Toronto vs Real Salt Lake

BMO Field is the venue as Toronto and Real Salt Lake go head-to-head in a tasty-looking Major League Soccer encounter.

A gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat at New England Revolution last time out was the final straw to break the camel’s back as Toronto sacked underperforming manager Bob Bradley in the aftermath. It’s now up to caretaker boss Terry Dunfield to terminate the club’s ponderous five-game winless run (D3, L2). Despite lamenting an embarrassing 15% win ratio across the opening 20 MLS games (W3, D10, L7), the ‘Reds’ could still reach the playoffs, with seven points separating them from 9th-placed DC United in the Eastern Conference. But since each of their three MLS victories has come on home turf, where they’re also unbeaten in their last four league outings (W1, D3), Toronto may be cautiously optimistic about ending a two-game winless H2H run against Real Salt Lake (D1, L1).

However, a quick look at Salt Lake’s ongoing six-match unbeaten streak in all competitions (W4, D2) may dampen the home side’s enthusiasm, even though the visitors fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to hold Minnesota United to a 2-2 draw last time out. Pablo Mastroeni’s men have now scored 2+ goals in three consecutive MLS matches (W2, D1), reinforcing their bid to secure a playoff berth in the Western Conference. Yet, a five-point lead over 10th-placed Portland Timbers looks fragile, suggesting there’s no room for complacency. As the best-performing away side in the Western Conference, Mastroeni’s lads have picked up a league-high 17 points on the road this term (W5, D2, L3), so they’re likely to take this trip in a buoyant mood.