Toronto FC trails New York City FC 1-0 after 45 at BMO Field.

Nicolás Fernández has the visitors in front, scoring his 14th goal of the season in impressive fashion. Toronto FC gave the Argentinian forward an inch and he took a mile, cutting to his left after receiving the ball on the right side of the pitch before taking a step forward and firing a shot into the bottom-right corner, past the diving Luka Gavran.

The goal was impressive, but it was against the run of play in a first half that Toronto FC spent most of on the front foot. In fact, it was NYCFC’s only shot of the first 45.

After the fans at BMO Field booed the United States anthem before the patch — a response to the never-ending disrespect toward Canada from President Donald Trump and recent tariffs placed on their northern neighbours — Alonso Coello stung the hands of the American World Cup goalkeeper Matt Freese with the first attempt on target, a powerful strike from outside the penalty area.

TFC kept knocking on the door early. Theo Corbeanu made a run to the byline and centred the ball for Derrick Etienne Jr, who was left wide open in front of the New York goal but couldn’t reach the ball when he lunged to try and poke it on target. Walker Zimmerman, back in the starting lineup after serving a one-game red card suspension against Miami last weekend, and Benjamin Kuscevic both got their heads onto the end of corner kicks in the first half, but neither could steer their attempts on target.

The game was a chippy one at times. Kuscevic picked up a yellow card in the first half for a heavy challenge on Andrés Perea, which the NYC midfielder took exception to by going nose-to-nose with the TFC man. Fernández was also booked in the first half for fouling Richie Laryea — who he tussled with from the very first whistle.

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TFC will need a big response in the second half to keep the good times rolling on against a New York City FC side that came in winless in their last four league matches. The Reds came into the game in better form after last week’s seven-point gauntlet where they beat the New England Revolution and Inter Miami, with a comeback draw against Charlotte FC, down two goals and down to 10 men, in between.

It’s remarkable how quickly the feeling around a club can totally flip, sometimes for the worst but in Toronto FC’s case for the better. They entered the weekend within a tiebreaker of the Eastern Conference playoff spots, and making a run down the stretch feels like an expectation more than wishful thinking.

They’ll look to use their home crowd to their advantage after the break, with the Canadian National Exhibition taking place around the stadium for a bright and colourful backdrop.

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Daniel Salloi — who had started 20 of the prior 21 matches for TFC and was one of three players with Gavran and Coello to play all 21 — dropped to the bench in favour of Theo Corbeanu, while Zimmerman replaces Zane Monlouis in the backline in the only other change from the Miami win.

After this game, Toronto FC have a week off before two more at home in a row, welcoming Robert Lewandowski’s Chicago Fire and Supporters Shield leaders Nashville SC to town for a Saturday-Wednesday doubleheader. NYCFC host Nashville at Yankee Stadium on Friday.

More to come.