2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 22
Toronto FC vs. Inter Miami CF
Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium – East Hartford
November 1 – 7:30 PM ET
TV: TSN
STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US
LOCAL TV: CBS4 (Miami)
Toronto FC are looking to keep their Supporters' Shield hopes alive Sunday night when they host an Inter Miami CF side trying to push above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto (12W-4L-5D) are second in the Shield race behind the Philadelphia Union and are hoping to bounce back from a 1-0 home defeat to NYCFC on Wednesday. Inter Miami CF, just below the playoff line in 11th place, suffered a 2-1 loss at FC Dallas.
Toronto FC
Toronto FC's hopes of a second Supporters' Shield in the club's history was damaged when NYCFC handed them their second consecutive defeat, while the Union defeated Chicago Fire FC. As a result, Greg Vanney's side need to win, and will look for help, to remain in the Shield race. But first and foremost is getting his players healthy again for the postseason.
"At this point it's a little bit of do you continue to risk guys and lose guys for the short term and anybody you lose at this point, you're probably going to lose for even the playoffs," Vanney said after the match.
"So the question is how do we get our team healthy without losing more guys in this last stretch? If we can win the Supporters' Shield in that process, then that's what we're going to try and do. We're not giving up on [the Shield], but we are what we are right now as a group and we have what we have."
- Updated team roster
- Injury Report:
- OUT: Achara (M) - ACL injury
- OUT: Jozy Altidore (F) - hamstring strain
- OUT: Alex Bono (GK) - dislocated finger
- OUT: Pablo Piatti (M) - Grade 2 calf strain
- OUT: Justin Morrow (D) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Marky Delgado (M) - undisclosed injury
- QUESTIONABLE: Jonathan Osorio (M) - undisclosed injury
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: Pablo Piatti (M)
- International duty: None
Inter Miami CF
Inter Miami couldn't build on an emotional last-minute win over Orlando City SC on the weekend and they couldn't hold on to an early lead, conceding twice unanswered in a 2-1 defeat to FC Dallas Wednesday. As a result, their hopes of joining fellow expansion side Nashville SC, are becoming bleaker, further complicated by Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and Andres Reyes' suspensions on Sunday for yellow card accumulation and center back Nicolas Figal out for a few weeks with a muscular injury on his right leg.
But Diego Alonso isn't giving up hope.
“We wanted to get points today and that would have allowed us to take advantage over the other teams,” Alonso said after the match. “We need to make adjustments to continue fighting in the final two games because we have dreams that we want to achieve.”
- Updated team roster
- Injury Report:
- OUT: George Acosta (M) - left knee injury
- OUT: David Norman Jr (M) - left ankle injury
- OUT: Denso Ulysse (D) - left lower leg injury
- OUT: Luis Robles (GK) - fractured left arm
- OUT: Nicolas Figal (D) - right leg muscular injury
- Suspended: Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (D), Andres Reyes (D)
- Suspended after next caution: Rodolfo Pizarro (M)
- International duty: None
Series Matchup at Toronto FC
- This is the first all-time meeting between Toronto FC and Inter Miami CF
Officials
- Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
- Assistant Referees: Adam Wienckowski, Gjovalin Bori
- 4th Official: Adam Kilpatrick
- VAR: Younes Marrakchi
