TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV + TSN5
English (Apple TV): Blake Price (Play-by-Play) and Paul Dolan (Analyst)
Spanish (Apple TV): Oscar Salazar (Play-by-Play) and Jaime Macías (Analyst)
French (Apple TV): Frédéric Lord (Play-by-Play) and Vincent Destouches (Analyst)
English (TSN): Luke Wileman and Steven Caldwell
Toronto FC (5-13-9, 24 points) host arch-rivals CF Montréal (5-15-8, 23 points) at BMO Field on Saturday evening. The Matchday 31 contest in Toronto, Ontario kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast globally in English, Spanish and French on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app and on TSN5 in Canada.
The Reds enter the latest edition of the 401 Derby having recorded a historic 6-1 victory over CF Montréal at Stade Saputo in their first meeting of the 2025 season earlier this May. Historically, Toronto FC lead the head-to-head series with a 17W-14L-5T record through their first 36 meetings with the Bleu-blanc-noir in regular season play. TFC will be aiming to record consecutive home wins over their Canadian rivals, after Federico Bernardeschi’s hat-trick, along with goals from Matty Longstaff and Prince Owusu, powered the hosts to an emphatic 5-1 triumph at BMO Field on May 18, 2024.
HOME SWEET HOME
Toronto FC return home to host arch-rivals CF Montréal in the latest edition of the 401 Derby on Saturday evening. Unbeaten in their last four matches at BMO Field (1W-3T), the Reds hold a 124W-99L-82T all-time record (454 points) in MLS regular season matches played on home soil to date.
AN ODE TO THE PAST
TFC play hosts to rivals CF Montréal in their second and final meeting of the 2025 regular season, marking the 37th meeting in the all-time regular season series between the two Canadian clubs. Historically, Toronto FC lead the head-to-head series with a 17W-14L-5T record through their first 36 meetings with the Bleu-blanc-noir in regular season play. The sides have previously faced off at BMO Field on 16 occasions, with the Reds outscoring Montréal 30-24 through seven wins, five losses and four ties in Toronto. Earlier this year, TFC recorded a commanding 6-1 victory over CF Montréal at Stade Saputo, powered by goals from Tyrese Spicer, Ola Brynhildsen and Theo Corbeanu along with braces from Federico Bernardeschi and Theo Corbeanu. The Reds enter Saturday’s rivalry matchup aiming to record back-to-back 401 Derby wins, after a hat-trick from Federico Bernardeschi along with goals from Matty Longstaff and Prince Owusu lifted the Reds to an emphatic 5-1 win at BMO Field on May 18, 2024.
STEP BY STEP
The Reds head into Matchday 31 on the back of three consecutive ties in MLS play this month. Most recently, goalkeeper Sean Johnson recorded his seventh clean sheet of 2025 as TFC played out their third goalless draw of the season against Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.
On August 16, Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew battled to an entertaining 1-1 draw at BMO Field. Diego Rossi struck early for the visitors in the eighth minute, before new signing Jules-Anthony Vilsaint appeared off the bench to equalize for TFC in the 77th minute. New Designated Player Djordje Mihailovic set up the equalizer, registering his second straight match with an assist after recording the secondary assist against the Philadelphia Union in Matchday 28.
MILESTONE WATCH
Derrick Etienne Jr. made his 50th appearance for Toronto FC across all competitions against Atlanta United on Sunday, becoming the 11th active TFC player to reach the milestone.
Deandre Kerr has currently made 99 appearances for Toronto FC across all competitions (Major League Soccer, Canadian Championship and Leagues Cup) and his next outing will mark the 100th for his hometown club. The Homegrown forward made his club debut against FC Dallas on February 26, 2022, and has scored 19 goals for TFC including three strikes in 15 MLS appearances during the 2025 season.
ROSTER MOVES
The Reds wrapped up a flurry of activity before the close of the MLS Secondary Transfer Window last week, highlighted by the signing of Ecuadorian international midfielder José Cifuentes. The 26-year-old joins on loan from Scottish Premiership side Rangers FC through June 30, 2026, with an option to buy, and brings a wealth of experience at both club and international level. Cifuentes returns to MLS after two seasons with Rangers, where he made 20 appearances and also spent time on loan with Cruzeiro (Brazil) and Aris Thessaloniki (Greece). Prior to Rangers, the midfielder registered 15 goals and 20 assists through 121 combined appearances for Los Angeles FC, helping the Black & Gold win the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup in 2022. A native of Esmeraldas, Ecuador, Cifuentes has earned 21 caps with the senior Ecuador National Team, including two matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He also helped the U-20 National Team win the 2019 South American U-20 Championship and capture third place at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.
Toronto FC also acquired $100,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money (GAM) from Chicago Fire FC in exchange for a 2025 International Roster Slot.
FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY
Earlier this week, six Toronto FC athletes were selected to represent Canada across multiple age levels. Toronto FC defender Richie Laryea was named as one of 24 players who will represent Canada Men’s National Team (CANMNT) in international friendlies during the upcoming September FIFA window. Laryea and Les Rouges will travel to Europe to face Romania on September 5 before taking on Wales on September 9. TFC II forward Joshua Nugent was named to the Canada Men’s U-18 National Team for a preparation camp in Finland, where the U-18 team will face Finland on September 5 and Switzerland on September 7. TFC II defender Stefan Kapor, along with TFC Academy players Antone Bossenberry, Richard Chukwu and Timothy Fortier, were named to the Men’s U-17 National Team for an upcoming training camp in Spain. The U-17 team will battle Morocco on September 4, Uzbekistan on September 6 and England on September 9.
FUTURE STARS, DERBY DOGS & BUCKET HATS
The Reds will celebrate their annual TFC Academy Achievement Night and the club’s first-ever Derby Dogs Night on Saturday at BMO Field. At half-time, fans will welcome the next generation of Reds to the pitch as the Academy’s young talents are recognized for their hard work, dedication, and bright future in the beautiful game. Supporters can also enjoy $3 hot dogs throughout the match, with the first 10,000 purchases coming with a limited-edition TFC bucket hat. Additionally, every ticket to Saturday’s 401 Derby includes admission to the Canadian National Exhibition at Exhibition Place.
ONCE A RED
Saturday’s 401 Derby will feature five players facing their former clubs, including two of the Reds’ summer acquisitions. Djordje Mihailovic, who joined TFC on August 7, spent two seasons (2021, 2022) with CF Montréal, recording 16 goals and 24 assists across 68 combined appearances and helping the Bleu-blanc-noir lift the 2021 Canadian Championship. Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, acquired via trade along with $275,000 in General Allocation Money in exchange for Matty Longstaff on August 9, spent three seasons (2023-2025) with CF Montréal, registering three goals and five assists in 45 combined appearances.
On the other side, Luca Petrasso, Prince Owusu and Matty Longstaff previously spent time with Toronto FC. Petrasso joined the Toronto FC Academy in January 2013 and progressed through the ranks, including four seasons with TFC II, before signing as a Homegrown Player in January 2022 and making 27 combined appearances during his sole season with the Reds. Prince Owusu joined TFC in August 2023, scoring 12 goals in 45 appearances across two seasons (2023, 2024) with the Reds. Longstaff signed with Toronto FC in February 2024, recording three goals and three assists in 57 appearances before joining CF Montréal via trade during the MLS summer window.
Through the 2025 MLS regular season, Petrasso and Owusu have each made 28 appearances for CF Montréal, with Owusu leading the team with 12 goals, while Longstaff has appeared twice for his new club, including his recent debut against D.C. United on August 16.
