Toronto FC goes into Saturday’s New England Vs Toronto match at BMO Field without a win in 12 MLS games, a run that has left it three spots and six points below the playoff line with only 16 regular-season games left. The Revolution visit as the club tries to turn a home schedule into something more than survival.
That urgency is why Richie Laryea and Walker Zimmerman spent this week talking less about style than about points. Laryea said the early home games have to be taken care of so the group can build a winning mindset and make BMO a place where three points are the only thing on everyone’s mind. Zimmerman sounded the same note, saying Toronto FC still has enough games left to change the conversation if it can stack a few wins quickly.
The timing matters because this is not just another date on the calendar. Toronto FC has three of its four August matches at home and five of its next six games are at BMO Field, a stretch that could either steady a season that has drifted or deepen the gap. The club also has a history of getting a little more out of its own pitch when it is rolling; during a nine-game home stretch from March 14 to May 9, it picked up two wins and 11 points, which is the standard it now has to beat.
But the cleanest version of the story does not match the standings. Toronto FC says it is close to full fitness after injuries hit it hard all season, yet it remains winless in 12 MLS matches and has not won since April 4. Its last outing, a 1-1 draw away to New York City FC on July 31, came with both designated players on the field after spells out hurt, a sign that the pieces are finally coming back even as the results still are not.
The next few home dates will decide whether that recovery arrives in time. Toronto FC has won only five times at home since the start of last season, and each of its next five matches at BMO Field is against a team sitting higher in the Eastern Conference table. If the club is going to stay in the race, it will have to make this stretch count now, before the schedule shifts away from home again and the margin for error disappears.
