Toronto FC vs. D.C. United: What you need to know
TFC will be looking for their first win in Washington since 2016 when they take on D.C. United in Saturday's season opener.
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Hope springs eternal for Toronto FC as it kicks off its 2025 MLS regular season this weekend.
TFC are coming off a disappointing campaign that saw them finish 11th in the Eastern Conference and fail to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. While there's a new coach in Robin Fraser, changes to the roster have been slow in coming this off-season. Thus far the only new additions to the club have been Canadian international Theo Corbeanu, Norwegian international Ola Brynhildsen, and goalkeeper Adisa De Rosario.
Despite the relatively quiet winter, captain Jonathan Osorio likes the look of the squad going into the campaign.
"I think we've made pretty good steps from the first day of pre-season up till now; used the friendlies that we played to see the things that are strengths, see maybe our weaknesses, and work on those and make adjustments. The group has worked really hard. The new additions have come in and have had a great attitude and have really established themselves in the group in a great way," Osorio said.
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday's contest between Toronto and D.C. United at Audi Field (7:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV).
Note: I will be travelling to Washington for Toronto FC's season opener, so be sure to visit TFC Republic all weekend in order to check out our special on-site coverage.
Robin Fraser: 'We've made some progress'
After a pre-season that saw the team play three warm-up matches in Spain and Florida, Toronto FC heads into the regular season ready to get its hands dirty with a new coach in tow.
Robin Fraser hasn't had a great deal of time to work with the side after being hired in January. Yet, he's liked how TFC have evolved as the pre-season has worn on, and is excited to see how the players put into practise everything he has imparted to them over the last month.
"I really feel like this last week we've made some progress, and I’m really looking forward to it this weekend. In terms of what I'm looking for, as [they say], the proof is in the pudding. We can talk all we want about our tactics and what we want to do, but it's a matter of putting it all [together]. We hope to be good with the ball, create opportunities and then be defensively solid. We're starting with a number of games on the road, so we also want to make sure that's a big part of our priority," Fraser said.
At the end of the day this is a results business and winning is what matters the most. Conventional wisdom suggests that TFC will need some time to fully come together under Fraser, whose last coaching gig was with the Colorado Rapids from 2019 to 2023.
But Fraser downplayed the idea that patience will be required, and he's eager to repay supporters' faith in him with results.
"I understand fans want to win yesterday, and they want to keep winning every single day. And the truth of the matter is it's not an easy process. It's not an easy process to win an MLS championship, and we are in the infancy of what is a new regime and new ideas and that sort of thing," Fraser explained.
He added: "I don't know if I would say that people need to be patient. I think the feeling really is that we are doing our best to put together a really good team and very solid ideas. ... Having been here before and having seen what it's like when things are really good and what the fans are like, it's certainly the goal to get back to that point."
John Molinaro
No Lorenzo Insigne for Saturday's match
While speaking to reporters from Florida on Thursday, Robin Fraser confirmed that Insigne is back in Toronto, which means he won’t play in the season opener.
TFC are so frustrated with the Italian DP that it tried to offload him this winter to no avail, and has now drawn a line in the sand: He can either accept a transfer move, a buyout or a mutual termination, or be benched for the remainder of his contract, which runs through June 2026.
From the sounds of it, Insigne has played his last game for TFC as Fraser revealed that the club is trying to resolve the situation with him.
“I mean, I really can't say too much about it. I think a lot of what is transpiring predates my even coming here. So, I would say that there's not a whole lot I can say about that. I think that it's a situation for which we are seeking some resolution,” Fraser offered.
John Molinaro
Reds look to end season opener hex
Historically, Toronto hasn't fared too well in its MLS curtain raiser. The club has an all-time record of five wins, nine losses and four draws in their season openers.
TFC's previous win in their opening match of the MLS campaign came in 2019 when they earned a 3-1 road decision over the Philadelphia Union courtesy of a brace from former captain Michael Bradley and a goal from Nick DeLeon.
This weekend will be the 18th time in 19 seasons that TFC will begin their MLS campaign away from Toronto. TFC's lone season opener at BMO Field took place in 2018 when they suffered a 2-0 loss to the Columbus Crew.
John Molinaro
Injury report: Gomis and Etienne Jr. back in full training
Robin Fraser confirmed that defender Nicksoen Gomis and attacker Derrick Etienne Jr. have both returned to full training after being sidelined for most of pre-season. Gomis picked up a calf knock during the team's stay in Spain, while Etienne Jr. was coming off hernia surgery.
"I think this is the healthiest we've been since I've been here in terms of having as many guys available as possible," Fraser said.
Norwegian forward Ola Brynhildsen joined the team for the last leg of camp in Florida, but his role at the start of the season is still to be determined.
"Part of it is he's not coming from a situation where he's been playing for the last [while]. He's been off for a little bit, and we want to make sure that we get him in the right shape and the best possible position to be effective for us and obviously for his long-term health," Fraser said.
John Molinaro
A quick look at D.C. United
D.C. was on the brink of qualifying for the MLS post-season in 2024, but a 3-0 home loss to Charlotte FC on the last day of the season, combined with results elsewhere, meant they finished outside of the playoff zone. D.C (10-14-10) ended up 10th in the Eastern Conference with 40 points, three more than 11th-place Toronto (11-19-4).
The club made a lot of roster moves in the off-season, which wasn't too much of a surprise after it conceded 70 goals last year (third-worst in MLS). The team has a new group of goalkeepers following the exit of former Red Alex Bono, and has tweaked the midfield and back line with several additions, including ex-TFC players Brandon Servania and Lukas MacNaughton.
Belgian striker Christian Benteke, the league's top scorer in 2024 with 23 goals, remains and D.C. has also brought in Brazilian attacking midfielder João Peglow from Polish club Radomiak Radom. The biggest departure is midfielder Theodore Ku-DiPietro, who was sold to the Colorado Rapids for $1.125 million US, plus other incentives.
Coach Troy Lesesne is in the second season of his three-year contract and will be looking to guide D.C. to its first playoff berth since 2019 – they lost to TFC to Toronto in the first round that year.
“I think the first game is always hard to prepare for, because you never really know [about your opponent]. And if you're 10 games into a season, you have a much better idea of what a team is going to be like. They've had what seems to be a good pre-season. I think they're a pretty confident group, and they have some good players, so we expect it to be a very difficult test for us, but certainly something we've been preparing for now for a couple of weeks," Robin Fraser said.
This weekend is the first of two regular season games between Toronto and D.C. They'll meet again on May 10 at BMO Field.
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What happened last time between Toronto and D.C.
Saturday's contest is the first meeting between the two clubs since D.C. earned a 3-1 at BMO Field on Aug. 31, 2024.
Toronto looked to have secured a draw with a late equalizer by substitute Deandre Kerr, only to concede with two minutes left in regulation and again in injury time to let a valuable point slip through their fingers.
"For me, I just felt it was complacency in the second half ... It felt like we were just missing that urgency. Again, whether that was the tactical piece or whether that was just an emotional element from the players or players coming in and losing chemistry, either way, there wasn't enough urgency for that final phase, and that was reiterated in the dressing room," ex- coach John Herdman said after the loss.
D.C.’s starting 11 that day featured ex-TFC goalkeeper Alex Bono, who made his first appearance at BMO Field since joining D.C. as a free agent prior to the 2023 MLS season.
D.C. leads the all-time MLS regular season series against Toronto with 18 wins and 12 draws in 42 games. TFC are 4-8-8 on the road vs. D.C., with their last road victory coming in 2016 when D.C. was still playing its home games at RFK Stadium.
What's next for Toronto FC
Toronto FC remains on the road and will face Orlando City at Inter&Co Stadium on March 1 (7:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV)
(Top photo courtesy of Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)
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