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After practising in tuques on Thursday, Toronto FC has jetted south for a steamy afternoon date Saturday with Orlando City SC.

It was 6 C at BMO Field but felt like 2. In contrast, the forecast for central Florida calls for 31 C — feeling like 33 — for the 4 p.m. ET kickoff at Orlando City Stadium.

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“It’s going to be hot,” winger Nick DeLeon, an Arizona native, said with a smile. “And that is when hydration, nutrition really come into play. It’s definitely going to be the warmest weather I’ve been in this year.”

“We’ve got to be smart in how we play,” added coach Greg Vanney. “Make sure that we keep things under control, @ the tempo we like. Take care of the ball, all those kind of things.”

The home side isn’t immune to the heat, either. Pro Soccer USA notes that Orlando, since entering the league in 2015, is 4-9-8 in 21 league matches in May.

Saturday marks the first of five games in 15 days for Toronto (4-2-1), which is about to pay the price for a light schedule to start the season. Vanney and his team will leave Orlando directly for a Wednesday game in Atlanta before hosting Philadelphia on May 11 and D.C. United on May 15. A May 18 game in Salt Lake City wraps up the busy section.