The focus will be on winning and earning all three points when Toronto FC host Austin FC for the first time on Saturday.
It’s the first-ever match between the sides north of the border. Austin leads the all-time series 1-0 after a home win last season.
The Reds (10-15-3, 33 points) begin the weekend in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and in the first of two spots for the conference’s wild-card match. Toronto is four points behind seventh-place Orlando with six matches to play in the regular season.
The Reds are 1-1 in MLS play since their return from the Leagues Cup and are 3-2 overall in their past five matches in regular-season action. Toronto’s most recent match was a 3-1 home loss against D.C. United on Aug. 31, with Deandre Kerr finding the net in the 82nd minute for the Reds’ lone goal.
“Having these two weeks off, we got to really dial in on what’s important and what’s next, which are these remaining games and this push for the playoffs,” Kerr said Wednesday. “We’ve really got to dig into how hard we have to work and everything we need to do to make sure we’re ready for this push. We can’t throw away any more games — it has to be spot on.”
Federico Bernardeschi leads Toronto in both goals (eight) and assists (eight).
Austin FC (9-11-7, 34 points) is tied with Dallas (9-12-7) for the 10th-most points in the Western Conference, two points out of the conference’s wild-card match and seven points out of seventh place and an automatic spot in the postseason with seven matches to play.
The Verde heads to Toronto on the heels of a 1-0 loss at home to Vancouver on Aug. 31 and are also 1-1 since the Leagues Cup. Austin is 1-3-1 over its past five MLS contests.
“The guys recognize how important points are and that every game is critical,” Austin coach Josh Wolff said Thursday. “In both conferences, you can see the playoff line and the home-field line and all these things are relevant. Many teams have to make the most of these opportunities, regardless of home or away. We’ve got to go out there with the intention of getting three points.”
Austin’s 30 goals are tied for the second fewest in the league and are last in the West. The Verde has scored more than two goals in a match just twice this year and not since finding the net three times against Kansas City on May 18.
Sebastian Driussi and Jader Obrian pace the Austin attack with five goals each while Alexander Ring leads the Verde with seven assists.
–Field Level Media