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Match Day #31 Game Thread: Philadelphia Union vs. Toronto FC

The Philadelphia Union ideally need to earn at least seven of their last 12 remaining available points to virtually ensure a playoff spot. They can go a long way to meeting that goal by picking up a home victory against a poor Toronto side.

By Justin F.
Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Game Information: Philadelphia Union vs. Toronto FC

Where: PPL Park, Chester, PA

When: 7:30

Channel: TCN

Commentators: JP Dellacamera and Alejandro Moreno

Meet the Opposition: Waking The Red

Officials: Armando Villareal. Assistants: James Conley and Matthew Nelson. Fourth: Sorin Stoica

Philadelphia Union Head-to-Head record vs. Toronto: All-time: 3-2-4  with 16 goals; At PPL Park: 2-2-0 with 7 goals

Suspended: No one

Philadelphia Injury Report: Out: Greg Jordan. Questionable: Don Anding, Michael Lahoud, Sebastien Le Toux

Toronto FC Injury Report: Out: Danny Koevermans, Matias Laba. Questionable: Robert Earnshaw

Philadelphia Union starting XI: (4-1-3-2) Zac MacMath; Raymon Gaddis, Jeff Parke, Amobi Okugo, Sheanon Williams; Brian Carroll; Fabinho, Michael Farfan, Danny Cruz; Conor Casey, Jack McInerney

Philadelphia Union bench: Oka Nikolov, Matt Kassel, Keon Daniel, Kleberson, Sebastien Le Toux, Antoine Hoppenot, Aaron Wheeler

Toronto FC starting XI: (4-2-3-1) Joe Bendik; Mark Bloom, Steven Caldwell, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan; Alvaro Rey, Darel Russell; Jeremy Hall, Bobby Convey, Jonathan Osorio; Bright Dike

Toronto FC bench: Stefan Frei, Gale Agbossoumonde, Jonas Elmer, Robert Earnshaw, Kyle Bekker, Reggie Lambe, Andrew Wiedeman

With four matches remaining, the Philadelphia Union need to earn at least seven of their 12 remaining available points to be in a pretty comfortable position to qualify for the playoffs, according to Sports Club Stats. Of course seven does not guarantee them anything, but it puts them at a 74.3% chance to qualify. Anything below that and things get incredibly dicey at best  for the Union.

With that said, the Union find themselves in a not awful position. Tonight they play the second worst team in the league, Toronto FC. Next weekend they play the worst team in the league, D.C. United. Then they face a difficult match going on the road at Montreal, but they end the season hosting a Sporting Kansas City side that may not be playing full-throttle having clinched a playoff spot barring a completely catastrophic October. Even despite the Union's poor run of form and Hackworth's questionable tactics, the Union are very much in the playoff race.

Use the thread below as a place to discuss the game and please remember to follow @brotherlygameand @tbglive on Twitter for updates.

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