NYCFC vs Toronto FC preview: Seeking the seventh win over the Reds | OneFootball

In the past, New York City FC and Toronto FC used to battle it out and split the success.  The Canadian team had the slight edge over the Bronx side for a little while.  However, the Pigeons have won their last six matches in all competitions against their opponent.  Now, they will aim for their seventh straight win over the Reds when they host them this Friday.

On paper, NYCFC is currently the better team.  After all, the Boys in Blue have a 7-6-4 record while Toronto has a 3-7-7 record.  Moreover, the home side has won their first two games since returning from the World Cup break.  The visitors, on the other hand, last won in early April.  So really, from the viewpoint of the fans, anything less than three points would be a failure.

The Pigeons cannot fall into the trap of approaching the game as if they will win.  They need to treat the Reds like any other side.  After all, the team has lost or dropped points to teams they should have beaten under Pascal Jansen’s tenure.  And again, they want to continue this winning streak like they continued the unbeaten streak against Chicago Fire FC.

Hopefully, fans will be in for another show like the Chicago game.  So, here is a preview of NYCFC’s meeting with Toronto FC.

NYCFC vs Toronto FC preview

Date

NYCFC and Toronto FC will play one another on Friday, July 31.

Time

The fixture will start at 7:30 PM.

Location

The game will be at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York.

How to watch

Supporters can watch the match on Apple TV.

Weather

After a few days of periods of rain, the tri-state area will finally have some decent weather.  It will be partly cloudy with no chance of rain, and the humidity will be close to around 60%.  With a dew point around 65 and temperatures around 81 degrees, it will be a little muggy out. Yet, it will still be a nice evening.

Injury report

Ten players are out against Toronto.  Drew Baiera (leg), Arnau Farnós (leg), Raul Gustavo (leg), Mac Learned (leg), Alonso Martínez (leg), Maxi Moralez (leg), Aiden O’Neill (leg), Kevin O’Toole (leg), Keaton Parks (leg), and Kai Trewin (leg) are unavailable.

Players to watch

NYCFC fans should watch the growing partnership between Thiago Martins and James Sands.  While the hope was that Sands would make a permanent move to Europe, there is no question that his return has been a blessing.  The backline is stronger with him in it, and he works extremely well with Martins.  When Raul Gustavo and Kai Trewin return from injury, Jansen might have to make the decision to keep Sands as a center-back over putting him in his natural defensive midfielder position.

Djordje Mihailovic is another player to watch.  The Toronto midfielder has sadly missed a lot of time due to a pelvic injury this season, and has just started to get back to playing.  He likely will not start, but he should see minutes in the second half and could make a difference for the Reds.  It might be smart for the Boys in Blue to score in the first half.

Prediction

Truth be told, it is difficult to see NYCFC losing to Toronto FC.  As such, the prediction is another 3-1 win for the Boys in Blue.  Malachi Jones will have another superb game, while Martins and Sands will mostly make life difficult for the Toronto attack.