With eight games remaining in Toronto FC's season, all 24 points up for grabs are vital and they know it.
TFC host LAFC on Saturday night (8 pm ET | TV & streaming info) and they enter the weekend six points behind sixth-place Montreal Impact for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot with a game in hand. Time is running out for their improbable chase for the playoffs and head coach Greg Vanney understands how crucial every point is.
"All the matches are important, obviously home matches are really important right now," Vanney said Friday. "This is a priority for us, as is each game. We're going to put the best team out in the best possible way to try and come up with a positive result, three points is really what we're looking for against a good team."
Toronto has been unable to put together back-to-back wins all season except for two games against Chicago Fire at the end of July, stumbling each time they started to get any momentum. The latest example was on Wednesday night, as they fell 2-0 to the Portland Timbers at Providence Park after TFC had won 3-1 against Montreal on Saturday.. Vanney opted to sit the majority of his starters — including Sebastian Giovinco, Jonathan Osorio and Drew Moor — as he prepares his team for a crucial stretch of games.
Still, their season is far from over. The schedule isn't easy and they have what could be a playoff-decider against the Impact in their penultimate game of the season.
"I think everybody knows what's remaining and what's remaining in the rest of our regular season," Vanney said. "Everything is urgent, everything is important, every point is vital. This is a group that's been around and played in big games. They know what all that feels like and looks like."
On Saturday night, nothing else matters if they get the job down and secure three points.
"This one we really need to buckle down and grind it out any way possible," Vanney said.
