TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free) and TSN5
English (Apple TV): Tony Husband (Play-by-Play) and Ross Smith (Analyst)
English (TSN): Luke Wileman and Steven Caldwell

Spanish (Apple TV): Pablo Ramírez (Play-by-Play) and Jesús Bracamontes (Analyst)

Toronto FC (7-12-3, 24 pts) visit the defending MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew (10-3-6, 36 pts) in MLS action at Lower.com Field on Saturday evening. The Matchday 25 encounter kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be viewed globally for free on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app and on TSN5 in Canada.

Currently, in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, TFC enter the weekend’s action looking to get back to winning ways after dropping a home result against Orlando City at BMO Field on Wednesday. Historically, TFC hold an 11W-18L-13T record through their first 42 meetings with the Black & Gold and the Reds will be looking for their first road victory against the Crew since May 2017.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Toronto FC’s 2024 Major League Soccer campaign continues with the first of two regular-season meetings with defending MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew on Saturday evening. Following their first eleven away MLS games in 2024, the Reds hold a 52W-162L-71T all-time record (227 points) in MLS regular season matches played on the road.

AN ODE TO THE PAST

Toronto FC visit Columbus Crew, one of only ten original MLS teams in 1996, for the 43rd encounter in the all-time regular season series between the two clubs. Historically, TFC hold an 11W-18L-13T record through their first 42 meetings with the Black & Gold. The Reds hold a 4W-12L-6T record through 22 MLS road matches played in Columbus, Ohio and will be looking for their first road victory against the Crew since recording a 2-1 victory, courtesy of a Tosaint Ricketts brace, at Mapfre Stadium on May 10, 2017. Following Saturday’s battle in Ohio, the Reds complete the regular season series against Columbus Crew at BMO Field on September 18, 2024.

THE CLIMB CONTINUES

Toronto FC enter Matchday 25 action following a 1-2 loss against Orlando City at BMO Field on Wednesday evening. The Reds got off to a perfect start in front of the home faithful opening the scoring within the first five minutes at BMO Field. Federico Bernardeschi, recently named an MLS All-Star, sprayed a cross into the box from which Raoul Petretta’s downward header set up Derrick Etienne Jr. perfectly for a side-foot finish and the Haitian winger’s first MLS goal at BMO Field as a Red. With the secondary assist on the fifth minute opener, Bernardeschi registered his 14th goal contribution (eight goals, six assists) in the last ten MLS matches he has featured in since April 27, 2024. Orlando City equalized through Martín Ojeda’s 27th minute before the Lions scored the game-winning and evening’s final goal when Facundo Torres’ low-shot across the penalty area was inadvertently turned into the net by TFC defender Nicksoen Gomis in the 45th minute.

ALL-STAR AURA

Earlier in the week, Major Leaue Soccer announced Monday TFC’s Federico Bernardeschi as one of 30 players selected to the 2024 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target. The 2024 MLS All-Star Game will feature the MLS All-Stars taking on the best of LIGA MX on Wednesday, July 24, at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. Bernardeschi has appeared in 19 matches, registering eight goals and six assists for TFC during the 2024 MLS regular season. This year, he has earned four MLS Team of the Matchday honours for his performances against Atlanta United, Orlando City, FC Dallas and CF Montréal in MLS play. Bernardeschi, with his first MLS All-Star Game invitation, becomes the ninth Red to earn a selection, joining Ronnie O’Brien (2007), Jim Brennan (2008), Dwayne De Rosario (2009, 2010), Jermain Defoe (2014), Jozy Altidore (2015, 2017), Michael Bradley (2014, 2015, 2017), Sebastian Giovinco (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) and Alejandro Pozuelo (2019) on Toronto FC’s all-time All-Star list.

FIFTY NOT OUT

Toronto FC’s Kobe Franklin has currently made 49 appearances for his hometown club and his next appearance will be his 50th for the Reds across all competitions (Major League Soccer, Canadian Championship and Leagues Cup). The East York, Ontario native signed with Toronto FC on February 24, 2023, and became the 32nd player in club history to sign for the First Team from the Toronto FC Academy. He made his debut for the Reds against Columbus Crew on March 11, 2023, and registered his first assist for the club against Philadelphia Union on August 30, 2023.

COPA CALLING

Currently, away on international duty, Toronto FC’s Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea and Columbus Crew’s Jacen Russell-Rowe will continue representing Canada at the 2024 Copa América tournament in the United States. Les Rouges advanced from Group A in second-place after recording a win, loss and tie against Argentina, Peru and Chile and will face Venezuela in the competition’s quarter-final on Friday, July 5 (9:00 p.m. ET) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

FAMILIAR FACES

Toronto FC’s Derrick Etienne Jr. previously spent time with and played an important role for the Columbus Crew. Etienne Jr. signed with Columbus on February 4, 2020, and recorded 12 goals and 14 assists in 90 combined appearances for the Crew across three seasons (2020 – 2022). In 2020, the Haitian winger made 22 appearances and scored in the 2020 MLS Cup, helping Columbus defeat Seattle Sounders to win the Crew’s second MLS Cup in club history. In 2021, the Richmond, Virginia native set career-highs in starts (21), minutes played (1,849) and assists (five), and helped the Crew defeat Cruz Azul, as a starter, to lift the 2021 Campeones Cup. In his final campaign with the Black & Gold, Etienne Jr. enjoyed a breakout campaign, starting 25 of his 33 appearances and registering nine goals and six assists in over 2,200 minutes in 2022. Since joining from Atlanta on April 24, 2024, Etienne Jr. has scored three goals and recorded a pair of assists in 15 appearances across all competitions for the Reds. On the other side, Jacen Russell-Rowe came through the youth ranks at TFC Academy and represented Toronto FC II in USL League One action before joining Columbus Crew on March 18, 2022.