Toronto FC enter their final match of 2026 after falling short of the play-off line with their elimination last weekend. For hosts Philadelphia Union, this Decision Day match surprisingly carries play-off seeding implications, after the team was written off entering the World Cup break in June.
Last season, Philadelphia defeated Toronto 2-1 at BMO Field, and the two teams settled for a 1-1 draw in their rematch at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. Earlier this year both teams battled to a memorable 3-3 draw on 22 April by the lakeshore in Toronto, a game in which Reds goalkeeper Luka Gavran scored a last-gasp equalizer in the sixth minute of added time from a corner kick.
How Philadelphia enter the match
The Union are riding a remarkable second-half turnaround under interim coach Ryan Richter, although their form over the past four games, two draws and two defeats, has been poor. When predecessor Bradley Carnell was fired on 27 May 2026 with the Union sporting a league-worst 1-4-10 start, nobody could have foreseen their second-half resurgence.
After their disastrous start to the 2026 season, the club under Richter sparked a massive surge post-World Cup, including a franchise-record 14-match unbeaten streak that featured an eight-game winning run. The one-time Toronto FC player has led the former bottom-dwellers to a record of 12 wins, four draws, and two losses heading into Decision Day.
Philadelphia's last win came in a 3-1 victory over ten-man Chicago Fire on 14 October at Soldier Field. Currently sixth in MLS's Eastern Conference, the Union need a win over Toronto on Saturday to secure that spot. A loss could see either Cincinnati or Columbus surpass them in the standings and push the Union into the play-in game slot should both Ohio clubs win on the day.
The Union's key attacking contributors have been Milan Iloski, with 19 goals and seven assists, and Uruguayan international Bruno Damiani, with 12 goals and four assists. However, a pair of teenagers have been stealing the headlines in the City of Brotherly Love.
Towering 19-year-old centre-back Neil Pierre — 6'7" — has emerged as an imposing presence in the back line while also contributing five goals to the Union attack. Yet it is the just-turned-17-year-old attacking midfielder Cavan Sullivan, who has already set the MLS record for most goal contributions by a teenager in a single season (21), who has garnered the lion's share of the accolades. Sullivan's seven goals and 14 assists have driven the Union attack.
Cavan and Neil are headed back to @USMNT camp 🇺🇸#DOOP pic.twitter.com/a3Her0LQw3
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) November 4, 2026
Both Pierre and Sullivan's efforts have not gone unnoticed by Mauricio Pochettino, and both have been called back for their second senior camps with the US Men's National Team beginning next week.
Saturday's match will also mark the end of an era, as the Union's long-time captain Alejandro Bedoya announced his retirement at the conclusion of the season, bringing the curtain down on an 11-season tenure in Philadelphia.
Toronto's form entering the match
Toronto FC were officially eliminated from the 2026 MLS play-off picture after a 3-1 loss to Atlanta United last weekend, extending the club's post-season drought to six consecutive years. Plagued by injuries earlier in the campaign, a late-season surge had kept Toronto's play-off aspirations alive entering their penultimate match.
Although the team retooled in the off-season with the notable acquisitions of veteran winger Dániel Sallói and former USMNT striker Josh Sargent, they never really gained much traction over the season. A glut of injuries ahead of the World Cup was followed by inconsistency after it.
The team's propensity to surrender early goals often forced them to claw back from a disadvantageous position, game in and game out. While the Reds had their share of comeback draws and occasional victories, their tendency to fall behind proved to be the bane of their season, along with an inability to establish a recognizable team identity in either attack or defence.
Toronto will finish their season no lower than 12th in the East, with little to play for aside from pride. Both Sallói and Sargent are tied for the Reds' team lead in goals with nine apiece. Both will be motivated to claim the honour of finishing top scorer, but there is also the matter of ensuring Toronto do not finish a seventh consecutive season without a player reaching double figures.
Toronto captain Jonathan Osorio is out of contract at year-end, leaving his future with the club uncertain. After scoring in his 14th consecutive season for the Reds — an MLS record — on 28 October against DC United, Saturday could mark the end of an extraordinary era for the Brampton native.
Toronto also has up to 16 players on the roster who are either out of contract, entering an option year, or concluding a loan spell at the end of Saturday's match.
Availability
Philadelphia will be missing Japhet Sery Larsen (concussion protocol). Alejandro Bedoya (eye), Jesus Bueno (knee), and Milan Iloski (hamstring) are listed as doubtful.
Toronto will be without goalkeeper Luka Gavran (wrist), full-back Kobe Franklin (shoulder), central midfielder Nelson Palacio (thigh), and centre-backs Walker Zimmerman (ankle) and Benjamín Kuscevic (ankle). Midfielder Alonso Coello will also be suspended for accumulating yellow cards.
Projected XIs
Philadelphia Union (4-4-2): Andre Blake; Kai Wagner, Nathan Harriel, Neil Pierre, Frankie Westfield; Indiana Vassilev, Jovan Lukić, Danley Jean Jacques, Cavan Sullivan; Bruno Damiani, Ezekiel Alladoh
Toronto FC (4-2-3-1): Adisa De Rosario; Matheus Pereira, Nicksoen Gomis, Zane Monlouis, Richie Laryea; Jonathan Osorio, Niklas Dorsch; Dániel Sallói, Đorđe Mihailović, Theo Corbeanu; Josh Sargent
Game information and how to watch
📅 Saturday, 7 November 2026
⏰ 4:00 pm ET / 2:00 pm PDT
📺 Apple TV, TSN
👨⚖️ Timothy Ford
🏟 Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania
