MLS Regular Season | Match #6
Toronto FC vs Sporting Kansas City
Saturday, March 30 | 7:30 p.m. ET
BMO Field | Toronto, Ontario
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
English (Apple TV): Callum Williams (Play-by-Play) and Calen Carr (Analyst)
Spanish (Apple TV): Jesús Acosta (Play-by-Play) and Carlos Suárez (Analyst)
Toronto FC (3-1-1, 10 pts) host Sporting Kansas City (1-1-3, 6 pts) for their third home match of the 2024 MLS season on Saturday evening. The Matchday 7 encounter kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be viewed on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.
Toronto FC recorded their third victory of the 2024 MLS season when they defeated Atlanta United by a 2-0 scoreline last Saturday at BMO Field. With 10 points from the club’s opening five matches, TFC currently stand fifth in the MLS Eastern Conference standings and will be looking to record a third straight home win to open an MLS campaign for the third time in club history. The Reds hold a 4W-14L-8T record through their first 26 meetings with Sporting in regular season play.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Toronto FC host Sporting Kansas City at BMO Field for their third home match of the 2024 MLS season on Saturday evening. Following a pair of victories at home in 2024, TFC hold a 117W-82L-77T all-time record (428 points) in MLS regular season matches played on home soil. Historically, Toronto FC have remained unbeaten in their opening three home matches to begin an MLS season on nine occasions (2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023). The Reds have recorded three wins from their opening three home matches on only two of the nine occasions (2010, 2020), a feat John Herdman and the Reds will be looking to emulate this weekend.
AN ODE TO THE PAST
Toronto FC welcome Sporting Kansas City, one of only ten original MLS teams in 1996, for the 27th regular season encounter in the all-time series between the two clubs. TFC hold a 4W-14L-8T record through their first 26 meetings with Sporting in regular season play. The two clubs have previously battled in the city of Toronto on thirteen different occasions, with Toronto winning three, Kansas winning five and the two clubs sharing the spoils five times. Â
Sporting Kansas City hold a special place in BMO Field folklore as the then Kansas City Wizards served as the opponents for the Reds’ inaugural match at BMO Field on April 28, 2007 – a match the visitors won by a 0-1 scoreline courtesy of striker Eddie Johnson registering the first goal ever scored at BMO Field. TFC’s last home victory against Sporting Kansas City came in their 2013 MLS Home Opener at Rogers Centre, when current club captain Jonathan Osorio came on as a substitute to make his Toronto FC debut and a brace from Robert Earnshaw lifted the Reds to a 2-1 victory on March 9, 2013.
THE CLIMB CONTINUES
Toronto FC recorded their third victory of the 2024 MLS season when they defeated Atlanta United by a 2-0 scoreline last Saturday at BMO Field. Tyrese Spicer and Prince Owusu both scored their first MLS goals for Toronto FC, while Luka Gavran helped the Reds keep their fourth clean sheet of the season. With the result, TFC have earned 10 points from their first five matches of an MLS season for the second time in club history (2019, 2024) and currently stand fifth in the Eastern Conference, tied with three other clubs on 10 points.
TEAM OF THE MATCHDAY
Toronto FC duo Tyrese Spicer and Federico Bernardeschi were named to the Major League Soccer (MLS) Team of the Matchday 6 earlier this week.
Spicer, Toronto FC’s first overall selection of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, made his first start and scored his first MLS goal for Toronto FC when he ran onto a pass from Deandre Kerr and fired home with a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Brad Guzan in the 35th minute. With a goal in his first career start against Atlanta last weekend, the Trinidadian became the sixth different No. 1 overall pick to score in his first career start (Omar Salgado, Andrew Wenger, Cyle Larin, Jack Harrison, Abu Danladi) and the first since Abu Danladi in 2017.
Bernardeschi, named as a Team of the Matchday substitute, delivered an all-action performance leading the team in shots (8), shots on target (3), ball actions (65) and ranking amongst the Reds’ top five players in distance covered (11.13 km), top speed (32.51 km/hr) and sprints (36) against Atlanta United. In total, Toronto FC have now earned seven MLS Team of the Matchday honours during the 2024 MLS season – Sean Johnson (2), Deybi Flores (1), Lorenzo Insigne (2), Tyrese Spicer (1) and Federico Bernardeschi (1).
FIFTY NOT OUT
Shane O’Neill has currently made 49 appearances for Toronto FC and his next appearance will be his 50th for the Reds across all competitions (Major League Soccer, Canadian Championship and Leagues Cup). The Ireland-born defender made his club debut against FC Dallas on February 26, 2022 and is one of five players to have started all five matches for Toronto FC so far this season.
Italian winger Federico Bernardeschi has made 49 MLS regular season appearances for Toronto FC and his next appearance will be his 50th MLS regular season appearance for the Reds since joining on July 15, 2022.
