2021 Canadian Championship — Quarterfinal
Toronto FC vs. York United
September 22, 2021 at 7:30 pm ET
BMO Field, Toronto, Ont.
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca // Tickets available here
MATCH PREVIEW
The first true local derby that Canadian professional soccer has seen in a while will write its opening chapter on Wednesday night, as surging Canadian Premier League outfit York United head south (down Dufferin? The 427? On the subway?) to BMO Field to play MLS foes Toronto FC.
The second match of a three-game Canadian Championship tripleheader on Wednesday, this clash promises to be an intense one between two sides hoping desperately to get to the semifinal. For York, it’s perhaps the biggest game they’ve played yet as a club — certainly at least on par with their clash with Montreal in the 2019 tournament — and a chance for their young players to prove themselves against some tough competition.
There’s a real derby feeling to this clash — particularly with TFC being the established club in the city, and so many York players having either grown up watching the Reds or played in their academy.
“I was born in Toronto, and growing up in Newmarket, I was a TFC fan,” York phenom Max Ferrari told reporters on Monday. “So it’ll be cool to play against these top players — obviously Michael Bradley, Richie Laryea, great players.”
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York coach Jimmy Brennan added, in the same vein: “With our dressing room, a lot of the guys are TFC fans and support the club, and they’re actually going to get to play against the team that they’ve supported for an awful long time, so it’s a wonderful opportunity for them, playing against guys that they see all the time on TV, that they’ve watched over a number of years, and really match up against them and see what they can do against these players. It’s a wonderful occasion, especially for our organization.”
The Nine Stripes earned themselves this local showdown by winning a different one: They beat League1 Ontario side Master’s FA last month by a 5-0 scoreline to advance to the quarterfinals, thanks in part to a late onslaught that made the result so lopsided. Brennan’s side will be entering this game in decent form, sitting in fourth place in the CPL standings — with a three point cushion to hold onto that playoff spot — thanks in large part to their current five-game unbeaten streak (with two big recent wins over Forge FC and Atlético Ottawa, before a gruelling 0-0 draw over the weekend with HFX Wanderers).
Things haven’t necessarily been as rosy the past few months for Toronto FC. Currently led by interim coach Javier Pérez after parting ways with Chris Armas in July after 11 games, the Reds find themselves at the bottom of the MLS table with 18 points from 25 games. They did, however, win their most recent game on Saturday night, with a 79th-minute winner by defender Omar Gonzalez claiming three points at home for TFC against Nashville SC. That result snapped a six-game losing streak for the club, so they’ll be hoping to have righted the ship just in time before this crucial CanChamp tie.
TFC have won more Voyageurs Cup titles than the rest of the Canadian clubs combined, with seven to their name — most recently in 2018. Their roster has no shortage of talent, with Canadian national team regulars like Laryea and Jonathan Osorio, plus captain Michael Bradley and, perhaps, Venezuelan designated player Yeferson Soteldo. Perhaps because of all that, Brennan suggested prematch that all the pressure is on TFC rather than York in this game.
Asked if he felt the same, Pérez agreed: “I think they will go out on the field thinking that they don’t have anything to lose, and that is what’s going to make them even more dangerous. I think they will enjoy the game, and if they win they win, and if they don’t win they will be happy with the game playing against a team that on paper is stronger. So all in all we think we have to be the stronger side, so I think I agree with (Brennan) in that sense.”
Ultimately, this should be an incredibly intense 90 minutes (plus penalties, if necessary…) on a rainy night at BMO Field. No matter what happens, expect a hard-fought cup tie on the Lakeshore.
The winning side will move to the semifinals, where they’ll take on CPL opposition in either Pacific FC or Cavalry FC (with that game coming up on OneSoccer later Wednesday night).
3 THINGS TO WATCH:
- Brennan back to former stomping ground: One of the overarching narratives of this tie will be York gaffer Jimmy Brennan’s return to BMO Field. Brennan was, of course, the first ever player signed by TFC, and he was their captain for several years (including for their 2009 Voyageurs Cup win). He was an assistant and academy coach with the club for several years too, which set him on his path to a CPL gig. So, this game will have special significance for Brennan and the handful of York players (Michael Petrasso, Lowell Wright, Jordan Faria, and so on) who spent time in the TFC Academy. Brennan himself reflected on some of his greatest memories with TFC — many of which were in the Canadian Championship — on Monday, and TFC veteran Jonathan Osorio (who was a rookie with the club in 2013 when Brennan was an assistant coach) shared some thoughts on his experience: “Jim is a special player and person here at this club,” Osorio said. “I think it will be very special for him coming back to the stadium again and coaching against us but special for the club as well. These moments are great and we’re looking forward to it.” There are plenty of connections between these two sides, which should only further serve to make this a proper derby cup tie.
- Can York hit on the counter? Many of York United’s best moments in the CPL the past few months have been fast, direct football where they’ve won the ball and hit their opponents quickly in transition. That’s probably exactly how they might be able to threaten TFC; Diyaeddine Abzi and Max Ferrari, in particular, are players that TFC will likely be focused on, but they have the vision and speed to do serious damage. Look for quick long balls from Isaiah Johnston or Noah Verhoeven to try to spring those opportunities; Toronto have plenty of pace in the wide areas, but York might have an edge in speed in the middle of the park, so the double-pivot midfielders will have major importance. All this York team needs is one good opportunity to punish, and that’s what Brennan and co. will be looking for: “We expect them at home to have quite a bit of possession and try to break us down at times, but I do expect some good spells from our young guys,” the coach said Monday. “We’ll have a game plan, one that we’ll be working on, and hopefully it comes to fruition during the match.”
- TFC doing their homework on York: Asked what he knows about York United on Tuesday, TFC coach Javier Pérez offered up a pretty comprehensive picture of his opponent: “I expect a team that wants to put us under pressure, a team very, very motivated,” he said. “They have a lot of young players, so I know the level of effort, the level of energy is going to be right there. They play in a 4-2-3-1, they have speed in the wings, they have a left outside back who likes to go forward, and they like to play with the ball. They have a couple of good players that won’t be at the same time on the field, Petrasso and (Sebastian) Gutierrez, but they have quality.” He explained that he’s watched quite a lot of tape on York recently, knowing they’ve been rounding into form, and it certainly doesn’t seem like TFC will underestimate the opponent. Jonathan Osorio, for his part, revealed he’s always had an eye on the Nine Stripes — in fact, he’s got a bit of a soft spot for them. With this competition being TFC’s priority right now, Pérez confirmed he intends to put out a very strong lineup for Wednesday’s match.
ALL-TIME SERIES
First meeting between these teams
KEY QUOTES
“For our players now there’s no pressure on them going into this game. I want them to go out there, enjoy the occasion, and play with freedom. Pressure’s going to be all on TFC; they’re at home, they’re the big guys in the country.” – York United coach Jimmy Brennan
“It happens in cup games all around the world, you find teams that have this extra motivation and they find ways to beat the stronger team. So it’s an important lesson for us that we have to come in strong from the first minute and we have to get control of the game.” – Toronto FC coach Javier Pérez