New York City FC are at BMO Field this weekend to take on Toronto FC.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to Adam Palermo, a writer for Waking The Red and Canadian Soccer Daily.
Hi Adam, thanks for speaking with us. How long have you been covering Toronto FC and what has been your highlight?
I’ve been covering Toronto FC since 2022. My highlight would have to be the very first TFC match I covered in person, the Canadian Championship final between TFC and Forge FC in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. With the pandemic getting in the way of the 2020 Canadian Championship, the tournament was eventually decided in a winner-takes-all match in the summer of 2022. Weird, I know. It finished 1-1 after 90 minutes and TFC claimed the trophy on penalties.
What were your thoughts on the 2023 season?
2023 was a complete disaster. After a decent start, things just completely derailed. The dressing room was in disarray and Bob Bradley was never able to get a handle on things. The team was without a real identity and woeful at both ends of the pitch. Federico Bernardeschi was a shell of himself, while Lorenzo Insigne wasn’t able to stay healthy. Bradley was let go midseason, but things did not get any better under interim head coach Terry Dunfield. The eventual appointment of John Herdman near the end of the year gave the fan base a glimmer of hope heading into the offseason.
What are your hopes for the 2024 season?
Before the start of the season, I had TFC pegged for 12th in the Eastern Conference. They’ve outperformed my expectations and I’m still surprised that the turnaround has happened so quickly. I will say that the Reds have yet to face some of the East’s best teams in Inter Miami, Columbus, and the Red Bulls (sorry), so it will be interesting to see how they fare in those matchups down the stretch. The East has also been kind of weird, with New England, Orlando City, and Nashville all getting off to slow starts. Obviously, things can change quickly, but at this point, I’d be more surprised if TFC didn’t make the playoffs than if they did. 8th or 9th place seems well within their reach.
What do you think will be the deciding factor in Saturday's game?
Federico Bernardeschi has been on fire this season, especially in TFC’s last two wins against Orlando and FC Dallas. He finally got his first goals of the season in last week’s game vs. Dallas, so if NYCFC is going to come away from BMO Field with a result they’ll need to find a way to slow him down. Also, Lorenzo Insigne is in contention to return from his hamstring problem this weekend, but Herdman might elect to be cautious with his minutes.
And for any fans that might be in Toronto for the game are there any spots you'd suggest they check out?
For a casual lunch or dinner, I’d recommend Queen Mother Cafe. It’s a cozy spot specializing in Thai food but it has something for everyone. Fran’s is a good old-fashioned diner offering all-day breakfast. They have a couple of locations downtown. If you’re looking for a fun night out with friends maybe see if Wheat Sheaf Tavern has live karaoke on their schedule!
