TFC Republic Weekly: January 20-26
Toronto FC coach Robin Fraser will be looking to achieve some important objectives while the team is in training camp in Spain this month.
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 in Spain for 1st leg of training camp
Toronto FC flew to Spain last Friday to train at the Marbella Football Center until Feb. 3 for the first leg of pre-season training camp.
The team will then return to Toronto on Feb. 4 before heading to Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb. 10 to continue camp through Feb. 21.
The Reds will leave Florida and travel directly to Washington, D.C., for their 2025 MLS regular season opener at D.C. United on Feb. 22.
So far, TFC have three exhibition games on their schedule: Norwegian club Fredrikstad FK (Jan. 30, Marbella), Sweden's BK Häcken (Feb. 3, Marbella) and the Colorado Rapids (Feb. 11, Palm Beach). More matches are expected to be announced for Spain and Florida.
John Molinaro
All 25 players under contract in Spanish camp
Toronto's pre-season roster (see below) includes all 25 senior team members who are under contract for the 2025 MLS campaign, as well as TFC 2 midfielder Markus Cimermancic and goalkeeper Shafique Wilson. Also included on the roster are draft picks Reid Fisher, Patrick McDonald, Michael Sullivan and Joseph Melto Quiah.
Coach Robin Fraser said TFC is “definitely in talks” with players who might come to Spain for the first leg of pre-season training camp.
“At this point, nothing is concrete, but we certainly are open to looking at players. … If you're not trying to improve your roster, then what are you doing? So, we'll have our eyes out, and we've talked about the potential of one or two players maybe coming in, but nothing really set in stone yet,” Fraser revealed.
Goalkeepers (3): Luka Gavran, Sean Johnson, Shafique Wilson
Defenders (11): Nathaniel Edwards, Reid Fisher, Kobe Franklin, Nicksoen Gomis, Richie Laryea, Kevin Long, Adam Pearlman, Raoul Petretta, Sigurd Rosted, Lazar Stefanovic, Henry Wingo
Midfielders (8): Markus Cimermancic, Alonso Coello, Deybi Flores, Matty Longstaff, Patrick McDonald, Jonathan Osorio, Michael Sullivan, Kosi Thompson
Forwards (9): Federico Bernardeschi, Theo Corbeanu, Derrick Etienne Jr., Lorenzo Insigne, Deandre Kerr, Hugo Mbongue, Joseph Melto Quiah, Charlie Sharp, Tyrese Spicer
John Molinaro
Robin Fraser sets goals for Reds' trip to Spain
Last February, TFC’s first leg of pre-season camp in Florida focused on the physical side of things and on the players’ fitness under former coach John Herdman. That will be on Robin Fraser’s mind while the team is in Spain, but he’s also focused on imparting his philosophy and principles to TFC's players.
“When you have a new group, one of the biggest things is to get across the philosophy, and then the principles that guide that philosophy. So, a lot of this is going to be about them understanding the principles that we want to adhere to, offensively [and] defensively,” Fraser explained.
Fraser also hopes the club’s stay in Spain will allow him to figure out what formation works best for TFC going into the regular season.
“Is it a 4-3-3? A 3-4-3? A 3-5-2? Something along a [diamond-shaped] 4-2-2-2? There's a fair amount of experimentation in the first seven to 10 days there, and I would love to be able to come back and feel settled, that we're comfortable in this shape and this shape,” Fraser said.
“I don't know that'll happen that quickly, but I definitely think that a team should be proficient in a couple of different shapes and be able to slip in and out of them, depending on the needs.”
John Molinaro
TFC gets Canadian Theo Corbeanu on loan
Toronto FC announced last week it acquired Theo Corbeanu from Spanish side Granada CF on loan for the duration of the 2025 MLS season, with an option to purchase.
Corbeanu, 22, cut his teeth in TFC’s youth academy before joining the youth system for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018. After signing his first pro contract, a 19-year-old Corbeanu made history as the youngest Canadian (at the time) to play in the English Premier League when he made his debut for Wolves against Tottenham on May 16, 2021.
During his time with Wolves, he was sent out on loan to English outfits Sheffield Wednesday, Milton Keynes Dons and Blackpool, as well as Arminia Bielefeld (Germany) and Grasshopper (Switzerland). Last February, he joined Granada CF, becoming one of the few Canadians to ever play in Spain’s La Liga. Now the native of Hamilton, Ont., is back home and has a chance to finally get his club career going.
“I love this city. I love this club. I always have, and I've always kept a special eye on them, and I felt like nothing else made sense. So, if it was a move back to MLS, it was only going to be to one team,” Corbeanu said.
John Molinaro
A new striker still a top priority for Jason Hernandez
It's been a pretty quiet off-season so far for TFC, with Canadian winger Theo Corbeanu being the only addition to the roster.
With the start of the 2025 regular season just a month away, TFC remains in desperate need of a go-to striker to lead the attack, especially after the recent departure of Prince Owusu, the club's top scorer in 2024.
With 40 goals, Toronto had one of the weakest offensive records in MLS last year – only Austin FC (39), Nashville SC (38) and the New England Revolution (37) scored fewer times. So, it's important for GM Jason Hernandez to bring in a No. 9 with a proven track record as a goal scorer.
Hernandez expects to sign a new striker before the start of the regular season.
"I would say, if we didn't, we'd all feel pretty hard done by. The work that we're trying to do is to ensure that we have someone with us in pre-season that the coach gets to work with, that feels integrated leading up to that," Hernandez said.
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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
MLS announced a series of new roster rules last week. Among the more notable changes: Teams can now buy out two players from their contracts each season, instead of one, and receive the associated salary cap relief. What do the new roster rules mean for Toronto FC and how will they effect GM Jason Hernandez? Look for my feature story in the coming days.
Other stories that will be published later this week include:
- A feature on how Theo Corbeanu's loan move is being viewing in Spain.
- A piece on five stories to watch from Toronto FC.
- Multiple features on Robin Fraser.
- Regular "TFC Tidbits" stories throughout the week.
- The latest instalment of our "TFC flashback" history series.
- The reader mailbag.
- A Q&A with Canadian men's team coach Jesse Marsch.
- 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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