TFC Republic Weekly: July 20-26

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 winless in 9 MLS games after latest draw

Toronto FC showed signs of rust and complacency last Thursday following a lengthy hiatus.   

But TFC were still able to grind out a creditable 0-0 draw vs. CF Montreal in the latest edition of their Canadian derby at Stade Saputo, a result that allowed them to snap a three-match losing streak in MLS.  

Toronto (3-6-6) had been idle since the league shut down in late May due to this summer’s FIFA World Cup. Despite picking up a point and moving up one spot to 12th in the Eastern Conference, the Reds are winless in nine games in league play – 10 in all competitions – and haven’t won since April 4. 

Toronto looked sloppy in possession throughout the game and lacked a genuine cutting edge in attack as they didn't register a single shot on target against its bitter rival. On the positive side, this stalemate was TFC’s second clean sheet of the season (and first since March), ending a streak of 12 straight MLS contests without a shutout. 

Coach Robin Fraser called his team’s performance “resilient” in what he described as a “really messy game” with no real rhythm from either team.

“I don't think we played particularly well. I think both teams looked like they hadn’t played in two months. But I thought that the commitment was excellent. We had to defend a lot. We had to defend a lot of corner kicks, and we got our second shutout of the year. So, to come here and to be in this rivalry game and get a shutout, that's definitely positive," Fraser said in the post-game presser.

"We have things that we need just continue to get sharper at. We know that, and we'll work at them. But really proud of the commitment by the group."

TFC Tidbits: Reds invest long-term in Richard Chukwu

“He’s very, very talented, has a really good head on the shoulders and we’re really excited about his future,” Robin Fraser said.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

Reds sign TFC 2 defender Richard Chukwu

Toronto made an interesting roster move last week when TFC 2 defender Richard Chukwu was signed to an MLS contract as a "homegrown player" through the 2029-30 season with a club option for 2030-31. Chukwu is the 38th TFC youth academy product to sign with the first team.

Still only 18 years old, Richard Chukwu is considered one of Toronto FC's most promising youth academy products.  

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 had the greatest potential to jump to the first team.   

So, it's not a terrible surprise that the Reds signed him to an MLS deal after he worked his way up through the TFC youth academy and with TFC 2 in MLS NEXT Pro. 

Chukwu, from Bradford, Ont., originally joined TFC’s youth academy in 2020 and went on to make his debut for TFC 2 on June 30, 2024, before signing his first contract with the Young Reds earlier this year. In total, he had two assists in 31 appearances for TFC 2 across three MLS NEXT Pro seasons (2024 to 2026).

Given his age, it's unlikely Chukwu will see much MLS action this season. Coach Robin Fraser has gone on record as saying he prefers to rely on defenders with more experience, so Chukwu is seen as a long-term project, rather than someone who can help the team in the short-term. Look for him to continue to log a lot of playing time with TFC 2 in MLS NEXT Pro for the foreseeable future.

MLS All-Star Richie Laryea looking at big picture with TFC

″[Being an] All-Star is nice, but I want [the] playoffs and a deep playoff run and to be competing for silverware,” Laryea said.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

The MLS summer transfer window 

Major League Soccer observes two transfer windows each year.  

This season's primary transfer window ran from Jan. 26 to March 26. The secondary transfer window opened on July 13 and closes on Sept. 2.  

During the summer transfer windows, MLS clubs can:  

• Sign players who are out of contract. 
• Buy and sell players via transfer both from teams within MLS and from abroad. 
• Make trades with other MLS teams, either for players or assets (GAM, draft picks, etc.). 
• Sign players on loan from clubs within MLS and from abroad.  

Jason Hernandez said prior to the opening of the window that he was looking to bolster the midfield and defence during the summer transfer window, but that he was only looking to add a few pieces rather than make wholesale changes. 

No wholesale changes expected for TFC during summer window

Each of the last three summer transfer windows have been pretty busy for GM Jason Hernandez. But this year might be different.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

2 road games for TFC: vs. New England and D.C. 

Toronto FC continues its four-match road spell with a pair of games this week, starting with Wednesday's contest vs. the New England Revolution (7:30 p.m. ET/TSN & Apple TV).

New England (8-5-1) sits fourth in the Eastern Conference, eight spots and 10 points above Toronto. The Revolution have won three of their last four games but have been idle since May 23 due to the MLS break for the World Cup.  

The Reds then take on D.C. United on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV).

D.C (4-5-6) is clinging to the ninth and final playoff spot in the East with a three-point edge over Toronto.

Seeing as how both New England and D.C. sit higher up the table, these are games that Toronto can ill afford to lose – it needs to take as many points as it can against direct rivals in order to climb the standings and get back into playoff contention. 

Note: I will be at Audi Field in Washington to cover Saturday's game, so be sure to visit TFC Republic in order to check out our special on-site coverage. 

RELATED READING: Newsletter || Features || Match reports || Opinion || Q&As || Videos || News || Transactions || TFC 2 ||

Stories to look out for at TFC Republic     

Adam Pearlman has been in the Toronto FC system since 2016 when he joined the youth academy. He worked his way up through to TFC 2 and was called up by the senior side on short-term loans before signing an MLS contract in 2024, but he's yet to break through as he's been limited to just one appearance for the first team. The South African born defender has spent the past two seasons on loan at CPL clubs, including the 2026 campaign with Cavalry FC. I recently chatted one-on-one with Pearlman about life in the CPL and his future with Toronto FC. Look for my feature story in the coming days.

Other stories that will be published this week include:                            

• 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. the New England Revolution.      
• An audio interview with Sam Lattof of The Blazing Musket ahead of Wednesday's road game in New England.
• In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's match vs. D.C. United.    
• An audio interview with José Mauricio Umaña of WTOP News ahead of Saturday's road game in D.C.    
• The return of the reader mailbag.     
• The weekly TFC 2 report.
• Regular "TFC Tidbits" news 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.