Match Preview: CF Montreal v. Toronto FC | OneFootball

MLS resumes its regular season play after quite the World Cup hiatus. Even though there are still a couple of matches to play (don't forget about the third-place match on Saturday), Major League Soccer roars back with a full slate of games. Toronto's last match was May 23rd - a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire.Toronto travels down to Montreal for the 401 Derby. A showcase of two franchises seemingly locked in a perpetual, agonizing race to the bottom. If you’ve been feeling down about Toronto FC’s state of affairs, rest assured that the misery has company just a few hours down the highway.

Who Are Ya? - CF Montreal

Montréal currently sits in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. Yes, they are technically two spots ahead of TFC, but don't let the standings fool you—they are tied with Toronto on a measly 14 points. The only reason they hold the high ground is because they have managed to scrape together one additional win. It is a classic battle of mid-table mediocrity.

The last time CF Montréal was a serious, respectable MLS threat was back in 2022 under the brilliant guidance of Wilfried Nancy. That side played beautiful, cohesive football and featured a golden generation of talent, including Ismaël Koné, Alistair Johnston, and none other than Djordje Mihailović (who, in a cruel twist of MLS fate, now pulls the strings in the TFC midfield). Since Nancy departed for Columbus, the club has behaved like a textbook organizational disaster. From the chaotic, short-lived tenure of Hernán Losada to a revolving door of interim managers, consistency has been completely banished from Stade Saputo.

When it comes to squad building, Montréal’s hierarchy operates with a very specific, budget-conscious philosophy. Owner Joey Saputo seems deeply preoccupied with his other love, Serie A side Bologna FC—perhaps because cheese pays the bills, but Italian football feeds the ego. Montréal remains a classic selling team. This summer, they shipped out forward Mahala Opoku to Greek side Panetolikos FC and reinvested by acquiring Venezuelan midfielder Dani Pereira from Austin FC in a massive Allocation Money transaction.

Yet, amazingly, Montréal enters this match without a single active Designated Player. Their last DP experiment was Giacomo Vrioni—who felt more like a New England Revolution cast-off than a talisman—while Porto midfielder Iván Jaime returned to Portugal on June 30 after his loan expired. It is a club that consistently strives to keep costs at a minimum, and it shows on the pitch.

Players to watch

Despite the institutional chaos, Montréal has some intriguing individual pieces that TFC will need to keep quiet if they want to escape Stade Saputo with anything. Former TFC striker and Agent Provocateur Prince Owusu won't play due to a yellow card accumulation suspension. C'est la vie.

Matty Longstaff - The former Newcastle United midfielder is a familiar face to the TFC faithful—mostly because he spent over a year on Toronto's books before being swapped to Montréal. In Quebec, Longstaff has carved out a reliable starting role in the double-pivot, logging 2 goals and 3 assists across 13 MLS starts this season. While his engine is impressive, his temper can get the best of him - he picked up a yellow card in his last outing against D.C. United. He'll look to control the tempo and play with an extra chip on his shoulder against his former employers.

Wiki Carmona - Acquired in February from the New York Red Bulls in exchange for Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Wikelman "Wiki" Carmona has provided some much-needed spark to Montréal's attack. Operating primarily as an attacking midfielder or winger, the 23-year-old Venezuelan has recorded 4 goals and 2 assists in just under 800 minutes of play this season. He is creative, quick on the half-turn, and extremely direct. If TFC leaves pockets of space between the midfield and defensive lines, Carmona has the technical quality to punish them.

Victor Loturi - Remember when Loturi was part of the Canadian Men's Soccer team discussion? After arriving in Montreal in 2025 from Scottish side Ross County, Loturi has logged solid minutes in Montreal's midfield. He provides the essential defensive shield and transition play that keeps Montréal's midfield from completely folding. When keeping an eye on Montréal's shape, watch how Loturi positions himself - he is the player that dictates whether they can successfully transition from defense to attack.

Let's TF-See - Toronto's Current Form

In a rare stroke of health consciousness in the face of a season full of injuries, Toronto’s medical tent is reportedly clearing out. With a handful of previously broken players like Djordjie Mihailovic and Theo Corbeanu finally declared "available for selection." Whether they are actually match-fit or simply being thrown into the fire remains to be seen.

On the bright side, General Manager Jason Hernandez has finally done some roster housecleaning. Cassius Mailula—who arrived with massive hype, did absolutely nothing of note in a TFC shirt, and left fans wondering how on earth he ever featured in a Club World Cup with Wydad Casablanca —has officially been jettisoned via a contract buyout.

Joining Mailula out the door is Henry Wingo. TFC exercised their second contract buyout on the American defender, meaning Wingo got paid a handsome sum to essentially spend his Toronto tenure on the injury table. It's a hustle so legendary it belongs in the pages of Rob Smyth’s Kaiser!: The Greatest Footballer Never to Play Football. We thought we had seen it all with Erickson Gallardo 2.0, but the TFC front office continues to find new ways to light money on fire.

Of course, seasoned TFC fans know better than to harbor any genuine optimism. Taking a "wait and see" approach is the only way to protect your mental health with this club. A road trip to Montreal is always brings some sort of workplace hazard - one should always worry about groin pulls just from the players picking up their luggage at the airport.

Case in point: new midfield signing Nelson Palacio. The Colombian defensive midfielder was acquired from Real Salt Lake after a loan spell at FC Zürich—only to arrive with an active injury. Hey, Jason Hernandez? There is a beautiful concept in professional sports called "DUE DILIGENCE." You might want to look it up!

Entering Stade Saputo with a tenuous hold on the bottom tier of the Eastern Conference and only 14 points to show for their efforts, TFC needs a result. Optimism? We've never heard of her. Let's just hope nobody trips over a curb on the way into the stadium.