5* key players who have to step up for Toronto FC in 2025

Toronto FC will need all hands on deck this year if it's going to rebound from a lacklustre 2024 season that saw it finish 11th in the Eastern Conference and fail to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive campaign. 

Newcomers Theo Corbeanu and Ola Brynhildsen will be expected to give a lift to an anemic attack. But it's not only the new faces on the roster who will be responsible for helping to lift up Toronto. Several returning players will also have huge responsibilities resting on their shoulders. 

Here are five* players who need to step up for Toronto FC in 2025: 

Jonathan Osorio

Osorio had one of his least-productive seasons as a starter for TFC in 2024 with just two goals and three assists in 22 MLS appearances. Part of the issue was that he was often played out wide in the front three by John Herdman, which isn't his best position - he's much more effective playing through the middle. It'll be interesting to see how new coach Robin Fraser deploys the Canadian international. But regardless of the role Osorio will fill, all eyes will be on the club captain this year. They'll need him to stay healthy and rediscover his top attacking form (he scored nine times and had 16 goal contributions in 2022), while also continuing to provide the team with solid leadership both on and off the pitch.

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Richie Laryea 

TFC hoped that the returning Canadian international would be one of their crucial contributors last season as they looked to rebound from a disastrous 2023 campaign. But Laryea was subbed out after only 70 minutes into the season opener due to an injury and ended up having hamstring surgery that sidelined him for more than three months. When he came back, he didn't exactly live up to his designated player tag, as he finished the campaign with just one goal and three assists in 17 appearances in all competitions. It looks as though Federico Bernardeschi is going back to his more natural position as a right winger this season. The Italian and Laryea showed genuine chemistry before when they paired together on that side. Perhaps a reunion with the Italian will bring out the very best in the Canadian fullback. 

Federico Bernardeschi 

This isn't to denigrate what Bernardeschi did last season when he didn't bat an eye after John Herdman converted him into a wingback and tasked him with more defensive responsibilities. The Italian took on the new assignment with aplomb, becoming more of a team leader while also scoring eight goals and tallying eight assists in 29 MLS games. That's more goal contributions in a single domestic season than he's ever had in his entire career. He also had a goal and a pair of assists in five Canadian Championship appearances. But with Lorenzo Insigne's future at the club uncertain, the Reds are going to need Bernardeschi to increase his offensive production in support of Ola Brynhildsen and become even more of a team leader on the pitch.  

Deandre Kerr 

Newcomer Ola Brynhildsen will lead the line up front in 2025 and be expected to help boost Toronto's attacking fortunes after it bagged just 40 goals last season (fourth-worst in MLS). But the Norwegian international can't do it alone; he needs the club's other forwards to carry their weight, too. Kerr scored a career-high eight goals in all competitions last year – but five of them came against semi-pro side CS Saint-Laurent over two legs in the Canadian Championship. His three goals in 26 MLS appearances were a major disappointment, especially after finishing tied with Federico Bernardeschi (five goals each) as the club's top scorer in league play in 2023. Bottom line: TFC needs Kerr to score more goals this year and to start living up to his potential. 

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Matty Longstaff

The Englishman had a solid debut season in MLS in 2024, reminding fans of former Toronto midfielder Mark Delgado with the way he was able to progress the ball forward. Longstaff played in 32 league matches (25 starts) and finished third on the team in total minutes (2,227). So, he was a reliable and durable workhorse for the Reds. At the same time, Longstaff scored just two goals and tallied a pair of assists in MLS play – you'd expect to see a bit more offensive production from a midfielder who was given so much playing time. TFC need the former Newcastle United player to become more of a threat and creator in the final third of the pitch in 2025 in order to help boost the attack.

Lorenzo Insigne*

There's an asterisk next to Insigne's name because his status with TFC is up in the air at the moment. The club was trying all off-season to move him but that never happened. Now it appears as though they're stuck with the Italian – unless they bite the bullet and buy him out, or find another way to offload the former Napoli captain. If that doesn't happen and Insigne ends up staying – as unlikely as that sounds right now – then he has to start producing and living up to his hefty contract, which he has failed to do since coming to MLS in the summer of 2022. Last year, Insigne was once again bothered by a litany of injuries and was limited to just 23 league appearances, while scoring four goals and registering seven assists. If he sticks around this year, he has to earn whatever playing time he'll get, start acting like a leader, and start scoring and creating goals at a consistent rate.

(Top photo courtesy of Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)

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