Toronto FC’s Federico Bernardeschi has been named to the Major League Soccer (MLS) Team of the Matchday 12 as a starter following an all-action performance in Saturday’s 3-1 win against FC Dallas at BMO Field.
Making a club-leading eleventh start of the 2024 MLS campaign, Bernardeschi set the tone and was at the heartbeat of everything in the Reds’ third straight MLS victory of the season. After seeing his 39th minute effort ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside, the Italian opened his 2024 MLS account in first-half stoppage time when he pounced to fire home the rebound after his penalty-kick effort was saved by FC Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes.
Bernardeschi then doubled the Reds’ advantage early in the second half, when he picked up a pass from Jonathan Osorio and unleashed an unstoppable shot from outside the box into the top corner in the 52nd minute. The left-footed golazo proved to be the game-winner on the night and is currently nominated for the league’s AT&T Goal of the Matchday for Matchday 12. The pair of goals marked the Italian’s first brace of the 2024 MLS season and the second of his TFC career, following his brace against CF Montréal on August 20, 2023.
Bernardeschi capped off a memorable night in Toronto when a swift attack for the hosts culminated with the Italian setting up Matty Longstaff with a reverse pass in the box, before the Englishman slotted past Paes to score his first goal for the Reds.
With two goals and an assist on the night, Federico Bernardeschi registered three goal contributions in a single match for the first time in his Toronto FC career. The second consecutive MLS Team of the Matchday selection marks the Italian’s third of the 2024 MLS campaign and the eighth such honour in his third season with the Reds.
In total, Toronto FC have now earned 12 MLS Team of the Matchday honours during the 2024 MLS regular season – Sean Johnson (3), Federico Bernardeschi (3), Lorenzo Insigne (2), Deybi Flores (1), Kevin Long (1), Prince Owusu (1) and Tyrese Spicer (1).
MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Matchday can be found below.
F: Luis Suárez (MIA), Sam Surridge (NSH), Lionel Messi (MIA)
M: Federico Bernardeschi (TOR), Cole Bassett (COL), Matias Rojas (MIA), Cristian Espinoza (SJ)
D: Brayan Vera (RSL), Rodrigues (SJ), Kervin Arriaga (MIN)
GK: Roman Bürki (STL)
Coach: Luchi Gonzalez (SJ)
Bench: Brad Stuver (ATX), Walker Zimmerman (NSH), Nikola Petkovic (CLT), Jack McGlynn (PHI), Emil Forsberg (RBNY), Luciano Acosta (CIN), Jared Stroud (DC), Hany Mukhtar (NSH), Tomás Chancalay (NE)
