TFC Republic Weekly: April 6-12

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 wins to extend unbeaten run to 4 games

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than be good. TFC were both on Saturday in an amazing come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids at BMO Field. 

Down 2-0 goals after 51 minutes, Toronto benefited from a wind-assisted goal by Richie Laryea and an outrageous own-goal via an egregious goalkeeper error by Zack Steffen before Josh Sargent scored the game winner with five minutes left in regulation.  

The goal was Sargent's first in MLS since signing with the Reds last month. He also registered his first MLS assist on Toronto's opening goal.

Colorado’s Jackson Travis and Miguel Navarro were sent off on either side of halftime, while Toronto’s Raheem Edwards was red carded in the 49th in one of the wildest games at BMO Field in recent memory.

“It was actually quite surreal, but what I would say is that the character that the group showed being down two goals, losing a man advantage, like losing a man advantage, almost feels like you've gone down a man," coach Robin Fraser said.

Josh Sargent: 'I'm in a good place'

It took a little while, but Josh Sargent is finally off the mark. The U.S. international scored his first MLS goal on Saturday, which just happened to be the game winner. 

Sargent headed home in the 85th minute off an Alonso Coello corner kick and also earned his first MLS assist on Richie Laryea's opening goal for Toronto. His two-goal contribution performance came after he failed to score or collect an assist through his first two appearances for the club last month, including one start. 

"Big relief. It's been a while since I've scored. After I missed that first [scoring chance] in the first half, I was pretty frustrated. So, I would've been upset if I didn't get a goal by the end of the game. Just very happy, very happy that the fans have been so good and have been so supportive since I've gotten here. Great to get a goal and hopefully more to come," Sargent told reporters after the win. 

Before coming to Toronto, Sargent's last appearance in a competitive match was for his former club Norwich City in early January. He parted company with the Canaries on poor terms after putting in a transfer request, so Saturday's man-of-the-match display was just what the doctor ordered for the American forward. 

"I would say I feel very good now. I think these types of things take time for sure. And as I'm sure all of you have seen, I've been through a lot the last couple months. So, I'd like to say that I'm in a good place for sure. Very happy. My family has been very happy since they've gotten here. And again, we're all very grateful for how well everyone has treated us since we've gotten here," Sargent offered. 

"I think getting to know guys on and off the field takes some time, but I'm very happy with where we're at right now. I feel very good with everybody and have good relationships so far. So, I just want to keep building on that and improve those relationships even more." 

Djordje Mihailovic's injury status unclear

Conspicuous by his absence in Toronto's win over Colorado was Djordje Mihailovic. 

The DP midfielder missed his first game for TFC since joining the club last summer due to a lingering groin injury. Mihailovic was listed as questionable for this game on the league's official injury report that was published on Friday evening. 

How serious is this injury to Mihailovic? Will he be sidelined for any serious length of time? 

Robin Fraser didn't have any answers when asked about it in Saturday's post-match press conference by TFC Republic. 

"I don't think we really know yet, to be quite honest. And he's basically been carrying some sort of groin pain since the beginning of pre-season, and it's just getting slightly worse. It just felt like it was a time that we needed to really figure out what's going on with him,” Fraser said.

Reds have yet to talk with José Cifuentes about staying

Whether midfielder José Cifuentes will remain a member of Toronto FC beyond this summer has yet to be determined, according to GM Jason Hernandez.

When TFC signed Cifuentes from Scottish club Rangers last year, the deal included a purchase option when his loan expires on June 30, 2026. Hernandez confirmed last week that serious talks with Cifuentes about his future beyond June 30 have yet to take place. 

"We haven't really, what I would say, explored any more of those conversations in depth. Obviously, we know we have Cifu for another couple of months before we have to make a decision," Hernandez revealed. 

He later added: "We're looking forward to him pushing as hard as he can to deliver us great performances and deliver us wins up until the point where we need to get around the table and talk about the future. And at that time, certainly, I think we have a good standing not only with the club, but with Cifu, to cross that bridge when we get to it." 

TFC vs. FC Cincinnati on Saturday

Toronto FC continues its nine-game homestand when it hosts FC Cincinnati on Saturday (1:00 p.m. ET/Apple TV).

Cincinnati (2-4-0) has lost four of its last five games, including a 4-2 road decision to the New York Red Bulls this past weekend.

“In a game where there was a lot of attacking opportunities for both teams… they took their chances better than we did, because there was certainly enough out there as far as our attacks and moments to finish plays off, and they got more of those moments right,” Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan said after the loss.

Cincinnati leads the all-time regular season series against Toronto with nine wins (one draw) in 15 meetings. TFC have a 2-5-0 record at home vs. Cincinnati, but have lost four in a row at BMO Field against the Orange and Blue. The Reds' last home win over Cincinnati came during the 2021 season.

This weekend's match is the second and final meeting of the regular season between the clubs. TFC earned a 1-0 road win over Cincinnati on March 8.

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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic    

It's a very big year for Derrick Etienne Jr. He's in line to represent Haiti at this summer's FIFA World Cup. He's also anxious to come good for Toronto FC after he was re-signed by the club in the off-season. I recently chatted one-on-one with Etienne Jr about this and a variety of other topics. We'll have a special feature story on the Haitian international in the coming days. (NOTE: This story was supposed to run last week but ended up being delayed until this week.)

Other stories that will be published later this week include:                           

• A feature story on Toronto FC and its loaning out of young players.
• A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.     
• A piece on the four stories to watch for this week.      
• In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's match vs. FC Cincinnati.              
• An audio interview piece with Cincinnati beat reporter Laurel Pfahler of Queen City Press ahead of Saturday's home game.   
• The weekly Random Thoughts column.          
• The reader mailbag.    
• 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 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.