State of the Union: Toronto FC facing trying times ahead
A lack of a proven No. 9 and a mounting injury crisis at TFC will test John Herdman's managerial mettle in the coming weeks.
Seven points from its opening three games of the 2024 MLS season was a pretty good haul for a rebuilding Toronto FC side coming off its worst ever campaign.
But TFC’s foundation was far from solid and strong, and those two wins and a draw just painted over the cracks, a fact that was exposed in last weekend’s 2-1 loss to New York City FC at Yankee Stadium.
After losing lost its opening three contests of the year, NYCFC dominated Saturday's proceedings with a 9-3 edge in shots on target against an opponent that never got out of first gear en route to being blanked for the second time in four outings.
The Reds scored just 26 times in 2023, tied with the Colorado Rapids for the worst offensive record in the entire league. TFC’s forwards combined for a measly six goals between them, five of which were courtesy of second-year pro Deandre Kerr. The other came from veteran C.J. Sapong, who is no longer with the club.
