3 L3 T1
LAST MEETING (MLS):
- Bradley Wright-Phillips opened the scoring for the Red Bulls in the fourth minute, heading home a Sacha Kljestan freekick service.
- Then after TFC forward Sebastian Giovinco exited the game in the 22nd minute with an adductor injury, Wright-Phillips quickly added goals in the 25th and 27th minute to put the game away, finishing off another Kljestan pass to make it 2-0, before stabbing home from a corner kick. It was the shortest amount of time from the opening whistle for a hat trick in MLS history.
- The Red Bulls played the entire second half a man down after Gonzalo Veron was sent off with a straight red card in the 42nd minute.
- NEW YORK RED BULLS (4-2-3-1): Luis Robles - Sal Zizzo, Ronald Zubar, Aurelien Collin, Connor Lade - Felipe Martins, Dax McCarty - Gonzalo Veron (ejected 43), Sacha Kljestan (Sean Davis 76), Mike Grella (Gideon Baah 68) - Bradley Wright-Phillips (Brandon Allen 83).
- TORONTO FC (4-1-2-3): Clint Irwin - Steven Beitashour, Damien Perquis, Drew Moor, Justin Morrow (Jordan Hamilton 59) - Will Johnson - Marky Delgado, Jonathan Osorio - Daniel Lovitz (Jay Chapman 78), Sebastian Giovinco (Ashtone Morgan 22), Mo Babouli.
