Preview: Toronto vs. Real Salt Lake - prediction, team news, lineups

While the home side sit second-bottom in the East and have just sacked their coach, their visitors from Utah have won four of their last six in all competitions.

Match preview

Having taken just three points from their last five matches, in midweek Toronto announced that boss Bob Bradley was to be relieved of his duties with immediate effect.

After arriving at the Canadian club in November 2021, the former USA coach led his team to 13th place last year, and with only Inter Miami below them in the Eastern Conference, they appear to be on course for a similarly underwhelming finish this season.

Only four points off the bottom of the standings after last week's defeat in New England, when they let a lead earned by Deandre Kerr's early goal slip to lose 2-1, Toronto have been leaking goals for some time now, conceding at least once in eight of their last 10 MLS matches.

Though they have picked up just four points on the road this term, back home at BMO Field the Reds are far tougher to beat - in addition to six draws, they have suffered only one league defeat in Ontario so far.

Terry Dunfield now occupies the dugout on an interim basis, stepping up from his role as Under-17 coach, and the post-Bradley era will begin on Canada Day, when a top-six side from the Western Conference come to town.

Real Salt Lake arrive in Toronto for the first time since 2018 in contrasting form to their ailing hosts, after going six games undefeated and reaching the US Open Cup semi-finals in the process.

Saturday's match against Minnesota saw the Utah side recover from going 2-0 down, as Danny Musovski's fourth league goal of the season offered hope in the 79th minute before a last-gasp leveller kept Salt Lake's unbeaten June record intact.

Following several waves of pressure, Justen Glad thumped the ball home eight minutes into stoppage time, scoring RSL's latest-ever equalising goal in their MLS history and rescuing a point.

That result helped Pablo Mastroeni's men consolidate their position in the Western Conference playoff places after 20 games, and having qualified for the post-season in four of the last five years, Salt Lake are on course to do so again.

This weekend, Mastroeni and co are particularly well placed to take advantage of Toronto's woes, as they boast Major League Soccer's best away record in 2023, with 17 points gleaned from a possible 30 so far.

Toronto Major League Soccer form:

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D

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L

Real Salt Lake Major League Soccer form:

L

W

D

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W

D

Real Salt Lake form (all competitions):

W

W

D

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D

Team News

In addition to the flux in their coaching department, Toronto may be forced into a reshuffle of the starting XI on Saturday, after having to make several half-time changes last time out.

Federico Bernadeschi (back), Matt Hedges (hamstring) and Cristian Gutierrez (calf) were all withdrawn at the break in New England, so Sigurd Rosted, Shane O'Neill and Themi Antonoglou will be among those on standby.

Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea are still on Gold Cup duty for Canada, while Tomas Romero (El Salvador) and Sean Johnson (USA) are also unavailable. Greg Ranjitsingh therefore replaces the latter in goal for the Reds.

Meanwhile, Salt Lake's Rubio Rubin is away representing Guatemala, while new 'Designated Player' Cristian Arango is not set to feature until next week's clash with Orlando City.

Justen Glad and Diego Luna were named in the MLS Team of the Matchday last week, following their role in the fightback against Minnesota: Glad's third league goal of the year came on his 200th regular-season appearance for RSL; Luna's late assist was his third in just five days.

Winger Danny Musovski has now recorded six goals and four assists across all competitions over the last 14 matches so has perhaps the strongest claim for promotion from the bench.

Toronto possible starting lineup:

Ranjitsingh; Marshall-Rutty, Rosted, Mabika, Antonoglou; Kaye, Servania; Kerr, Bernardeschi, Insigne; Sapong

Real Salt Lake possible starting lineup:

MacMath; Hidalgo, Glad, Silva, Ovideo; Musovski, Ojeda, Ruiz, Luna; Gomez, Savarino

We say: Toronto 1-1 Real Salt Lake

Given Salt Lake's solid form on the road, allied with Toronto having a far better record at home than away, a draw could be on the cards at BMO Field. A change of management for the hosts could also open a fresh chapter: interim boss Terry Dunfield has been given four games to make an impact and earn a permanent position.

How to watch

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