TFC Republic Weekly: April 13-19
Toronto FC will try to extend its unbeaten streak to five games when Austin FC pays a rare visit to BMO Field this weekend.
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 unbeaten in 5 games after latest draw
For the second week in a row it looked like lady luck was shining on Toronto FC.
A tight game appeared to be broken open in TFC’s favour when a late own goal gave the Reds a 1-0 lead over FC Cincinnati on a sunny Saturday afternoon at BMO Field. But Toronto couldn’t close it out, conceding an equalizer in injury time and had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
The Reds played the final 19 minutes of regulation time with the man advantage after Cincinnati forward Kévin Denkey was sent off by referee Ricardo Fierro.
TFC (3-2-2) are now unbeaten in five games after beginning the campaign with a pair of losses. Saturday’s result also means Toronto is unbeaten in its last 11 matches at BMO Field (four wins and seven draws) dating back to June 25, 2025. The Reds ended up taking four out of a possible six points in the season series vs. Cincinnati after earning a hard-fought 1-0 victory at TQL Stadium on March 8.
Coach Robin Fraser described Toronto’s performance as “choppy,” while also saying his side’s “mentality was good throughout the day.”
“I thought we started off really well, had really good control, spent a lot of time in their part of the field, but in those moments, we didn't create enough actual danger. Then after about 25 minutes, it felt like the game just kind of went back and forth, and we didn't have the control that we did for the first 25 minutes. So, I was a little bit disappointed there,” Fraser offered.
John Molinaro
Djordje Mihailovic out for 8 weeks with pelvis injury
Just when you thought Toronto FC was starting to get back to full fitness it suffers another major injury setback.
The club confirmed last week that DP midfielder Djordje Mihailovic has been diagnosed with a pelvic stress fracture and that he is expected to be sidelined for approximately eight weeks.
TFC's final game before MLS shuts down for this summer's FIFA World Cup is on May 23 away to the Chicago Fire. If the suggested timeline for Mihailovic's return holds true, he'll end up missing nine MLS matches and Toronto's opener vs. Atlético Ottawa in the Canadian Championship, and he won't be available again until a July 16 match away to CF Montreal which would be TFC's first game after the World Cup break.
Robin Fraser said he doesn't expect Mihailovic to have to undergo surgery on the fracture, and that he'd likely just need to rest.
"It's been gradual. He' been dealing with groin soreness for a while now, and it just got to a point where it felt like we needed to take a closer look at it. And obviously, we are where we are now," Fraser explained.
TFC 2 signs promising prospect Richard Chukwu
One of the most promising youngsters in Toronto FC’s developmental system is a little bit closer to breaking through to the first team. TFC 2 announced last week that it has signed youth academy defender Richard Chukwu to an MLS NEXT Pro contract.
Chukwu, an 18-year-old from Bradford, Ont., is now the 58th youth academy player to graduate to TFC 2. He originally joined TFC’s youth academy in 2020 and went on to make his debut for TFC 2 in 2024. Since then, he has two assists in 30 appearances.
Chukwu has also played for Canada at youth level and was invited to a special pre-training camp with the senior team ahead of its Concacaf Nations League series vs. Suriname in November 2024.
GM Jason Hernandez is so high on Chukwu that he mentioned the defender by name during a special town hall with Toronto FC supporters prior to the 2025 MLS season when he was asked about young players coming through the youth system who have the greatest potential to jump to the first team.
As a full-fledged member of TFC 2, Chukwu will more than likely log a lot of playing time in MLS NEXT Pro this season. He played in 10 games (452 minutes) during his debut season with the Young Reds in 2024 and logged 1,021 minutes across 17 appearances last season. He’s played three tome this year (two starts) through the team’s first five games of the campaign.
John Molinaro
TFC vs. Austin FC on Saturday
Toronto FC continues its nine-game homestand when it hosts Austin FC on Saturday (1:00 p.m. ET/Apple TV).
Austin (1-3-3) in winless in five matches and is coming off a 2-1 home loss to the LA Galaxy on Saturday. Myrto Uzuni scored his second goal of the campaign for Austin while goalkeeper Brad Stuver made five saves in a losing effort.
Goals have been hard to come by for coach Nico Estévez's side as it has scored just eight times this season – tied for third-worst in the Western Conference. Former TFC winger Jayden Nelson has one goal in six appearances for Austin since being traded there from the Vancouver Whitecaps during the off-season.
The all-time series between Toronto and Austin is tied at one win apiece. TFC earned a 2-1 victory at BMO Field on Sept. 24, 2024.
This weekend's match marks the only time these teams will meet during the 2026 regular season.
TFC Republic celebrates five years
On April 12, 2021, TFC Republic was born. Five years later we're still going strong, providing daily and in-depth coverage of Toronto FC.
I just want to say thanks to everyone for their support of TFC Republic over the last five years. It has meant the world to me and I am truly humbled.
RELATED READING: Newsletter || Features || Match reports || Opinion || Q&As || Videos || News || Transactions || TFC 2 ||
Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
Even though he made his MLS debut last season, Malik Henry feels as though the 2026 MLS season is his rookie campaign. As such, the 23-year-old winger from Hamilton, Ont., is taking it all in and looking to make an impact when given the opportunity. I recently chatted one-on-one with Henry about what he hopes to get out of this season, his future, and much more. Look for my feature story in the coming days.
Other stories that will be published later this week include:
- A feature story on Toronto FC and its loaning out of young players.
- A TFC notebook column after Tuesday or Wednesday's training session (or possibly Thursday).
- A piece on the four stories to watch for this week.
- A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's match vs. Austin FC.
- An audio interview piece with beat reporter Phil West of Verde All Day ahead of Saturday's home game.
- The weekly Random Thoughts column.
- The weekly TFC 2 report.
- Regular "TFC Tidbits" stories throughout the week.
- 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.
TFC Republic subscribers can get up to a 25% discount on ticket prices for Toronto FC home games during the 2026 MLS regular season and the 2026 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).
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.
