TFC Republic Weekly: March 31-April 6
Winless in six games to start the season, Toronto FC plays away to the best team in MLS this weekend when it faces Inter Miami.
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 now winless in 6 games to start the season
Toronto FC’s search for its first win under new coach Robin Fraser continues after playing to a 0-0 draw vs. the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field.
Toronto (0-4-2) snapped a four-game losing streak, but it hasn’t won a match since earning a 2-1 home decision over Austin FC on Sept. 14 when John Herdman was still in charge.
On the plus side, the Reds recorded their first clean sheet in 13 league outings after conceding 12 goals through their first five matches of the 2025 campaign. And they can take pride in the fact they shut down a Whitecaps side that boasts one of the league's best attacking units. But at the same time, TFC’s attack looked limp and uninspired, unable to test Vancouver’s back line for most of the contest.
"[It] wasn't a thing of beauty; we did grow into the game. What I think is really important today is resilience. And this is a thing to get to where we want to go. That's probably the number one thing, is we have to be resilient. I think what we've seen so far this year is when things have not gone well for us, we've had lulls and, in those lulls, we've given up goals, and that's been kind of our Achilles’ heel to this point," Fraser told reporters after the game.
"Today, we had to fight; we had to fight really hard at certain points in the game, and it was really all hands on deck. … Overall, I do feel like it's something we can build on."
John Molinaro
TFC in discussions with a couple of new players
Robin Fraser revealed last Friday that the club is actively trying to add to its roster before the MLS primary transfer window closes on April 23.
"We're in discussions. We're in discussions with a couple of players, and we've looked at a number of players. I certainly expect that we will [add] at least one player between now and then. And certainly, we look forward to whatever we can do to help strengthen the squad," Fraser said.
Fraser's comments come in the wake of recent reports linking Toronto with a move for Swiss midfielder Maxime Dominguez who plays for Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. TFC Republic understands that talks between the two sides are ongoing.
A quick glance at Toronto's squad reveals that it has the room on its senior roster to bring in some reinforcements. But it doesn't have an international roster spot to spare. So, if TFC want to bring in someone like Dominguez, they will have to either make a trade for an international roster slot or dump one of their current international players.
In another roster move announced on Saturday, Toronto FC sent forward Hugo Mbongue on loan to Lexington SC of the United Soccer League (USL) Championship for the remainder of the 2025 season.
John Molinaro
Update on Richie Laryea expected this week
Richie Laryea missed the Vancouver game this past weekend for TFC as he continues to be sidelined with a nagging hamstring issue.
Robin Fraser revealed earlier this month that Laryea was consulting with a specialist in the UK in hopes of getting to the bottom of an injury that has forced him to miss the Reds’ last four matches.
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.
Laryea was supposed to return to Toronto on the weekend. The expectation is that the club will give an update on his situation sometime this week.
The Canadian international 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.
He 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.
John Molinaro
TFC vs. Inter Miami on Sunday
Toronto FC returns to action when it visits Inter Miami at Chase Stadium on Sunday (7:00 p.m. ET/Apple TV).
Miami (4-0-1) sits in first place in the Eastern Conference and the Supporters' Shield standings and has won four in a row. Its latest victory came in Saturday's 2-1 result at home over the Philadelphia Union in which Lionel Messi scored his second goal of the season. The World Cup winner has a pair of goals and two assists in three MLS appearances this season.
Messi didn't start against the Union this weekend, as coach Javier Mascherano was cautious in bringing his former Argentina teammate fully back into the fold after he picked up an adductor strain in a 2-1 win at Atlanta United on March 16.
“We didn’t want to risk him from the start because we thought he might be at risk playing the whole game, but we did want him to get some minutes,” Mascherano said.
Miami is one of only two unbeaten teams (alongside the Columbus Crew) in MLS through Matchday 6.
Miami leads the all-time series against Toronto with nine wins and two losses in all competitions. Miami swept the regular season series against TFC in 2024, including a win in the round of 32 in the Leagues Cup.
These teams will meet again on Sept. 27 at BMO Field.
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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
Would it surprise you to learn that through the first six games of the MLS season that Toronto FC has been in the lead for only 19 minutes? For 521 minutes out of 540, TFC have been playing either from behind or with the score tied. It's a major issue that weighs heavily on the mind of coach Robert Fraser. I'll have a feature story in the coming days on this big problem for the Reds.
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. Inter Miami.
- A new audio interview piece with Alex Windley of The Heron's Nest ahead of Sunday's game vs. Miami
- 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.
- A special feature story in TFC 2 midfielder Hassan Ayari.
- 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.
TFC Republic subscribers can get up to a 20% discount on ticket prices for Toronto FC home games during the 2025 MLS regular season and the Canadian Championship.
To receive the special promo code, email me at jmo1897@gmail.com
(Please don't share promo code with non-TFC Republic subscribers).
