FT: Philadelphia Union 4-0 Toronto FC - Game thread, preview, how to watch

Live Thread

FT - Philadelphia Union 4-0 Toronto FC. An utterly disappointing end to an utterly disappointing season for the Reds. Onto the offseason.

89’ - Westberg called into action to deny Carranza a goal.

84’ - Final change for TFC with Jayden Nelson (50th TFC appearance) coming in for Bernardeschi.

81’ - Booking for Bernardeschi.

74’ - Gazdag clips Westberg, prompting a feisty reaction from the goalkeeper.

69’ - Two more substitutions as Hugo Mbongue (first team debut) and Doneil Henry replace Jesús Jiménez and Lukas MacNaughton.

65’ - Chris Mavinga goes into the book.

63’ - GOAL PHILADELPHIA UNION. And Gazdag completes his hat-trick.

61’ - Double change for the Reds as Noble Okello and Luca Petrasso make way for Ayo Akinola and Themi Antonoglou.

60’ - GOAL PHILADELPHIA UNION. Gazdag converts the penalty with a smashing hit past Westberg. 3-0 to the Union.

58’ - Penalty awarded to the hosts for a handball on Shane O’Neill.

57’ - Good reaction from Westberg to deny Uhre a goal from close range.

55’ - No penalty given after Matthew Real hauled down Kaye in the box. TFC players unhappy with the decision.

46’ - Back again for Toronto FC’s final 45 minutes of the 2022 season.

HT - Philadelphia Union 2-0 Toronto FC. Not a surprising scoreline at the break. The Union have undoubtedly been in control for the entirety of this game so far. Just one shot on target for TFC during the first 45. *Sigh*

45’ - A clearance off the line from Olivier Mbaizo denies Mark-Anthony Kaye his first ever goal for Toronto FC.

42’ - GOAL PHILADELPHIA UNION. Cool as you like from Mikael Uhre. That could be game over with momentum now firmly on the hosts’ side.

37’ - Game has steadily slowed down in tempo. TFC doing a decent job at keeping Philly at bay.

33’ - The Union threaten on the counter, but in the end, Gazdag’s feeble hit is easily collected by Westberg

30’ - Another game where TFC fails to register a shot on target inside the first 30 minutes of play.

29’ - Yellow card for Michael Bradley

20’ - The Reds evidently struggling to maintain long spells in possession. The Union have been all over them thus far.

14’ - Sensational effort from Julián Carranza, who hits the woodwork. Much to Quentin Westberg’s relief.

11’ - A wild effort from JMR blazes out for a goal kick.

9’ - After conceding against the Union, TFC will have kept just three clean sheets in 34 MLS games in 2022.

4’ - GOAL PHILADELPHIA UNION. Wow, what a hit from Gazdag for his 20th league goal of the season and the game’s opener.

1’ - For one last time in 2022, Toronto FC have kicked off in MLS.

2:20 pm EST - Fans could also be set for Hugo Mbongue’s senior debut should the forward come off the bench in the second half. The 18-year-old signed his first team contract on September 13th and helped Toronto FC II reach the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Final.

2:15 pm EST - Great seeing Luca Petrasso and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty earn starts today. Petrasso makes his first appearance in the XI since the 1-0 defeat to CF Montreal on July 16th, while JMR starts for the first time since the 0-0 draw with the New England Revolution on July 30th.

1:40 pm EST - A reminder that today’s official kickoff time is 2:55 pm EST.

1:35 pm EST - Toronto’s list of absentees is the most extensive it has been in recent weeks as Lorenzo Insigne, Domenico Criscito, Jonathan Osorio, and Kosi Thompson have all been ruled out through injury. Federico Bernardeschi is questionable, while Richie Laryea is suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

1:30 pm EST - Week 34 is finally upon us, with Toronto FC taking on the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park. While TFC has nothing to play for in the context of the standings, the Union will have all eyes on victory to ensure they remain atop the Eastern Conference.

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Starting XIs

Here it is, folks, the last TFC starting XI of 2022. Bernardeschi gets the start in spite of being listed as questionable, with Luca Petrasso also earning a place in the XI. For the first time, Hugo Mbongue is in a senior matchday squad and could be in line to make his first team debut off the bench.

The Union go with a full strength side as they look to clinch the Eastern Conference crown. Danger man Daniel Gazdag will his sights set on scoring his 20th league goal of the season (currently on 19) and securing a podium finish in the 2022 MLS Golden Boot race.

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Match Preview via Anthony Khoury

Well, here we are, the final matchday of Toronto FC’s 2022 season.

It may be Decision Day for several other MLS clubs, but for the Reds, they travel to Subaru Park looking to snap a four-game losing streak and end their tumultuous season in the win column.

Kickoff in Chester is set for 2:55 pm EST on Sunday, October 9th, with the game available to watch on TSN.

Bob Bradley and co. are now 90 minutes away from putting this season behind them and beginning work ahead of the 2023 campaign, where expectations will arguably be higher than ever.

Despite a promising run of 11 points from five games between Week 22 and Week 26, TFC has since recorded just four points from a possible 21. That dreadful run saw their playoff hopes end in Week 32 following a thumping 4-0 defeat to Orlando City SC.

The club’s morale then took another hit after the international break as the Reds fell to a disappointing 1-0 loss to Inter Miami in their final outing at BMO Field in 2022. Toronto must now face a Philadelphia Union squad that has their sights firmly set on clinching first place in the Eastern Conference ahead of CF Montreal.

In a rare circumstance, Montreal and their fans will be supporting TFC on Decision Day, as a loss for the Union and a CFMTL victory over Inter Miami would see Wilfried Nancy’s side finish atop the Eastern Conference.

On the injury front for the Reds, Lorenzo Insigne, Domenico Criscito, and Kosi Thompson have all been ruled out through injury, while Federico Bernardeschi is currently questionable due to a lower body issue.

In addition, Jonathan Osorio will remain sidelined as he continues to recover from what he calls a “neurological dysfunction.” His absence was expected, with Bob Bradley saying that the club is doing everything they can to ensure Osorio will be ready for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Richie Laryea is also unavailable for selection through suspension (yellow card accumulation). As a result, Laryea’s next competitive outing will be with the Canadian men’s national team, most likely in their friendly against Japan.

TFC’s extensive list of absentees could provide the likes of Luca Petrasso, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, and Ifunanyachi Achara with the opportunity to play significant minutes on Sunday.

As for Philadelphia, left-back Kai Wagner will miss out due to suspension following his red card against Charlotte FC on October 1st. The Union’s only injury concern is with Alejandro Bedoya, who is questionable due to a hip flexor strain.

Jim Curtin’s men have yet to lose at home in MLS this season and are also currently on an eight-game win streak at Subaru Park. In 2022, one of Philadelphia’s five total league defeats came against Toronto FC back in Week 7, where the Reds’ 2-1 victory at BMO Field condemned the visitors to their first loss of the campaign.

Seeing where TFC are now, that victory feels like an eternity ago. Moreover, a depleted Toronto squad will look to salvage something against a team looking to seal the Eastern Conference crown on home soil.

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Match Details

Opponent: Philadelphia Union

Kickoff time: 2:55 pm EST

Watch: TSN

Stadium: Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania