Toronto FC (11-16-3, 36 points) take on Colorado Rapids (14-10-5, 47 pts) of the Western Conference at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. The Matchday 34 encounter in Commerce City, Colorado kicks off at 9:30 p.m. ET and can be viewed globally for free on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.
The Reds will look to return to winning ways in the first of their three-game road stretch, after recording a victory against Austin FC and a loss to Columbus Crew at home in the past week. Historically, TFC hold a 9W-7L-3T head-to-head record through their first 19 meetings with the Rapids in regular season play and the Reds will be looking for their first road victory at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since August 2008.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Toronto FC’s 2024 campaign continues with the first of a three-game September road stretch against Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening. After 15 away MLS games in 2024, the Reds hold a 54W-164L-71T all-time record (233 points) in MLS regular season matches played on the road.
AN ODE TO THE PAST
Toronto FC visit Colorado Rapids FC, one of Major League Soccer’s ten founding clubs in 1996, for the 20th encounter in the all-time regular season series between the two clubs. Historically, TFC hold a 9W-7L-3T head-to-head record through their first 19 meetings with the Rapids in regular season play. Toronto FC will be looking for their first victory at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since a Chad Barrett goal lifted the Reds to a 1-0 victory on August 9, 2008. Saturday’s meeting will mark the two clubs’ first head-to-head meeting since a goalless draw at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on September 9, 2021.
THE CLIMB CONTINUES
Toronto FC enter Saturday’s matchup in the Centennial State following two MLS games in the space of five days. The Reds first returned from the September international break with a 2-1 victory over Austin FC on Saturday, September 14. First-half goals from Canadian pair Jonathan Osorio and Deandre Kerr along with a season joint-high seven save performance from goalkeeper Sean Johnson helped the Reds secure their first-ever victory against Austin FC and all three points at BMO Field. Four nights later, TFC lost by a 0-2 scoreline to the Columbus Crew as second-half goals from Cucho Hernández and Andrés Herrera gave the defending MLS Cup champions all thee points from BMO Field on Wednesday, September 18. On the night, midfielder Brandon Servania entered the field of play for the Reds in the 82nd minute, making his long-awaited return to MLS action after sustaining a knee injury 364 days ago against Inter Miami CF on September 20, 2023.
MILESTONE WATCH
On Wednesday evening, Toronto’s Derrick Etienne Jr. made his 27th TFC appearance against Columbus Crew since joining the club via trade on April 24, 2024. The midweek match notably marked Etienne Jr.’s 200th Major League Soccer appearance during his ninth season in the league, split between New York Red Bulls (2016 – 2019), FC Cincinnati (2019), Columbus Crew (2020 – 2022), Atlanta United (2023) and Toronto FC (2024 – present).
Meanwhile, Sigurd Rosted 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 Oslo, Norway native signed with Toronto FC on February 7, 2023, and made his club debut against D.C. United on February 25, 2023. This season, the defender has featured in 25 out of TFC’s 38 matches across all competitions.
NEXT UP FROM MLS NEXT PRO
Earlier this week, the Reds strengthened their roster with a pair of signings from Toronto FC II, the club’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate team, in Nathaniel Edwards and Charlie Sharp. Edwards, 21, joins after recording one goal and two assists through 23 appearances in his first MLS NEXT Pro season. The defender previously signed three MLS short-term agreements with Toronto FC and made his TFC debut with a lively second-half cameo against CS Saint-Laurent of Ligue1 Québec in the Canadian Championship on May 21, 2024. Prior to the Young Reds, the Brampton, Ontario native split his National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) career between Syracuse University and Purdue University Fort Wayne and was named to the 2023 All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Academic Team and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team as a senior.
Sharp, 23, joins TFC after registering five goals and two assists in 16 MLS NEXT Pro appearances for TFC II. The forward previously received three short-term call-ups to the First Team and made his TFC debut against Nashville SC on May 15. The Brighton, Michigan native was originally selected 61st overall (third round) by Toronto FC in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. Prior to the Young Reds, Sharp spent five seasons at Western Michigan University, where he registered 42 goals and 22 assists in 89 appearances. The forward boasts an impressive list of honours during his time with the Broncos, including Mid-American Conference (MAC) Freshman of the Year, All-MAC First Team, NCAA leading scorer and National Scholar Player of the Year. Following his prolific campaign as a senior in 2023, Sharp was also named as a finalist for the 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy, the most coveted individual honour in NCAA Division I soccer.
BATTLE OF THE NORTH
Following Saturday’s encounter in Colorado, Toronto FC travel to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship Final at BC Place on Wednesday, September 25. The Reds qualified for the Canadian Championship Final for the 14th time in club history after defeating Simcoe County Rovers (League1 Ontario) in the preliminary round, CS Saint-Laurent (Ligue1 Québec) in the quarter-final and Forge FC (Canadian Premier League) in the semi-final earlier in the campaign. In addition to lifting the 2024 Voyageurs Cup, the tournament winners will also qualify to the annual international competition, Concacaf Champions Cup, set to take place in 2025.
FAMILIAR FACE
Colorado Rapids Head Coach Chris Armas previously served as Toronto FC Head Coach during the 2021 Major League Soccer season. The former American international and MLS midfielder held a 2W-10L-3T record across all competitions during his tenure with the Reds. Following his time in Toronto, Armas had stints with Manchester United and Leeds United of the English Premier League before returning to MLS with the Colorado Rapids in November 2023.
