TFC Republic Weekly: February 24-March 2
After drawing away to D.C. United in its season opener, Toronto FC hits the road again this week when it takes on Orlando City SC.
Welcome to the latest edition of TFC Republic Weekly, an email newsletter that will land in the inbox of both paid subscribers and free members of TFC Republic every Monday.
This newsletter will look at what's in store over the next seven days for Toronto FC, and also get a glimpse of what to expect at TFC Republic in the coming days.
So, without further ado...
Toronto FC settles for road draw in season opener
TFC kicked off their 2025 MLS campaign by coming from behind on two occasions to earn a 2-2 draw against D.C. United at Audi Field this past Saturday.
Captain Jonathan Osorio and Federico Bernardeschi scored on either side of halftime for TFC who are now winless in six consecutive MLS curtain raisers and sport an all-time record of five wins, nine losses and five draws in their season openers.
Saturday marked a new era for TFC as new coach Robin Fraser was on the touchline for the first time. Not a lot can be drawn from this one game, except that the Reds are clearly a work in progress.
Toronto struggled to deal with D.C.’s pressing style for long stretches, and committed too many giveaways that led to dangerous chances in transition for the home side. At the same time, Fraser's squad showed a lot of grit and heart in twice fighting back from a goal down to earn a valuable road point.
"We started off with a few nervous mistakes, and then I think we grew into the game. ... As confidence grew, our stance changed, and we started to be a little bit more aggressive, and at times we were able to control the game. So, overall, I was really pretty pleased with it," Fraser said in the post-match press conference.
"I think we probably will regret missing some of the chances that we did, but the fact that we're creating the chances is really good."
Midfielder Markus Cimermanic and winger Theo Corbeanu started in their TFC debuts. Also debuting for Toronto was defender Zane Monlouis who came on deep into injury time.
I was at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. to cover Saturday's season opener. To read my match report, CLICK HERE.
John Molinaro
Lorenzo Insigne situation not resolved yet
Lorenzo Insigne’s future at Toronto FC has been a hot topic of discussion ever since the end of the 2024 MLS campaign when the club said all options would be on the table regarding the Italian.
But barring an about-face by the MLS outfit, it sounds as though Insigne has played his last match for TFC, even though he’s under contract through June 2026. While speaking to reporters from Florida last week, coach Robin Fraser confirmed that Insigne was back in Toronto, and he didn't travel with the team for Saturday's match vs. D.C. United.
Fraser deflected during the media availability when asked by TFC Republic if Insigne is even in his plans for this coming season, while also revealing that the club is trying to resolve the situation with the Italian.
“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 replied.
What a resolution might look like remains to be seen.
TFC Republic reported back in November that the club was actively trying to move out Insigne after he suffered through another lacklustre campaign in 2024 in which he scored just four goals in 23 league games. GM Jason Hernandez recently revealed that discussions continued with Insigne and his representatives about his future with TFC.
According to a recent report from Tom Bogert, Toronto presented Insigne the option to join a top-flight club in either Italy, Spain or Turkey, with the added bonus of buying him out at a rate that would see him receive a significant portion of the money remaining on his contract. Insigne was the second-highest paid player in MLS last year (behind Lionel Messi), earning $15.4 million US. Bogert reported that Insigne turned down all three options.
Whatever might happen, it sounds like TFC are preparing for life without Insigne.
John Molinaro
Reds add Cimermancic, Monlouis to roster
Toronto FC made two roster moves late last week ahead of the D.C. United match with the additions of midfielder Markus Cimermancic and defender Zane Monlouis.
The Red signed Cimermancic to a first team contract as a homegrown player through 2026, with club options for 2027 and 2028. The 20-year-old is the 36th player in club history to graduate from the youth academy to the first team.
He's also the latest in a long line of players to sign a deal with the senior side after cutting their teeth with TFC 2 in MLS NEXT Pro, a list that includes Kobe Franklin, Alonso Coello, Charlie Sharp and Luka Gavran.
He played the full 90 minutes against D.C. United on Saturday.
"Honestly, [it’s a] dream come true. I've been with the club since 2015. I've been just trying to get here for so long. I went seven years with the academy and then three years with the second team, so making my debut, it's just a dream come true. I still can't believe it," Cimermancic said.
Toronto signed Monlouis from Arsenal to a two-year deal through 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028.
Monlouis, 21, joined Arsenal's youth academy in May 2012 and went on to sign his first professional contract with the Gunners in October 2020. In total, made 99 appearances with Arsenal's under-18, under-21 and under-23 teams, scoring three goals for the 18s and captaining the 21s.
John Molinaro
TFC vs. Orlando City on Saturday
Toronto remains on the road when it travels to Florida to take on Orlando City at Inter & Co Stadium on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV) in its second match of the MLS season.
Orlando opened its campaign with a 4-2 home loss to the Philadelphia Union on Saturday. Croatian forward Marco Pašalić marked his league debut by scoring a brace for Orlando.
The Lions enjoyed 56 per cent possession and outshot the Union 23-10 (10-4 on target) yet still found a way to walk away empty handed. It was Orlando's first loss in their home opener in its 11 MLS seasons.
“My expectation is that we are improving, that we are winning. This is my first target,” Pašalić said after the loss.
“For me, it’s not important that I score two goals because we lost 4-2. We have so [much] good quality, but we have to study more. Some players like me or others are coming a little bit late, and I think it takes a little bit of time, but we will come back soon.”
The all-time series between Toronto and Orlando is tied with nine wins apiece in 21 meetings. Orlando earned a 2-1 road win on July 3, 2024 in the previous match between the Eastern Conference rivals.
These teams will meet again on the final day of the regular season on Oct. 18 at BMO Field.
John Molinaro
CanWNT vs. Chinese Taipei at Pinatar Cup
The Canadian women's team wraps up play at the Pinatar Cup when it takes on Chinese Taipei in Murcia, Spain on Tuesday (1:00 p.m. ET/OneSoccer).
Canada earned its first victory under new coach Casey Stoney when it registered a 2-0 decision over Mexico on Saturday courtesy of goals from Vanessa Gilles and Adriana Leon. Gilles earned her 50th cap.
"I said at the end of the game it's not easy to get one cap. So, to get 50 is quite the achievement," Stoney said.
"I'm just really pleased for her — sealed it with a win, a goal and a clean sheet."
Canada opened the round-robin tournament with a 1-1 draw against China. The Canadians and Chinese top the table with four points apiece, ahead of Mexico (three points) and Chinese Taipei (zero points). China is ahead of Canada due a superior goal difference (plus-4 vs. plus-2). China and Mexico face off on Tuesday.
Canada can win the tournament with a victory against Chinese Taipei if China loses or draws. A win might be enough for Canada even if China secures a victory, provided that Stoney's side can overcome its goal difference deficit.
Canada and Chinese Taipei have only met once before with the Canadians losing 2-0 in December, 1987.
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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
Greg Vanney and Robin Fraser have played together, coached together and coached against each other in the 29 years they've known each other. Through it all they've maintained a very close friendship, even when Fraser quit as an assistant coach on Vanney's Toronto FC staff in 2019 to take charge of the Colorado Rapids. I recently chatted one-on-one with Vanney to discuss his long relationship with Fraser and what he thinks about his friend taking charge of Toronto FC. Look for our full-length Q&A with Vanney to be published in the coming days.
Other stories that will be published later this week include:
- An MLS rules explainer on the U22 player model and how it applies to Toronto FC this season.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's match vs. Orlando City.
- A new audio interview piece with Mike Gramajo of WESH 2 News ahead of Saturday's road game vs. Orlando.
- A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Canada vs. Chinese Taipei.
- Regular "TFC Tidbits" stories throughout the week.
- The reader mailbag returns.
- And much more!
TFC Republic mailbag
TFC Republic will feature a regular reader mailbag column where I answer questions from subscribers about Toronto FC and Canadian soccer in general.
I'll answer the best questions submitted to me by TFC Republic readers, so feel free to drop me an email at jmo1897@gmail.com. You can also reach out to me via Twitter.
(Top photo courtesy of Toronto FC)
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