Toronto FC’s match on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field against Red Bull New York is a home opener and a homecoming.
Saturday’s game is the Reds’ first at home after starting their season with three on the road. It will also mark the return of TFC legend Michael Bradley, who comes back to the stadium he spent a decade at, as the manager of RBNY.
You can catch Toronto FC vs. Red Bull New York LIVE on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT on TSN1/3, the TSN App, and TSN.ca.
The 38-year-old Bradley retired at the end of the 2023 season. He made 258 Major League Soccer appearances for TFC after arriving from Roma in 2014. He captained Toronto through the club’s greatest period of success, leading them to three MLS Cup Finals and helping the Reds claim a treble in 2017, winning the Canadian Championship, Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.
“Im excited to come back to Toronto,” Bradley, in his first year on the job, said during his Thursday media briefing. “A lotta good people there, a lotta good people in and around the club. BMO’s a great stadium, it’s their home opener and so I think it’ll be a great afternoon. I’m excited, I’m excited for the game and I’ve said this a lot of different ways, a lot of different times – I gave everything I had in my time in Toronto, from the second I got there until the second I left.”
During his time with the Reds, Bradley won six trophies and left the club as their second all-time appearance maker behind only the current TFC captain, Jonathan Osorio.
“What we did and what we were able to accomplish was pretty unique and pretty special and, ultimately, speaks for itself,” Bradley said. “How anyone wants to look at that or evaluate that or feel about that after the fact, that is completely up to them. I know how I feel about it and I know how a lot of the people who were on the inside of that feel about it, as well.”
After back-to-back losses to open the season, a 3-2 defeat to FC Dallas and a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Vancouver Whitecaps, the Reds got their first win of the season last Sunday night against FC Cincinnati. Toronto picked up a 1-0 victory on a late goal by newly arrived winger Daniel Salloi that was assisted by Richie Laryea with a beautiful pass.
“The game in Cincinnati was a really strong response [to the loss in Vancouver] and they played really well,” Bradley said. “So I expect them to be confident and really excited now to come home after three away games. I think they’ve added good pieces to their group. I think, like a lot of teams early in the season, they are also trying to figure out exactly the best way to put it all together. But I expect a really good game and a strong opponent.”
For the home faithful, Saturday’s match will be their first look at the squad in 2026 and it could also be their first glimpse at their marquee new signing. Reds manager Robin Fraser confirmed on Friday that Josh Sargent is available for selection against RBNY. Sargent joined the Reds late last month from Norwich City in what could be the largest transfer in MLS history.
“I’ve heard good things, of course, the guys have told me a little bit about them since I’ve gotten here,” the 26-year-old Sargent said last week of Reds fans. “They seems like really passionate fans, probably the closest thing you can get to being over in Europe. I look forward to playing in front of them and getting to meet them.”
The all-time series between TFC and RBNY has been decidedly one-side in favour of New York. In 47 matches, New York has won 25 games, lost 10 and the two sides have split the points on 12 occasions. Toronto’s last victory at home against RBNY was all the way back in 2019. In a match in which Bradley started in the midfield, TFC got goals from Jozy Altidore, Alejandro Pozuelo and Ashtone Morgan in a 3-1 victory on July 17.
