Toronto FC head honcho Robin Fraser is keeping it real, admitting that despite some recent improvements, his squad still has a long road ahead as they gear up to take on Nashville SC in the MLS.
After a rough start to the season with no wins in their first eight matches, Toronto has managed to turn things around with three victories in their last six games. Their most recent triumph was a stunning 6-1 thrashing of CF Montreal, a game where the opposition played with 10 men.
The win catapulted Toronto to 13th place in the Eastern Conference, but they’re still trailing by six points for a playoff spot after 14 matches.
Fraser was pleased with the result against Montreal but knows that it’s not enough to erase the memory of their lackluster start.
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us despite the big win,” Fraser said. “We need to make up for our slow start. The players showed maturity and made good decisions in the last game, which led to the result.”
Nashville, currently sitting in fourth place in the East, are on a seven-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. Coach BJ Callaghan praised his team’s ability to learn from their opponents and execute their game plan on the field.
As the two teams prepare to face off, all eyes will be on Federico Bernardeschi for Toronto FC, who had a standout performance with two goals and two assists in their last match. Nashville’s Chris Applewhite will also be a player to watch after his solid defensive display in their recent game against D.C. United.
With Nashville’s recent success against Toronto and their current unbeaten run, they are favored to come out on top in this matchup. According to Opta win probability, Nashville SC have a 43.6% chance of securing the victory, while Toronto FC trail behind at 31.2%.
