Philadelphia Union return to the pitch this Friday night when they take their talents north of the border to square off against Eastern Conference foe Toronto FC. The Union own an all-time record of 6-7-6 against Toronto FC in MLS regular season competition. Kick-off for this match is set for 8 p.m. and will be televised on PHL17 with JP Dellacamera and Tommy Smyth on the call.
Philadelphia finds themselves in a tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference as they enter the week. The club is tied with Chicago fire with a record of 2-3-2 and eight points. The Union are coming off a strong offensive performance this past Saturday against their Eastern Conference rival D.C. United.
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Philadelphia scored more goals in Saturday’s 3-2 win than any previous match this season. Ilsinho, CJ Sapong and Borek Dockal all put their names on the scoresheet for Philadelphia this past weekend, as Dockal was named to MLS Team of the Week for his weekend performance.
A key player to keep an eye on this weekend for Philadelphia will be their Captain Alejandro Bedoya. The U.S. National Team midfielder has been a true leader on the pitch for the Union this season and has had success in his career playing at BMO Field.
This season, Bedoya has logged a goal and leads the team in assists with two. Bedoya has played all 630 minutes for the club in 2018 and has Captained the club in every match. In his career at BMO Field, Bedoya has scored twice in all competitions. His first career MLS goal came at BMO Field in September of 2016, then later in the year Bedoya notched a goal in a playoff match against TFC in Canada.
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On the TFC side, viewers should note that the statistics from MLS competition don’t tell the entire story for Toronto, as TFC had competed in CCL to start the year. As they turn their attention to MLS play, the Union will need to be on high alert for Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco.
The Italian has been sensational since joining MLS in 2015. In 90 MLS regular season appearances, Giovinco has recorded 55 goals and 39 assists. In 11 career MLS playoff appearances, Giovinco has logged five goals and five assists in his career.
Philadelphia will look to contain Giovinco and the entire TFC roster this Friday at BMO Field. Kick-off for this Eastern Conference clash is set for 8 p.m. and will be televised on PHL17.
IBX Live Fearless Match Preview: Ray Gaddis
IBX Live Fearless Match Preview: Borek Dockal
