Toronto FC heads to Montreal to find revenge after Canadian Championship defeat | OneFootball

Toronto FC will be looking to exact some revenge on CF Montreal this weekend.

After being knocked out in the first round of the Canadian Championship late last month by CF Montreal, Toronto FC head to Montreal seeking its third win of the MLS Season.

Holding two different leads over Montreal in that Canadian Championship fixture, an 88th-minute equalizer from Giacomo Vrioni sent the contest to penalty kicks. Toronto then failed to score on three of its five attempts in the shootout.

Previous MLS seasons show close split between Toronto FC and CF Montreal

Last season, Toronto FC swept the season series against CF Montreal in MLS action, winning 1-0 on July 20th, 2024 and thumping Montreal 5-1 at BMO Field on May 18th, 2024. The season before that, the results swung in the favour of CF Montreal, winning 3-2 and 2-0 respectively.

This season in particular, both clubs are essentially in the same boat in league play, at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. With that said, the two teams are about as far apart in the salary cap table as you could be, with Capology estimating Toronto FC with the second-highest payroll in MLS while Montreal sits second to last, behind San Diego.

Payrolls won't matter when the two teams hit the field on Saturday, though. Toronto is searching for just its second road win of the season, while Montreal is still searching for its first win at Saputo Stadium this season.

Tensions between supporters and management at Toronto FC are already high, and it's clear that the Reds need to walk out of Montreal with at least a point, or things will get incredibly ugly. In his pre-game presser, head coach Robin Fraser spoke about the spark that is likely to be felt in the rivalry fixture.

Robin Fraser believes loss to Montreal in Canadian Championship adds fuel to the fire for Toronto FC

Winning on Saturday will not magically bring Toronto FC back into the Canadian Championship but at the very least a victory can help some ease some of the pain felt back on April 30th. Robin Fraser certainly feels that the first-round cup defeat to Montreal will play a part in the emotions for the contest.

Robin Fraser also confirmed that Henry Wingo is now available to play for Toronto, having missed the last eight MLS matches due to a leg injury. Others, including Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea, have been training and are closer to returns. However, both still need time to bring themselves back up to speed before being made available by Fraser.