Toronto last faced DC United on 10 May 2025, at BMO Field, when the Reds secured a 2-0 victory in MLS regular season play. Much has changed in the 14 months since that match.
On Saturday, they roll south of the border for an evening clash against DC United, barely three days after extending their winless streak to an MLS season-high ten games. Since the World Cup break ended last week, the Reds have gone over 180 minutes without finding the back of the net.
How DC enter the match
DC United have not been setting the league alight by any means, and their last five matches feature a loss and four draws. However, their record at home, especially against Toronto, has been formidable, as DC have not lost to TFC in Washington in a decade.
They've been a hard team to beat this year, with their 26 goals conceded being good enough for the sixth-best defensive record in the Eastern Conference. But they have also been able to get offensive production from their strikers, as Louis Munteanu's five goals and Tai Baribo's nine goals attest to.
DC United's general style of play follows three core traits: an aggressive high press, direct vertical attacking, and a compact defensive structure — especially if they have a lead or the game is tied late on. The flip side to this approach is the propensity to be caught out by their defensive high line.
A key player of interest to Canadian fans is rookie defender Nikola Markovic. The 6'3" Québec native has only started twice in his young career but has consistently featured off the bench in a defensive role across a variety of positions.
How Toronto enter the match
While TFC come into DC having conceded no goals in their last two games, the club has also failed to find the back of the net themselves. Despite this defensive silver lining, the fact remains that the Reds have failed to win a game in over three months and appear to be offensively challenged this season.
While injuries have played a major role in Toronto's troubles this season, the team's injury issues are slowly waning. The challenge the club has been facing is fielding a team in which several players appear out of sync with their teammates, to the point that they often look like a side going through pre-season.
Toronto feature some talented attacking weapons in designated players Đorđe Mihailović and Josh Sargent, and leading scorer Dániel Sallói with his four goals and five assists. However, this trio has yet to play 90 minutes together this season. The hope is that the natural turf surface of Audi Field could see this trio together for the first time in 2026 — indeed, this would be ideal, as scoring has been at an extreme premium for the Reds this season.
🚨💥 Niklas Dorsch to Toronto FC - DONE DEAL ✔️
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) July 22, 2026
Full agreement has now been reached with 1. FC Heidenheim. All details have been finalised. Transfer fee: $4.3 million. The 28 y/o central midfielder will sign a contract until 2031.
Dorsch is set to fly to Canada on Friday for… pic.twitter.com/Alqn5rxtUl
There is also some muted hope that new Toronto signing Niklas Dorsch will make his debut for Toronto FC, but it is unlikely he starts the match, and he is more likely to feature from the bench.
Player availability
DC United's squad is largely healthy, with just three players listed as unavailable this weekend. Connor Antley (lower leg), Jordan Farr (shoulder), and Gabe Segal (lower leg) are all out.
Toronto FC's injury list is shrinking. However, they will still be without the services of Markus Cimermancic (thigh), Nicksoen Gomis (thigh), Nelson Palacio (fitness), Matheus Pereira (groin), and Lazar Stefanović (foot) for the game.
Projected XIs
DC United (4-4-2): Sean Johnson; Keisuke Kurokawa, Lucas Bartlett, Kyle Rowles, Silvan Hefti; João Peglow, Brandon Servania, André Dozzell, Jackson Hopkins; Tai Baribo, Louis Munteanu
Toronto FC (4-2-3-1): Luka Gavran; Richie Laryea, Walker Zimmerman, Benjamín Kuscevic, Jackson Gilman; Alonso Coello, Jonathan Osorio; Dániel Sallói, Đorđe Mihailović, Jules-Anthony Vilsaint; Josh Sargent
Game information and how to watch
📆 Saturday, July 25, 2026
⏰ 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT
📺 Apple TV
👨⚖️ Serhii Boiko
🏟 Audi Field, Washington, DC
