Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 32
BMO Field — Toronto
October 6 - 5 pm ET
WATCH: TSN 1/4, ESPN+

Two Canadian sides desperate for a win meet at BMO Field Saturday when Toronto FC host Vancouver Whitecaps FC Saturday.

Seven points below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference with four games to play, Toronto FC are coming off a 4-1 home win over the New England Revolution last Saturday, while the Whitecaps, six points below the line in the West, fell to the LA Galaxy, 3-0, at StubHub Center Saturday.

This is a rematch of the Canadian Championship final, won by Toronto FC, 7-4, on aggregate in August.

Toronto FC

Toronto (9-15-6) kept slim playoff hopes alive with a 4-1 win over the Revs Saturday at BMO Field.

Sebastian Giovinco canceled out Cristian Penilla’s opening tally and the Reds roared for four unanswered goals after halftime. Lucas Janson and Victor Vazquez scored five minutes apart and then Marky Delgado put the finishing touches on the rout in the 81st minute.

“With every win we put a little bit of pressure on the teams that are in front of us that have to keep getting results and we play it that way,” Greg Vanney said. “We want to finish strong and tonight was the first step in that. Now we have obviously Vancouver coming and another home game so we want to keep building momentum and finish strong. We know ultimately it’s not in our control, but what is is trying to get four more wins out of the next four games.

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: F - Jozy Altidore, M - Michael Bradley
International duty: None
Injury Report: QUESTIONABLE: F - Jozy Altidore (undisclosed injury)

Projected Starting XI
(3-5-2, right to left)
GK: Alex Bono — Gregory van der Wiel, Chris Mavinga, Justin Morrow — Auro, Marky Delgado, Michael Bradley, Victor Vazquez, Jonathan Osorio — Lucas Janson, Sebastian Giovinco

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Vancouver (11-12-7) suffered a third consecutive defeat, and first since the club parted ways with Carl Robinson, falling to the LA Galaxy, 3-0, Saturday at StubHub Center.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic opened the scoring with a 4th minute penalty kick and netted his second in the 48th minute before Romain Alessandrini closed out the scoring in the 77th minute.

“It was not an easy week for the team, but the challenge was there ahead of them in terms of getting themselves back on track and focused on the task at hand ,” interim coach Craig Dalrymple said. “To be honest, they had every reason to lie down tonight and give in, especially after conceding two minutes in with a penalty. … We were thinking ‘ok, are they going to lay down or are they going to fight,’ and they fought.”

Suspended: M - Cristian Techera
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Brett Levis (left quad strain); DOUBTFUL: D - Aaron Maund (right hip flexor injury); QUESTIONABLE: GK - Brian Rowe (back tightness)

Projected Starting XI
(4-1-4-1, right to left)
GK: Stefan Marinovic — Jake Nerwinski, Kendall Waston, Doneil Henry, Marcel de Jong — Aly Ghazal — Alphonso Davies, Russell Teibert, Nicolas Mezquida, Brek Shea — Kei Kamara

All-Time Series

Overall: Toronto FC 4 wins, 15 goals … Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 13 goals … 1 draw
At Toronto FC: Toronto FC 2 wins, 8 goals … Whitecaps 1 win, 7 goals … 1 draw
Last meeting at Toronto: Toronto FC 3, Vancouver Whitecaps 4 (May 14, 2016)