Toronto FC will undoubtedly be glad to be back home at BMO Field in a couple weeks after a difficult and winless stretch of games since MLS resumed after the 2026 FIFA World Cup break. Before that though, is a date at Yankee Stadium with New York City FC this Friday.<\/p>\n
TFC were hard done by in their 2-1 loss last Saturday vs. D.C. United<\/a> at Audi Field. Questionable officiating decisions left Toronto head coach Robin Fraser and his squad frustrated by the outcome<\/a>. Alas, TFC must put that result behind them and prepare themselves to face an NYCFC side that are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n Pascal Jansen\u2019s NYCFC<\/p>\n The boys in blue have put together a respectable first half of a season and sit at seven wins, six losses and four draws \u2014 totalling 25 points which is tied with Charlotte FC who sit in sixth.<\/p>\n New York\u2019s last three results consist of back-to-back 2-1 defeats at the hands of Nashville SC and Columbus Crew followed by a 3-1 victory over Chicago Fire last weekend.<\/p>\n The clear star of the squad this year has been Argentinian attacker Nicol\u00e1s Fern\u00e1ndez. The former San Lorenzo youth product leads the team with 12 goals. It\u2019s no question that the offence runs through Fern\u00e1ndez. Although Fern\u00e1ndez plays in a more advanced midfield role, you would think he is a striker with those stats.<\/p>\n Other dangerous players include winger Agust\u00edn Ojeda \u2013 he has recorded five goals and five assists in 17 starts and Sierra Leonean winger Malachi Jones. Toronto fans may remember Jones because he scored his first professional career goal at BMO Field in a 3-2 victory for NYCFC<\/a>. That match itself was entertaining, but it was the scuffle between teams afterwards<\/a> that caught the eye of everyone that follows MLS. Jones suffered a broken leg in June 2024 that kept him out of action for almost two years. He returned to play this April and scored his first goal of the season last week vs. Chicago.<\/p>\n In late June, New York signed 23 year-old Ivorian striker B\u00e9nie Traor\u00e9 from Swiss club FC Basel. Traor\u00e9 is on their roster as a Designated Player and his contract runs through the 2029-30 season. Traor\u00e9 gives head coach Pascal Jansen more structure in the squad now that he has a natural striker to play in the absence of injured forward Alonso Mart\u00ednez who continues to recover from a ruptured ACL.<\/p>\n NYCFC will be missing a lot of personnel for the game due to injury, something TFC fans know a lot about. <\/p>\n In addition to Mart\u00ednez, Jansen is without defenders Drew Baiera, Raul Gustavo, Kevin O\u2019Toole and Kai Trewin, midfielders Maxi Moralez, Aiden O\u2019Neill and Keaton Parks.<\/p>\n Goalkeeper Matt Freese was named as a 2026 MLS All-Star but is expected to be back with the squad for this fixture. On that same note, TFC Canadian international defender Richie Laryea will also be making his first MLS All-Star appearance<\/a> and Fraser expects Laryea to play this Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s two good teams. They play a version of a 4-4-2, we play a version of a 4-4-2, and I think you\u2019ll see a lot of interesting movements in the midfield,\u201d Robin Fraser told reporters, including Waking The Red, on Tuesday. <\/p>\n \u201cI think they\u2019re very fluid in how they attack, and for us, it\u2019s going to be about making sure that defensively we communicate well and we deny certain things. Then on the attacking end, it\u2019s how do we find moments to find space on that small field? I think it\u2019ll be a good matchup. I think it\u2019ll be a good game.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorsch finally announced as a Red<\/p>\n