Toronto FC will attempt to continue to chip away at a sizable deficit in the Eastern Conference standings on Saturday night when they visit Charlotte FC.

With 11 matches remaining in the regular season, Toronto FC (5-12-6, 21 points) reside 12 points out of ninth place for the conference’s final playoff spot.

While the Canadian side has an uphill challenge, the club has four points in four matches since the departures of Italian internationals Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi.

Toronto FC coach Robin Fraser remains optimistic even though his team lost 1-0 to Nashville SC last Saturday.

“If you look at the last several games, I’m really proud of the character that this group shows,” Fraser said. “Whatever the circumstances are, we’re keeping ourselves in games.”

The Reds will face a tough opponent in seventh-place Charlotte FC (11-11-2, 35 points), who have won three matches in a row and are unbeaten in their last four (3-0-1).

Charlotte answered an early tally by Atlanta United by scoring three goals in a row in a 3-2 victory last Saturday. The win included the 10th goal of the season for Pep Biel, who has started all 23 matches in which he has played for Charlotte this season.

Biel is on a tear with five goals in the last five matches, including the match-winner against D.C. United on July 16. That offensive firepower and winning matches have changed the tone of Charlotte FC.

“Yeah, I can see from the last few games … that obviously they’re a little bit chirpier and happier, as they should be having earned an extra day off by getting the result,” Charlotte manager Dean Smith said. “You know everybody gets a little bit chirpier and a little bit more confident, and you can take that into the games then and use that.”

Charlotte recorded a 2-0 win in Toronto on May 31 in the teams’ only meeting this season.

–Field Level Media