With the NHL currently enjoying success pertaining to COVID-19 in its respective Canadian bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, Toronto FC looks to continue that on behalf of the MLS on Tuesday night when they host the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Like the NHL bubbles, this contest – as well as Sunday's rematch between at BMO Field – will be played in an empty stadium. They are part of the league's Phase One revised regular season schedule among the three Canadian teams in the league in which they will play six games apiece.
Toronto FC (2-0-3) had a solid showing at the MLS Is Back tournament in Orlando, posting a win and two draws in group play before losing to New York City FC 3-1 in the round of 16 on July 27. Much of the Reds' success was attributed to Ayo Akinola, who accounted for five of the team's seven goals in those four matches.
Alejandro Pozuelo set up four of those goals, and the challenge for Greg Vanney's team is to get back into a flow with two games in four days.
"It's the most normal stretch that we've had in a long time, when you think about the last week or 10 days," talisman Michael Bradley said, "and you look ahead to what the next four or five weeks are going to look like in terms of training every day at our facility, playing home games at BMO and normal away road trips. That's exciting. When you think about what the last five or six months have been, any semblance of normal in terms of routine, what we're all doing, it's exciting.
"We've talked a lot as a group that we have to get on with things."
The three weeks between matches has allowed some players – notably striker Akinola, Jozy Altidore and Jonathan Osorio – to get healthy for TFC. Akinola, who was forced to sit out the round of 16 loss to NYCFC with a hamstring injury, is questionable for this match and may result in coach Greg Vanney being unable to partner him with Altidore in the first XI.
Since only the group matches counted towards Toronto's regular-season record, the Reds carry a 15-match unbeaten streak in regular-season play (6-0-9) dating back to 2019.
Vancouver (2-0-3) also found its way to the knockout round of MLS Is Back, but reaching the round of 16 before exiting on penalties against Sporting KC was a surprising positive given the absences of starters Lucas Cavallani, Fredy Montero, and Tosaint Ricketts as all three opted out of playing in Orlando.
Whitecaps coach Marc Dos Santos will have to keep one required change as keeper Thomas Hasal continues to deputize between the sticks for injured No. 1 Maxime Crepeau – sidelined with a broken thumb. Hasal did not allow a goal in either of his two starts during MLS Is Back and had eight saves versus Sporting while getting them to penalties.
"This first game against Toronto is really important. The more points we bring home, it gives us belief, an advantage," Dos Santos told Vancouver's official website. "We're playing for points in the Canadian Championships, but we're also playing for points that will affect our MLS standing. The club wants to be in the Champions League, and hopefully we can put ourselves in that position."
This will be the first match for Ricketts against his former team, having played with Toronto FC from 2016-18 before joining Vancouver in August 2019. He has two goals and two assists in 10 matches with the Whitecaps in all competitions.
The teams played to a 1-1 draw in British Columbia in their lone matchup last year as Nick DeLeon's goal on 90 minutes canceled out a penalty from Montero six minutes prior. The teams have split 10 all-time meetings, claiming four wins apiece with two draws.