The Red Bulls face Toronto FC this weekend in a crucial match at Red Bull Arena. As the season winds down, TFC’s hopes for making the playoffs rely heavily on this weekend’s result.
New York enters the match on a six game home winning streak and are unbeaten in their last nine at Red Bull Arena. They are 3-1-1 in their last five matches, and stand alone in fourth place of the Eastern Conference standings.
For Bradley Wright-Phillips, three games remain in The Chase For 28. He’s the current leader of the MLS Golden Boot race, and is tied with Carlos Ruiz for fifth in the all-time single-season scoring records with 24 goals. Wright-Phillips scored a 93rd minute equalizer against Toronto in their last outing at Red Bull Arena, his only goal in two matches against the Canadian club this season.
Saturday marks Toronto’s third match in eight days. TFC suffered a 1-0 mid-week loss on Wednesday at BMO Field to 10-man Houston Dynamo, and faces an important match with serious playoff implications at Red Bull Arena. Toronto is just below the red line in sixth place with 40 points, four points behind the fourth place Red Bulls with 44 points.
Coverage of the match on October 11 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. will begin at 7:00 p.m. (TV: Univision Deportes). MLSSoccer.com will carry MSG Networks' broadcast of the match live for free as the MLS Stream of the Week. For more information, visit our Broadcast Update.
Here are three players to watch when Toronto FC comes to town.
- Forward – Jermain Defoe
English international Jermain Defoe began his professional career with West Ham United F.C. After scoring goals and proving his worth, he transferred to Tottenham where he would have his greatest success. He was named the club’s “Player of the Year” for 2004, and after a brief spell with Portsmouth F.C., returned to Tottenham to score a combined 24 goals in his first full season back in north London.
Defoe is Tottenham’s fifth highest all-time goal scorer and is the Hotspur’s all-time leader in European goals scored with 23. Since joining Toronto, he’s supplied 11 goals and two assists in 17 games this season. Defoe has scored one goal in each of the two prior meetings against the Red Bulls this year.
- Midfielder – Michael Bradley
U.S. international Michael Bradley turned pro at age 16 and was selected thirty-sixth overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by the MetroStars. The young starlet made 30 appearances in two seasons with the MetroStars, recording one goal and four assists. After an impressive few years in the Netherlands, he transferred to German Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach.
From 2012-2014, he played for Italian Serie A club AS Roma until making his high profile move to Toronto FC. At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he started in all four matches for the United States. Bradley has scored two goals and three assists in 22 games for TFC, and Saturday will mark his first MLS match in New York since October 1, 2005
- Defender – Nick Hagglund
Rookie defender Nick Hagglund was selected with the tenth overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC. He’s spent his last four seasons at Xavier University where he started in 80 of his 81 appearances. He was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and has also received First Team All-Big East honors.
Since joining the league, he has started 22 out of 24 matches for Toronto at center-back. He has scored two goals this year, both coming two weeks ago in a vital 3-2 comeback victory against Portland Timbers. Additionally, two of his three assists this year have come in the past five games.
