Philadelphia Union coach Jim Curtin is thrilled with his side's form, but knows they will have to be at their best when they go up against Toronto FC on Saturday.
Union defeated Inter Miami - who had Gonzalo Higuain making his debut - 3-0 on Sunday, and are second in the Eastern Conference, a place above Toronto, with both sides having 28 points.
Curtin's team are unbeaten in their last five matches, having won four of them, but the Union boss is under no illusions as to the challenge they will face against Toronto.
"Good things are happening, we're off the back of a good win against Miami. It sets us up nicely to go against a Toronto team that I think people forget that if you turn your head on them then they're right at the top," he told reporters.
"They have a lot of talent, they're very well coached. When you think about them, it starts with Alejandro Pozuelo. He's been the MVP of the league, plays with both feet and gets goals and assists.
"In Jozy Altidore they've got the best striker in the country. We'll have our hands full, we have to be at the top of our game. It's a really big test for our team. It's always good to test yourself against the best teams."
Toronto playmaker Pozuelo was named as the MLS player of the month, after scoring four goals and providing two assists across six games in September.
He led the charge in a comeback win over Columbus Crew last time out, but he insisted coach Greg Vanney mist take the credit.
"It was the coach, he said we need to change the mentality, keep calm," Pozuelo told Footy Talks. "We have respect for the coach, he has a lot of power in this team. We try to listen and learn because he has a lot of experience in this league."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Toronto FC - Jozy Altidore
After struggling in front of goal throughout July and August, Altidore returned to form in September, scoring twice, including in the victory over Columbus. Typically, it was Pozuelo who was the provider on that occasion, and Union will have to prevent Toronto's star pair linking up.
Philadelphia Union - Anthony Fontana
Fontana has scored in each of his last three MLS appearances, becoming the first Union player since Kacper Przybylko to score in three straight matches since C.J. Sapong in March- April 2017.
KEY OPTA FACTS
•The Union recorded a 2-1 win over Toronto in the last meeting between the clubs in May 2019, ending an 11-match unbeaten run for the Reds against Philadelphia (W9 D2) dating back to 2015.
•However, Toronto had won the previous four meetings by an aggregate score of 11-1.
•Toronto have three wins and a draw following a two-match losing streak in early September. Those two defeats are the Reds' only two losses in their last 24 regular season matches (W12 D10) dating back to early August 2019.
•Philadelphia continued their best-ever start to an MLS season with a 3-0 win over Inter Miami on Sunday, taking them to 28 points, four more than they've ever had at this stage of a season (24 - 2019).
•Toronto star Pozuelo has been directly involved in an MLS-high 15 goals this season (six goals, nine assists) including scoring one and assisting one in Toronto's win over the Crew on Sunday.