Thierry Henry, who came off the bench for the final 20 minutes of last week's match against D.C. United, should be able to return to the starting line up against Toronto according to head coach Hans Backe. File Photo: Vera / DailyHarrison.com

After regaining a tie for the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a victory in their last match, the Red Bulls travel north of the border for their lone trip to Toronto this season when they face Toronto FC at BMO Field on Saturday.

The Red Bulls enter Saturday’s clash with Toronto on 30 points and a record of 9-4-3 after upending rival D.C. United, 3-2, on Sunday in front of a record crowd of 25,187 at Red Bull Arena. Former United man Brandon Barklage scored the first two goals of his MLS career to spark New York, which also got the first career goal of Jan Gunnar Solli – the eventual game winning tally. The match tied New York with D.C. on points, and both clubs sit one point ahead of third place Sporting Kansas City. The victory also kept New York’s unbeaten home record this season intact, as the Red Bulls are 5-0-2 at Red Bull Arena.

Toronto FC is starting to turn things around after a tough beginning to the 2012 campaign, as the Reds have earned points in three of their last four matches. Toronto comes into the match with a record of 1-10-2 and five points, in 10^th place in the Eastern Conference. In their last match this past Saturday, Toronto looked headed for its second win of the season, but New England’s Chris Tierney scored in second half stoppage time as the teams shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw. Back on June 7, Head Coach Aron Winter stepped down and was replaced by Paul Mariner.

New York and Toronto have met 13 times since the Canadian club entered Major League Soccer in 2007. New York leads the all-time series with a record of 7-4-2. Last season, New York went 1-0-1 against the Reds, earning a 5-0 victory at Red Bull Arena on July 6. In the return fixture, the teams played to a 1-1 draw on Oct. 1.

Media Info: Saturday, June 30 at 7:00 PM (TV: MSG; Radio: WLIB 1190 AM).

-New York Red Bulls Media