Pachuca and Toronto will face off in the third round of group stage games of the 2024 Leagues Cup on Monday at the BMO Stadium.
There is everything to play for in Ontario as all three of the group's teams still have a chance to advance to the knockout stages going into this match.
Pachuca began their cup run on Wednesday at Estadio Miguel Hidalgo with a penalty-shootout victory over New York Red Bulls, after missing the first gameweek of play.
Similar to their 2-0 loss against Pumas earlier in the season, Guillermo Almada's team was careless in control and conceded a goal from Elias Manoel before Salomon Rondon tied the score and forced extra time.
Los Tuzos' initial victory only yielded two points, since they were unable to complete the task in 90 minutes. since a result, they are presently tied for first place in Group 14.
Making it to the next round of the Leagues Cup might be the spark that sparks this lackluster domestic campaign to date to take a positive turn.
This season, Pachuca has only scored four points from as many games, largely due to their offensive problems as they have yet to score in three of their four league games.
Similar to Pachuca, Toronto also used penalties to defeat the New York Red Bulls, a team in the Major League Soccer, in their first-round cup match on Sunday at Red Bull Arena.
After suffering seven straight losses between the middle of June and the beginning of July, Herdman's team has already triumphed in three of the last four games in all competitions.
In addition, the Reds have maintained a clean sheet for the first time since April, which is encouraging going into two cup matches in three weeks, one of which will be immediately after a league game against Houston Dynamo.
Toronto will be cautious of another group-stage departure in front of their supporters, who have watched them lose four of the previous five home games, after bowing out early in the Leagues Cup last season.
The hosts on Monday, though, can afford to play a little less pressure because a draw also ensures their safe passage into the round of 32.
Servania has been out of the lineup for Toronto since the conclusion of last year because of a knee ailment.
Tyrese Spicer, 23, will not be playing for the home team as he continues to recover from a back ailment.
Owusu has only scored once in his past 11 games coming into this one, following yet another lackluster performance the night before, but the forward is still anticipated to play today.
Pedro is questionable for this match after being forced off due to a possible injury during Pachuca's victory against the NY Red Bulls. He is 24 years old.
Rondon is a player to keep a careful eye on since he has scored in seven of his past nine outings for both club and country.
In their first Leagues Cup match of the summer, Pachuca defeated MLS team New York Red Bulls 1-1 (5-4 on penalties). With a chance to advance to the Round of 32, the Liga MX team will try to win three points against Toronto in order to guarantee their spot in the knockout round.
Toronto also won their first Leagues Cup game of the summer, defeating RBNY 0-0 (5-4 on penalties).
