TFC Republic Weekly: February 3-9
Toronto FC has been one of the quietest teams in MLS this winter in terms of making roster improvements ahead of the 2025 season.
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...
Clock ticking down on Toronto FC
Even with its season opener less than three weeks away, Toronto FC remains one of the quietest teams in MLS this winter in terms of making roster improvements.
TFC had one of the worst attacking units in MLS during the 2024 season with just 40 goals – only three teams in the league scored fewer times. Top scorer Prince Owusu (nine MLS goals last season) signed with CF Montreal last month, and TFC have yet to replace him.
Nobody on the current roster hit double digits in goals in MLS last year, further underlining the Reds' desperate need for a proven goal-scorer to ignite their attack. Thus far, the only roster addition this off-season has been Canadian winger Theo Corbeanu.
It's a curious state of affairs for a side that finished with an 11-19-4 record in 2024 and failed to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. All of which raises the obvious question: Where will the goals come from for Toronto in 2025?
"I think it's a very fair question. I think the answer at this point would be goals by committee. And I think if we can execute the things that are being asked of us, I think lots of different people will have goal scoring opportunities," Fraser told reporters last week.
GM Jason Hernandez said last month he expected to sign a new striker before the start of the regular season.
Is there any progress on the team's search for a new striker?
"I don't know if I can say progress. I definitely know that there's a lot going on. ... In my constant communications with Jason, I know there's a lot going on. Certainly, no door has been closed yet. But there are a lot of irons in the fire at the moment," Fraser said.
John Molinaro
TFC earns draw in pre-season opener in Spain
Toronto FC played its opening exhibition match of the pre-season last Thursday when it earned a 1-1 draw against Norwegian side Fredrikstad FK in Marbella, Spain.
Theo Corbeanu gave Toronto FC the lead in the 47th minute when his free kick from 25 yards found its way past the goalkeeper. The Norwegians tied things up in the 119th minute via an unmarked Maï Traoré, who scored from close range off a cross from the right wing to the near post.
The match was broken up into four 30-minute periods. Robin Fraser used one group of players for the first 60 minutes and a separate group for the second 60 minutes.
The first starting 11: Sean Johnson, Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted, Kobe Franklin, Jack Price (trialist), Raoul Petretta, Matty Longstaff, Jonathan Osorio, Theo Corbeanu, Federico Bernardeschi, Deandre Kerr. Price is a veteran English midfielder who played under Fraser at the Colorado Rapids.
TFC 2's Markus Cimermancic and draft pick Michael Sullivan saw action off the bench.
The second starting 11: Luka Gavran, Lazar Stefanovic, Adam Pearlman, Kosi Thompson, Nate Edwards, Tyrese Spicer, Deybi Flores, Alonso Coello, Markus Cimermancic, Lorenzo Insigne, Hugo Mbongue.
Charlie Sharp, and draft picks Joseph Melto Quiah and Reid Fisher entered as substitutes.
Insigne played mostly through the middle rather than out wide, but didn't have much of an impact.
"The game was hectic early on, which I kind of expected, as it's the first time we're actually playing against competition. And then as the game wore on, I thought the first group grew more and more comfortable and looked more cohesive than the second group. But we saw some good things. We saw a lot of promise. Good combinations up front," Fraser said.
John Molinaro
TFC's pre-season game vs. BK Häcken called off
Toronto FC was supposed to play Swedish club BK Häcken on Monday during the final day of its pre-season training camp in Marbella, Spain.
TFC was ready to play the match but it ended up being cancelled due to "technical reasons." The MLS club will return to Toronto on Tuesday before continuing training camp in Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb. 10 through Feb. 21.
The Reds will have two exhibition matches in Florida: vs. the Colorado Rapids (Feb. 11) and Columbus Crew (Feb. 15).
TFC plays their 2025 regular season opener away to D.C. United at Audi Field on Feb. 22. The Reds host the Chicago Fire in their home opener at BMO Field on March 15.
John Molinaro
Very important dates for Toronto FC
Below are some key dates to remember for Toronto FC during the 2025 MLS season.
Major League Soccer will have two transfer windows this year:
- Primary transfer window: Jan. 31 to April 23
- Secondary transfer window: July 24 to Aug. 21
During the two windows, MLS clubs can buy and sell players via transfer deals (from both within the league and from abroad). MLS teams can also make trades with each other for players and league assets (GAM, draft picks, international roster slots, etc).
The roster compliance deadline is Feb. 21. All MLS teams must be roster and budget compliant by this date. Teams also have to declare which roster model they plan to use by this date.
The roster freeze date is Sept. 12. MLS clubs must submit their final 30-man roster for the remainder of the season. Rosters can't be changed from that date through the day after MLS Cup, subject to the league's extreme hardship rule.
John Molinaro
Special announcement from TFC Republic
I'd like to inform TFC Republic readers that I will be hitting the road during the 2025 MLS season in order to cover some of Toronto FC's away games.
I will be in Washington for TFC's regular season opener versus D.C. United at Audi Field on Feb. 22, and my aim is to travel for one or two road matches per month (10-12 matches in total) during the season, plus any road games the Reds might play during the playoffs.
I'm always looking for ways to improve TFC Republic's coverage of the team, while also ensuring readers get more bang for their buck and the absolute best value for their paid subscriptions. I think this will accomplish both goals as I anticipate being the only regular beat reporter who'll travel to cover Toronto FC on a regular basis this season.
For readers who only get the weekly TFC Republic email newsletter but are not paid subscribers, this might be the perfect time to purchase a subscription so that you can have full access to the type of coverage that won't be available anywhere else. To purchase a subscription, CLICK HERE.
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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
Charlie Sharp was selected in the third round of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC. But instead of turning pro, he returned to Western Michigan University for a fifth NCAA season. He eventually joined TFC 2 and spent most of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season with the Young Reds before signing a contract with Toronto FC last September after making his first team debut earlier in the campaign while on loan. Now the Michigan native is looking to make a splash in MLS in 2025. I recently chatted one-on-one with Sharp while he was in pre-season training camp in Spain about his career to this point and his future goals. Look for my feature story in the coming days.
Other stories that will be published later this week include:
- A story on TFC 2's Markus Cimermancic trying to earn an MLS contract.
- We take a closer look at Toronto FC's roster in a special feature.
- A new TFC Talk audio interview with Toronto FC beat reporter James Grossi.
- A video blog on the current state of affairs with Toronto FC.
- Regular "TFC Tidbits" stories throughout the week.
- The latest instalment of our "TFC flashback" history series.
- The reader mailbag.
- 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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