New York Red Bulls dominance over Toronto FC feels unstoppable or is it finally over | OneFootball

New York supporters are exhaling confidence. And who can fault them? When Toronto FC enters the horizon, history is louder than any speech in the locker room. That's 23 wins, 10 ties, and only 9 losses in 42 regular season encounters. And at Sports Illustrated Stadium, it's essentially a ritual: seven consecutive victories, nine clean games, outright domination.

What was once competition now seems like routine. And that is where the danger is, because in soccer, where numbers are fact, surprises come with a wink. Toronto, still winless in 2025, is in dire need of a tipping point for their season. On paper, the Red Bulls are the prohibitive favorites. But this game, despite the recent imbalance, has tension infused in every pass.

Choupo-Moting and Forsberg are the duo that can ignite this game

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting arrived quietly, but made it clear he's not here to take it easy. Scoring a game-winning goal in the draw with Orlando City and being included in the MLS Team of the Matchday was a debut for a veteran. Throughout the league, Emil Forsberg calls the shots like a maestro in cleats and designer attire. He's added six goals in seven games, and his stats against Toronto are impressive. In his only game against the Canadians, he helped set up both goals. That kind of presence can't be ignored. It's the mixture of talent, experience, and high soccer IQ. If those two get stuck in a stalemate, the Red Bulls are a behemoth that cannot be held back, especially at home.

Toronto FC trying to swim upstream against a strangulating history

Toronto takes the field with a weight on its shoulders that goes beyond numbers. They won last away from the Red Bulls in March 2016. Since then, it's been torturous games, leaky defenses, and a narrative that reads like déjà vu. On the road, the Reds' overall record is indicative: 54-167-73 in regular season MLS games. It's indicative of what the team needs to reverse if they are to be taken seriously this season. Their home opener against Chicago Fire was promising. Deandre Kerr opened the scoring with a breathtaking header in the 11th minute, demonstrating that his rapport with Bernardeschi remains intact. But within a half-hour, the defense disintegrated under precise blows from Gutman and Cuypers.

As in the other games, the second half was high-energy but low-efficiency. The 2-1 loss left a bad taste and cranked up the pressure heading into the fight in New Jersey. Shaky defense, lost midfield, and a hit-or-miss attack, Toronto's puzzle is far from solved To refer to Toronto FC as a work in progress is an overused cop-out. The real issue is that the foundation appears too weak to construct anything lasting. The defense sacrifices too much. The midfield lacks any sort of rhythm. And the attack, when it functions, falters soon after. Bernardeschi continues to try to carry the load, but he needs more cohesion around him.

Kerr's score was a flash of hope, but the Fire's immediate response proved the team's old weakness: no fire in transition and no level head to manage a lead. Individual mistakes cut deep, and collective ones drag everyone down with them. Against a Red Bulls team that presses from the opening whistle to the final second, any mistake is a two-edged sword.