TFC quarterly report: Where do things stand with the Reds?

A lot has happened at Toronto FC since June when it passed the official midway point of the 2025 MLS regular season.

Italian DPs Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi are gone. A new DP has arrived in American international Djordje Mihailovic. Former No. 1 draft pick Tyrese Spicer was traded to Orlando City. And no less than three defenders have been ruled out for the rest of the season with injuries.

The last two months have been a period of transition for the Reds who are now looking ahead to 2026, as any chance at claiming a berth for this year's playoffs appears to be firmly beyond their reach.

Here's where things stand with Toronto FC now that it is three quarters of the way through the campaign.

TFC Tidbits: Reds continue to stockpile GAM

Toronto FC has acquired $175,000 in 2025 general allocation money from Charlotte FC in exchange for an international roster slot.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

Exit Insigne and Bernardeschi, enter Mihailovic

It was a Canada Day bombshell from Toronto FC who announced on the national holiday that it agreed to mutual contract terminations with Italian DPs Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi.

It was a move that brought to an end to a very dark (and costly) era for the Reds. Both Italians came to MLS midway through the 2022 season and the expectation was that they would help turn the club into a league superpower, not unlike the glory years of the club when it reached three MLS Cup finals (winning one) from 2015 to 2022. But it didn’t work out that way. Not even close.

Insigne and Bernardeschi failed to make an impact or live up to their big-money contacts, especially Insigne who struggled with persistent injury issues while in Toronto while putting up what can only be described as disappointing numbers. The former Napoli captain left TFC having scored 19 goals and tallying 18 assists in 76 games (66 starts) in all competitions. Bernardeschi showed a little bit better with 26 goals and 22 assists in 99 appearances, but still largely underwhelmed. 

Another shocker came just a month later when Toronto acquired attacking midfielder Djordje Mihailovic via transfer from the Colorado Rapids for $8 million US and up to $1 million in conditional cash if certain performance-based metrics are met. Mihailovic joined TFC as a designated player, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract through the end of 2028 with a club option for 2029.

Mihailovic, 26, has 48 goals and 54 assists in 244 games in all competitions for a variety of clubs since making his debut with the Chicago Fire in 2017 when he signed with the MLS outfit as a homegrown player. 

While Mihailovic will be the main reference point for TFC, GM Jason Hernandez  made it clear that the club needs to surround the U.S. international with the right players to ensure he makes the biggest possible impact.

“We can't be naive to think that acquiring Djordje now means we're winning every game for the rest of the season, and now we're contending for trophies. Djordje is going to give us a massive boost in so many ways. However, he needs to be only just the beginning. And we need to continue to try to improve all parts of the team. We need to continue to invest in all parts of the team,” Hernandez said.

Lack of goals have been the major issue for TFC 

There are a lot of reasons why Toronto will more than likely fail to qualify for the post-season for a fifth consecutive year. Chief among them is its impotent attack.

Toronto sports the fourth worst attacking record in MLS with just 26 goals in 25 outings, for an average of 1.04 goals per game. The Reds have been shut out on nine occasions in league play, or 36 per cent of the time. TFC ranks dead last in the entire league in total shots (247), shots on target (80), total shots per 90 minutes (9.88) and shots on target per 90 minutes (3.20), per fbref.com. 

Only two current players on the roster have scored more than twice in league play:  Theo Corbeanu (five goals) and Deandre Kerr (three). The departures of Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi means defensive midfielder Deybi Flores ranks as the club's top playmaker (a paltry two assists).  

Norwegian forward Ola Brynhildsen has been mired in a slump that has seen him score just twice in 18 MLS games and go without a goal in his last seven appearances. Captain Jonathan Osorio has two goals and an assist. Wingback Richie Laryea doesn't have any goal contributions.

Toronto isn't getting nearly enough production out of its forwards, while the supporting cast of players have failed to chip in on the offensive end.

Securing a new No. 9 who has a proven track record as a consistent goal scorer has to be the No. 1 priority for Jason Hernandez, whether that's during the MLS secondary transfer window (which closes on Aug. 21.), or during the off-season. 

Reds show backbone during 4-game road swing

Toronto concluded a four-game road swing last weekend with a come-from-behind 1-1 draw against Supporters' Shield leaders Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.

TFC went 1-2-1 during their four-match stint away from BMO Field, which included a surprising 1-0 win over San Diego FC, the best team in the Western Conference. The Reds also showed well in 2-0 losses against Nashville SC and Charlotte FC.

Four points out of a possible 12 isn't a very good return, and the team's inability to pick up wins on the road is one of the many reasons why it's destined to miss the playoffs for a fifth straight year. But the Reds showed plenty of resolve during their travels in taking on some of the best clubs in MLS, going toe-to-toe with their opponents in all four outings. The hope is that's its something they can build upon during the last nine matches of 2025.

"We've shown that we've played really well against certainly the top teams. I don’t know how many times we've played teams this year that are first, second or third in either conference and really feel like we've stepped up and battled and fought," Robin Fraser said after the game in Philadelphia.

TFC Talk: Djordje Mihailovic opens up a lot of things for Reds

Beat reporter James Grossi discusses what the addition of its new DP means for Toronto FC, Jason Hernandez’s next moves, and more.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

The playoff picture: Reds need a miracle

It would take a miracle on par with the loaves and the fishes for Toronto FC to qualify for the playoffs.  

TFC (5-13-7, 22 points) sits 12th in the Eastern Conference (out of 15 teams), three spots and 14 points below the Chicago Fire who hold down the ninth and final playoff berth in the conference.  

Can the Reds make up the ground over the last nine matches of the season? Not very likely, when you consider they have yet to win back-to-back games this year and that their playoff fate isn't entirely in their hands. In order to overtake Chicago, TFC would have to win the majority of their remaining contests and get some help from other teams.  

The hole that Toronto has to dig itself out of is a big one. In 2024, Atlanta United had to win 10 games and earn 40 points to secure the final playoff berth in the East. In 2023, Charlotte won 10 games and collected 43 points to lock down ninth place.  

Based on an average of 41.5 points over the past two years that the ninth team in the East needed to qualify for the playoffs, TFC would have to earn at least 20 points from now until October to book a spot in the post-season.  

Twenty points out of a possible 27 points during the final stretch of the 2025 campaign would require TFC to average 2.22 points per game the rest of the way - they're averaging 0.88 points per match so far this year.

Based on a 10-win/42 point season, Toronto would have to win at least six of its final nine matches while only suffering one loss – and even then, it might not be enough.

What's ahead for the Reds 

Getting those 20 points won’t be easy for Toronto FC based on its schedule. 

 Here’s how the rest of the regular season shakes out for TFC: 

• August 16 - Columbus Crew (home) 
• August 24 - Atlanta United (away) 
• August 30 – CF Montreal (home)
  
• September 13 – New England Revolution (away) 
• September 20 - Columbus Crew (away)
• September 27 - Inter Miami (home) 
  
• October 4 – Chicago Fire (away) 
• October 8 – LAFC (away)
• October 18 – Orlando City (home)

Of the nine matches the Reds still have left to play, five are away from the confines of BMO Field. Toronto has a 3-6-3 road record this season, which means it’s taken just 12 out of a possible 36 points from their games away from home.   

Since 2021, Toronto has won 11 of 80 games away from home (just 51 total out of a possible 240 points on the road). 

It should also be noted that seven of TFC's remaining nine games are against clubs that sit above them in the overall league table.

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Team MVP: Sean Johnson 

You'd hate to think where TFC would be this season without Sean Johnson.

The veteran goalkeeper has played in all but one of Toronto's 25 league matches and has routinely kept his side in games with some timely saves and poised play between the posts while recording six clean sheets. He finally missed a game last weekend in Philadelphia when he was ruled out because he was going through the league's concussion protocol.

Thirty-two goals against in 24 games sounds like a lot. But Johnson can't shoulder the majority of the blame as he's played behind an ever-changing back line while TFC have struggled with injuries on the defensive end. 

Only once has Johnson given up more than two goals in a game this year – a 4-2 road loss to Orlando City in the second match of the season. The American international has helped keep things close for a TFC side who suffered seven one-goal losses. 

"He's been unbelievable. His shot-stopping. His ability to read plays and recognize where and when danger is coming is uncanny. And I wish we did more in front of him to reward him for some of his performances. Yeah, I think he's been tremendous. Obviously, I don't watch all of the league, but I can't think there's a goalkeeper who's made more big saves this year than him," Robin Fraser said in June.   

Big questions facing Reds in final stretch 

What kind of impact will new DP Djordje Mihailovic have on the Reds? Can he help ignite a team that has scored just 26 goals?

Will Jason Hernandez bring in any more reinforcements to strengthen TFC's roster before the closure of the MLS secondary transfer window? Will he make us use of the GAM that he has stockpiled? Or save it for the off-season?

Can Ola Brynhildsen finally come good and break out of a scoring slump? 

How will TFC's defence hold up, especially after Nicksoen Gomis, Zane Monlouis and Henry Wingo were recently put on a MLS season ending injury list?

What kind of playing time will newly-signed midfielder Malik Henry receive after collecting his first MLS assist last weekend?

(Top photo by Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)

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