Taking care of business at home

Reds host fellow bubble team Austin, aiming to end woes at BMO Field

- NEIL DAVIDSON

Federico Bernardeschi and Toronto FC go into weekend play eighth in the East, one point ahead of ninth-place D.C. United and two points ahead of 10th-place Atlanta.

Toronto FC welcomes Austin FC to BMO Field for the first time Saturday, in a battle of two teams on the MLS playoff bubble.

“It’s an important game,” Toronto captain Jonathan Osorio said. “We know what’s at stake. We know we’re fighting (for position). But I think we’re embracing it.

“When you look at the bigger picture, from where we’ve come from last year to now, to be in this position, I think this is a positive. We’d much rather be in this fight than not in a fight at all.”

TFC finished last in the league at 4-20-10 last season and was secondto-last in both 2021 and 2022. At 10-15-3 this year, the club is 19th in the 29-team Supporters’ Shield standings, one place and one point below Austin (9-11-7).