Toronto FC vs. Los Angeles Football Club | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Toronto FC vs. LAFC
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 27
BMO Field — Toronto
Sept. 1 — 8 pm ET
WATCH: TSN 1/4, ESPN+

For the first time, father will take on son as Bob Bradley’s LAFC head north to meet Michael Bradley and Toronto FC Saturday night at BMO Field.

LAFC are unbeaten in their last three games after rallying for a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy and are just three points behind Western Conference-leading FC Dallas, while Toronto FC’s playoff hopes were dealt a blow following a 2-0 loss against the Portland Timbers Wednesday night.

This will be the first time that Toronto have met LAFC. The Reds rank third in xG per game this season at 1.88 while LAFC sit in fourth in that category at 1.86, per Opta.

Toronto FC

Toronto FC (7-13-6) weren’t able to build off the momentum from a Canadian Classique win over the Montreal Impact on Saturday, suffering a 2-0 loss to the Portland Timbers at Providence Park Wednesday night.

Diego Chara broke the stalemate in the 64th minute and David Guzman added an insurance goal seven minutes from full time as the Timbers snapped a four-match winless streak, while the Reds were only able to put one shot on frame.

“In general I thought we had pretty good possession, I think we needed to be more dangerous when we got into good areas,” TFC coach Greg Vanney said. “Our final ball, final product was not of the quality we needed obviously to threaten the goal with the amount of times I thought we got into good spots. A touch of impotency in the final third meant that we didn’t test their goal enough.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Auro (hamstring strain), D - Chris Mavinga (hamstring strain)

Projected Starting XI
(4-1-2-1-2, right to left)
GK: Alex Bono — Justin Morrow, Drew Moor, Eriq Zavaleta, Gregory van der Wiel — Michael Bradley — Jonathan Osorio, Marky Delgado — Victor Vazquez — Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore

Notes: Wednesday’s defeat marked the third time in a MLS match (inc. playoffs) that Toronto FC put just one shot on target and eight off target. … Toronto’s shutout defeat on Wednesday snapped a streak of nine straight league games with a goal. The club has won just three of their last 13 MLS matches (6L-4D).

LAFC

LAFC (12-7-7) rallied from a first-half deficit to draw LA Galaxy in the final regular-season El Trafico match last Friday at StubHub Center.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic put the Galaxy in front in the 15th minute before Carlos Vela leveled from the penalty spot after being tripped by Perry Kitchen in the box in the 51st minute. Now the scene shifts for LAFC, who head to Toronto FC to face a desperate squad.

“As we prepare to play against Toronto, like we would any other team, you try to understand what the team is all about. A lot of what happens in Toronto begins with his ability to navigate his team, give his team rhythm, control the game,” Bob Bradley said of his son Michael. “You probably have to try and make it hard for him.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: M - Eduard Atuesta, D - Walker Zimmerman
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: GK - Quillan Roberts (right fibular fracture), M - Mark-Anthony Kaye (fractured ankle), F - Adama Diomande (left adductor strain); QUESTIONABLE: D - Danilo Silva (leg injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3, right to left)
GK: Tyler Miller — Steven Beitashour, Dejan Jakovic, Walker Zimmerman, Jordan Harvey — Benny Feilhaber, Eduard Atuesta, Lee Nguyen — Carlos Vela, Christian Ramirez, Diego Rossi

Notes: Seven of Vela’s nine goals this season have come in road matches. Only Atlanta’s Josef Martínez (12) and D.C. United’s Yamil Asad (eight) have more. … After winning four of their first six away games (2L), LAFC have won just one of their last seven (4L-2D).