Get to know who the Red Bulls will be playing in their upcoming matchup with The Other Side:
How They’re Doing
“Not great, Bob!”
It has been a season to forget for Toronto FC. Picked by MLS pundits as a preseason dark horse candidate for MLS Cup, and with a lineup filled with firepower like Lorenzo Insigne, things have not gone to plan in 2023 for Toronto.
The Canadian club currently sits at the bottom of the league standings with only four wins and 22 points on the season.
Head Coach Bob Bradley was fired on June 26 after his second season with the club got off to a disastrous start.
Goalkeeper Sean Johnson, one of Toronto’s marquee offseason acquisitions, has only played in one match since June 12. Italian superstars like Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi only have 17 goal contributions combined.
Toronto will be hoping that 2024 is the year that they expected 2023 to be.
Head-to-head history
Since Toronto’s inaugural MLS slate in 2007, the Red Bulls have held the head-to-head edge – winning 21 of their 41 meetings and losing just 10 matches across that 15-year stretch.
New York is unbeaten in its last eight matches against Toronto, including a 2-0 victory at Red Bull Arena behind goals from Luquinhas and Lewis Morgan.
The Red Bulls have also won five straight at home against Toronto dating back to 2018.
The last loss against Toronto FC came in July 2019, a 3-1 loss at BMO Field.
Player to Watch: Forward Federico Bernardeschi
Bernadeschi arrived in Toronto during the 2022 summer transfer window during the club’s Italian infusion, which also saw star Lorenzo Insigne arrive.
While Insigne might have grabbed more headlines, Bernardeschi has been the more productive player for Toronto FC. In 42 total appearances, dating back to last season, he has 13 goals and seven assists.
His five goals, 31 shots on target and 51 total attacking assists all lead the team in 2023.
Against a New York backline missing a key piece in Andrés Reyes, Bernardeschi will be looked upon to lead the Toronto attack.
