TFC Republic Weekly: March 24-30

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 winless in 5 games to start the season

Wins on the road vs. the New York Red Bulls continue to be elusive for Toronto FC. After opening the season with a draw, Toronto has now lost four in a row, its latest setback coming in a 2-1 defeat to New York on Saturday at Sports Illustrated Stadium. 

Deandre Kerr came off the bench to score for Toronto, while Lorenzo Insigne (who had an assist) made his first appearance of the season. 

TFC sports a 2-18-2 road record vs. the Red Bulls in the regular season and hasn't won in New York since 2016. Their other road win during the regular season came in 2008 when New York was still playing at Giants Stadium. 

"I think this leaves a really sour taste in our mouth and the feeling is we need to come back ... and be fully focused for [next] weekend and give our fans what they want to see, which is a team that works hard, runs hard, creates dangerous opportunities, and obviously wins games," coach Robin Fraser said after the loss. 

Fraser's men worked hard all night but were let down by a lack of cutting edge in the final third of the pitch. The Reds managed just five total shots, only two of which were on target, and were let down by Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi who had very quiet nights. 

“First half, we didn't have anyone running behind and you can't get the pressure off you if you never threaten or play behind them. [In] the second half, we did a better job of that, [reworked] our shape, and I think that allowed us more attacking forays, and obviously led to a fantastic goal,” Fraser offered. 

Toronto FC vs. New York Red Bulls: 3 takeaways

Lorenzo Insigne was back, but TFC’s attack still sputtered in New York as the Robin Fraser’s side suffered its fourth straight loss.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

What is Lorenzo Insigne's future with the Reds?

Lorenzo Insigne made his season debut in New York, going the full 90 minutes after not even dressing in each of TFC's first four games. 

The Italian DP hadn't featured for Toronto since Oct. 5, 2024, when he came off the bench in the club's season finale, a 1-0 home loss to Inter Miami. Since then, the club has tried to either sell him off or trade him to no avail. Although Insigne has continued to train with the team, Robin Fraser has said he doesn’t fit into the team’s new playing style, and defended his decision to routinely omit the former Napoli captain by saying he picks the players he feels gives his team the best chance to win. 

But on Saturday, Fraser turned to Insigne amidst a selection crisis. Toronto was missing Jonathan Osorio, Deybi Flores and Tyrese Spicer due to international commitments, while Norwegian forward Ola Brynhildsen and Richie Laryea were ruled out due to injury. 

Insigne started in New York and collected an assist in an otherwise unspectacular 90-minute performance, as both he and fellow Italian Federico Bernardeschi failed to give TFC an attacking spark while partnering up front.

“I pick the group that I think is going to give us the best chance to win. And today was no different, and Lorenzo gave us some good moments and some honest work. For someone who hasn't played in a long while, his contribution was quite good,” Fraser said after the loss. 

Random thoughts on TFC: Richie Laryea’s injuries a big concern

One way or another, Toronto FC has to get to the bottom of the Canadian’s injury woes and find a way to keep him consistently fit.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

Richie Laryea still out injured for TFC

Richie Laryea sat out the game in New York this weekend for TFC as he continues to be sidelined with a nagging hamstring issue.  

Robin Fraser revealed last week that the Canadian international was in the United Kingdom to consult with a specialist in hopes of getting to the bottom of an injury that has forced him to miss the Reds’ last three matches.

“There are a couple of different specialists over there, and I think they just want to make sure that they proceed in the best possible fashion with the most information,” Fraser said.  

Laryea, 30, was subbed out in the 22nd minute of Toronto's second match of the campaign, a 4-2 road loss to Orlando City on March 1. He hasn’t played since.  

TFC Republic will have an update on Laryea's situation sometime this week.

Laryea has been snake bitten by injuries since returning to TFC last year. He was subbed out after only 70 minutes into the 2024 season opener due to an injury and ended up having hamstring surgery that sidelined him for more than three months. He finished the campaign with just one goal and three assists in 17 appearances in all competitions.

Laryea ended up undergoing surgery last March in London, England by Dr. Fares Haddad. Fraser previously confirmed that it's the same leg that is giving Laryea trouble at the moment.

TFC take a different approach with Pearlman and Stefanovic

While one teenager has been loaned to the Halifax Wanderers, the other will get minutes with Toronto FC this season.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

TFC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday  

Toronto FC returns home when it hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps at BMO Field on Saturday (2:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV).   

Vancouver (4-1-0) sits in first place in the Western Conference after winning its opening four games of the season. But the Whitecaps are coming off a 3-1 home loss to the Chicago Fire on Saturday. Forward Daniel Rios scored the lone goal for the Whitecaps, while 18-year-old Canadian winger Liam MacKenzie earned an assist in his first start for the MLS club. 

“I’ll not be too high when we win and I’ll not be a slave to the moment now,” coach Jesper Sorensen said after the game. 

“I’m very disappointed with the loss but I have seen a group of players that work hard every day. If we continue doing that, then we’ll be a good team. It would be unrealistic to believe that we could go through a season without losing. You always hope to win the next game.”

Vancouver leads the all-time MLS regular season series against Toronto with eight wins and three draws in 17 matches

This will be the only regular season meeting of the season between the two teams.

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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic 

Toronto FC is undergoing a youth movement this season. In an attempt to become more athletic, TFC have turned to younger players to help them get back on track, while at the same time navigate the peculiar rigours of MLS. I spoke to several players and club GM Jason Hernandez about the team turning to youth. Look for my feature story in the coming days. (Note: This story was supposed to run last Wednesday but will be published this week. Apologies for the delay).

Other stories that will be published later this week include:        

• A TFC notebook column after Tuesday or Wednesday's training session.
• In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's match vs. Vancouver. 
• A new audio interview piece with JJ Adams of the Vancouver Province ahead of Saturday's game. 
• A new TFC Random Thoughts column.
• A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.    
• Regular "TFC Tidbits" stories throughout the week.  
• The weekly TFC 2 report.
• The return of the reader mailbag.
• A Q&A with Canadian men's team forward Daniel Jebbison.
• 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 Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)

TFC Republic has a comments section! At the very bottom of every story, there is a feature where you can post your comments, so be sure to share your thoughts and views.