Though they would have rather taken the full three points midweek, Toronto FC head into the weekend riding a five-match unbeaten run.

Wins over Charlotte FC, Nashville SC, and the Portland Timbers with a pair of draws, home and away, against the New England Revolution interspersed have given plenty of reason for optimism heading into the final eight matches of the 2022 MLS regular season.

All season long, Bob Bradley has spoken about the work of becoming a good team. 

It doesn’t happen overnight. There will be plenty of twists and turns in the journey, but it is a path on which TFC feel they have taken some steps forward.

“There's all these different parts to becoming a good team,” said Bob Bradley on Thursday. “What I said to our group today is that you can see that we're getting closer because there are good things happening.”

“When we have the ball you see more fluidity, you see some good understanding in terms of the way guys move, the way we go forward, some of the different situations that we create,” he detailed. “But that final part of really becoming good, knowing how to take the qualities and know how to finish games, know how to win different kinds of games, that's still the hardest step.”

“The things that we see right now are very good signs,” Bradley added. “But now we've got still real work to do to get everybody going on the little things that will get us over the top.”

The 2-2 draw against New England midweek was a case in point. Toronto dominated long stretches of the play, but were only able to score as many as they conceded. 

“A little bit disappointed,” admitted Richie Laryea of the result. “But, on the flip side, the fight to get back, to draw the game at 2-2 and then pushing late to try to win it shows the character of the group right now.”

That has been the difference over this unbeaten spell: ‘the fight in everyone,’ Laryea explained.

“Whether we're up a goal or down a goal, you see guys are still hungry to get more. Yesterday, after New England score to make it 2-1, there was never a doubt in my mind that they were going to win the game. That's the mindset within the group,” he expanded. “And obviously the football part is getting a lot better, you see guys making connections.”

At this point in the season, there is an urgency. One could sense it when the Revolution took the lead early in the second half. TFC were unwilling to go down without a fight.

That determination will be necessary throughout this final stretch.

“With eight games left, all you're thinking about is the playoff push,” levelled Laryea. “All these games are finals for us.”

Toronto will play their next two on the road – Saturday away to Inter Miami CF and next weekend at Charlotte – before returning home to face the LA Galaxy and CF Montreal as August gives way to September.

“Away games are tough in MLS,” said Laryea. “But I think the teams that generally do well post-season get used to playing away, so this is a good test for us.”

“Going away to Nashville, winning there and scoring four goals was big time, so hopefully we can do the same to Miami,” he continued. “Go there with a front-foot mindset.”

A familiar face awaits them in Florida.

Alejandro Pozuelo spent three-and-a-half seasons with TFC before moving to Miami in July via trade.

“Obviously a very good player – he won the MVP for a reason, so it's going to be tough to play against him,” anticipated Laryea, who played three seasons alongside Pozuelo. “We know a lot of his tendencies, so hopefully we're able to nullify and make sure he has a quiet night.”

“A tough matchup for sure,” he added. “We're looking forward to [it] and I'm sure he is as well.”

Miami enter Saturday’s clash unbeaten in four games, coming off a 3-2 win over NYCFC last weekend, where Pozuelo scored twice and set up the third. 

Phil Neville’s side, like Toronto, are one of the teams currently below the playoff line fighting to get above it. 

“They’ve played well of late,” assessed Bradley. “[Gonzalo] Higuaín is fitter, looks sharper, looks more committed. And then Ale, you can see already that there's a good understanding with Higuaín.”

“When Ale has the ability to be a little bit free in the way he moves around, his ability to play a good pass or get into position to finish is something that you always have to be aware of,” he continued. “And then there's a confidence in the team, they’ve won some good games and their football has gotten better.”

Higuaín is level with Ecuadorian forward Leonardo Campana on eight goals for the team lead, while Bryce Duke’s six assists top that table. Since Pozuelo joined, Higuaín has four goals in as many matches – a hat-trick against FC Cincinnati and the opening goal in a 2-2 draw against Montreal recently, two of them have been assisted by Pozuelo.

“Between Higuaín and Poz right now – they're both in good form and [have] a good wavelength with each other – we'll have to be wary of them and just the form of the team in general,” cautioned Laryea. “They've had a streak of some decent games.”

But so too has Toronto, he reminded: “We've also been in good form. So on the night it’ll be a good game.”

“We need three points, that's what we're going there for, and obviously they’d like three points as well,” Laryea laid out. “They pose some different threats and we also pose threats that we can hurt them with as well.”

Eight games remain, 24 points are on the table. Every single one will count.

“This game is massive,” levelled Laryea. “All of us are looking forward to the match after yesterday leaving a little bit of a bitter taste in all of our mouths. We wanted three points.”

“This is the perfect time for the game,” he added. “We correct the wrongs that we had last night and work towards three points this weekend in Miami.”