Chicago Fire will play host to Club de Foot Montreal on Saturday, May 29, at Soldier Field. The hosts enter this match off their first victory of the season and will hope they can make it two in a row against the Canadian side.
Columbus Crew vs Toronto FC
When: Saturday, May 29 – 15:00 EDT
Where: MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
Weather: Cloudy, 13°C
Referee: Allen Chapman
Only three rounds ago, Toronto FC won the reverse match 2-0 in their “home” game. The fixture was played at Exploria Stadium in Orlando due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It marked Toronto’s third consecutive head-to-head victory against Columbus Crew but also their only win of the season. Columbus Crew bounced back from that loss with a 2-1 victory against New York City last round, so the motivation to claim a revenge win should be there for the hosts.
Columbus Crew’s poor H2H record with Toronto FC
With their 0-2 loss to Toronto FC, Columbus Crew now hold an unenviable 1-3-5 head-to-head record against Chris Armas’ side. Their sole victory against Toronto happened way back in March 2018, when the Crew won with 2-0 on the road.
They have since played two draws in 2018 and 2019 but lost their last three with 0-1, 1-3, and 0-2. That obviously isn’t great, however, we wouldn’t say that Toronto FC genuinely looked like the better team here.
Columbus Crew are 2-2-2 on the season with eight points. That ties them with the New York City, Club de Foot Montreal and Inter Miami, albeit they occupy eighth place due to their goal difference (5-5).
In their last four, the Crew won two and lost two games. They took down DC United (3-1) and New York City (2-1) on Sunday but were unable to match Toronto (0-2) and New England Revolution (0-1).
For this match, the hosts are without Kevin Molino, Aidan Morris, and Milton Valenzuela. Marlon Hairston, Perry Kitchen, Derrick Etienne, and Wayne Francis are all doubtful.
Growing Problems for Toronto FC
Toronto FC haven’t impressed us yet this season. They’re 1-2-3 after six fixtures with a 7-10 record. In their last four, they lost to New York Red Bulls (0-2) and Orlando City (0-1), drew with New York City (1-1), and defeated the Crew with 2-0.
Excluding their win over Columbus, Toronto haven’t produced anything of note and rightfully sit in 12th on the MLS ladder. Their big issue is the lack of goals, which won’t improve for this match, seeing how they will miss their striker main striker Jozy Altidore.
The 31-year-old has produced six goals on the season – four in the MLS and two in the CONCACAF Champions League. His absence essentially cuts Toronto’s scoring capability in half.
What’s more, the visitors will also be without Dominic Dwyer, Ifunanyachi Achara, Julian Dunn-Johnson, Yeferson Soteldo, and Erickson Gallardo. Adding to that, Alejandro Pozuelo, Jonathon Osorio, and Omar Gonzalez are all doubtful.
While Columbus have their own injury issues, Toronto’s concerns are much more significant.
Columbus Crew vs Toronto FC Betting Picks
Last time out, Toronto FC won with 2-0. They deserved to walk away with a W, but a lot has happened since, and you can’t look past the home advantage Columbus Crew will enjoy in the rematch.
Neither team seems to be in good form, but we have to give Columbus an edge since they looked excellent in their win against New York City (2-1). What’s more, you can’t really trust a team with such a lengthy injury list as Toronto FC, and that is one more reason why we like the hosts better.
Prediction: Columbus Crew -0.50 Asian Handicap
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