TFC Tidbits: Robin Fraser intrigued by new MLS schedule

Welcome to TFC Tidbits, a special feature at TFC Republic that curates bits and pieces of news about what's going on with Toronto FC. 

Robin Fraser: 'We have some unique challenges' 

You’d be hard pressed to find anybody in MLS who has been around the league for as long as Robin Fraser. 

Fraser, 59, was selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first round (fourth overall) of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft, a special draft the league held prior to its debut season that same year. He played in 27 games for LA that season and went on to make 281 regular season and playoff appearances during a stellar 17-year MLS career that included stints with the Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew. 

Toronto FC’s current coach was twice voted the MLS Defender of the Year and was a member of the MLS Best XI on five occasions. He also won a pair of Supporters’ Shields and the Concacaf Champions Cup. In 2020, he was named among the 25 greatest players in MLS history by the league. 

Fraser went into coaching after retiring as a player at the conclusion of the 2005 season, most notably serving as Greg Vanney’s assistant during TFC’s glory years when the Reds won a MLS Cup, a Supporters' Shield and three Canadian Championships. As a head coach, he guided Colorado to a club-record 61 points and helped the Rapids top the Western Conference table for the first time in club history during the 2020 season. 

So, it’s more than fair to say that Fraser has seen it all during his time in MLS and has witnessed first-hand how the league has evolved and grown. Ten teams spread out across the U.S. competed in the inaugural 1996 season; today there are 30 clubs in MLS, including three in Canada. 

There’s been lots of changes, but the biggest is yet to come. MLS announced last November that starting in 2027-28, the campaign will begin in the summer and end in the spring. 

The move was approved by the league's board of governors which means the new MLS regular season will kick off in mid-July and run through April with the playoffs and the championship game in May. The new schedule will also include a winter break from mid-December through to mid-February, and another break in June and July to coincide with FIFA international windows. 

This is a seismic move that changes the landscape of the league on so many fronts. The league’s schedule will soon be in line with some of the top leagues from around the world.  

Getting used to these massive changes will take some adjustments from Fraser and other MLS lifers. 

“It's interesting because this is where it is in the world. …. We're definitely outliers, let me put it that way. So, the thought that we are going to be in line with them, with the rest of the world, is certainly interesting,” Fraser said. 

“For us in Toronto, we have some unique challenges [with the weather]; there’ll be some challenges for us in terms of how it works. 

“I've been in this league since the very first day … and all I've known is playing through the summer. So, for me, it's a little odd to be quite honest. But it is interesting and kind of cool to be in line with the rest of the world.  

“And the last thing is no more missing players on international breaks. That I'm happy about.” 

(Top photo courtesy of Toronto FC)

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