Canada - Toronto FC

Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew SC | 2016 MLS Match Preview

TORONTO FC vs. COLUMBUS CREW SC
BMO FIELD | Toronto, Ontario
July 31, 2016 | Week 21 | MLS Game #216
7:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE)

The Trillium Cup will be on the line for 2016 when Toronto FC and Columbus Crew SC meet for a third time this season, Sunday evening at BMO Field. The teams have played to a pair of draws in their first meetings of the season. TFC come into the match in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, two points above the red line, following their 4-1 win against D.C. United at home last weekend. Crew SC sit in ninth place in the East table, reaching a fifth consecutive draw at MAPFRE Stadium last weekend in a 2-2 result with Orlando City SC.

• Toronto FC snapped out of their slump in a big way in Week 20, thrashing D.C. United, 4-1, behind a Sebastian Giovinco hat-trick. Toronto FC, who are now 7-7-6 on the season, also got a goal from Marky Delgado.
• Columbus Crew SC let a two-goal lead slip away at home, as they settled for a 2-2 draw with Orlando City the last time out. The draw saw struggling Columbus move to 3-7-10 on the campaign.
• The Eastern Conference clubs are playing one another for the third and final time in the 2016 regular season. They played to a 0-0 draw at BMO Field in Toronto on May 21, and then tied again via a 1-1 scoreline at MAPFRE Stadium on July 13.

REFEREE: Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Joe Fletcher; AR2 (opposite): Kyle Longville; 4th: Geoff Gamble
MLS Career: 80 games; FC/gm: 23.5; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 19; pens: 32

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: TOR: Jozy Altidore, Steven Beitashour, Justin Morrow, Marky Delgado -- CLB: Tony Tchani, Wil Trapp
DISABLED LIST: CLB: Matt Pacifici, Ben Swanson  (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (27 meetings): Toronto FC 5 wins, 31 goals -- Crew SC 12 wins, 42 goals -- Ties 10
AT TORONTO (12 meetings): Toronto FC 2 wins, 12 goals -- Crew SC 4 wins, 15 goals -- Ties 6

2016 (MLS)
5/21: TOR 0, CLB 0
7/13: CLB 1, TOR 1 (Afful 54 - Hamilton 64)

• The teams are meeting for a third time this season, having reached two draws. They reached a scoreless draw May 21 at BMO Field; Crew SC's Harrison Afful and TFC's Jordan Hamilton scored goals 10 minutes in the second half to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw July 13 in Columbus.
• Toronto FC have not won in the series since 2014 - when they won all three meetings that season. When Crew SC won 2-0 last March 14 at MAPFRE Stadium, it was their first home win in the series since 2013. TFC have won just three matches all-time in Columbus - two of those coming in 2014.
• Crew SC have come away with points now on their last two trips to Toronto. TFC had won back-to-back home games in the series before that -- TFC's first wins ever at BMO Field in the series, after three losses and five draws over the first six-plus seasons.
• Coaches record: Gregg Berhalter vs. TOR: P8 W2 L3 T3 -- Greg Vanney vs. CLB: P5 W0 L2 T3

LAST MEETING (MLS):

• Both goals came in a 10-minute span after the halftime break, where there was an additional delay because of weather. In the 54th minute, a corner from Dilly Duka was partially cleared outside of the Toronto penalty area toward Harrison Afful, and he struck a first-time shot that flew into the bottom right corner of the goal to give Crew SC the advantage.
• Just 10 minutes later, TFC equalized when forward Jordan Hamilton received a through ball from Jay Chapman, and powered home a left-footed shot from inside the area.
• COLUMBUS CREW SC (4-2-3-1): Steve Clark - Harrison Afful, Michael Parkhurst, Tyson Wahl, Corey Ashe (Waylon Francis 89) - Wil Trapp, Tony Tchani - Ethan Finlay (Cedrick Mabwati 46), Dilly Duka (Hector Jimenez 67), Justin Meram - Ola Kamara.
• TORONTO FC (3-3-2-2): Alex Bono - Eriq Zavaleta, Drew Moor, Josh Williams - Mark Bloom (Nick Hagglund 57), Benoit Cheyrou, Justin Morrow (Jay Chapman 59) - Marky Delgado (Tsubasa Endoh 46), Jonathan Osorio - Mo Babouli, Jordan Hamilton.

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