TFC Republic Weekly: July 7-13

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 swept by New York City FC in season series

After its best performance of the season the previous weekend, Toronto FC looked rather flat and put in an uneven display en route to a 3-1 loss to New York City FC at Yankee Stadium late last week.  

Toronto (4-11-5) saw its modest two-game unbeaten run snapped while also squandering a chance to move up one spot to 12th in the Eastern Conference table with a win against New York, who swept the season series after earning a 1-0 victory at BMO Field on April 26. 

Inconsistency is killing this team. TFC can’t seem to put together a string of positive showings, as they’ve yet to win consecutive games this season. The work ethic is there, but the overall quality is missing. The summer transfer window can't come soon enough for GM Jason Hernandez.

"Disappointing. Disappointing, because I thought we more than started well. I thought for a lot of the game, we were really good and really solid. And mistakes did us in, but by and large, we're disappointed in the result, partially because we know how badly we need results. But, really proud of the effort. The effort was great," coach Robin Fraser said after the loss. 

"There were a couple mental lapses that ended up costing us too much, but so many guys played so well and put in a really honest shift. And it's just disappointing when you do so many things well and you still come out on this side of it."

Reader mailbag: What’s the legacy of Italian DPs at TFC?

Neither of them lived up to expectations, but Federico Bernardeschi will be somewhat fondly remembered by Toronto FC supporters.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

TFC parts company with Insigne, Bernardeschi

In one of the most historic moments for the club, Toronto FC announced on Canada Day that it came to a mutual agreement with both Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi to terminate their contracts. 

TFC utilized their two buyouts on Insigne and Bernardeschi, which means both players are now free agents and free to sign with any club around the world. Insigne, 34, was under contract through next June with an option until the end of 2026. Bernardeschi, 31, had a deal until the end of 2028. 

Insigne was earning $15.4 million US, which made him the second-highest paid player in MLS (behind Lionel Messi's $20.5 million). Bernardeschi was making $6,295,381 this year (sixth-best in MLS).  

Their premature exit marks a new era for the club and a major shift in philosophy when it comes to signing designated players. MLSE, the club’s owners, appear to have learned a valuable lesson from the failed Italian experiment and will no longer throw good money after bad by lavishing mega-rich contracts on prospective DPs that throws off the balance of the roster.  

“It's reasonable to say that, certainly from a salary perspective, we should not expect ownership to be these unique outliers in the league space of having these really, really robust salaries specifically dedicated to two guys. So, certainly, the way we invest, I would imagine, is going to change,” GM Jason Hernandez said.  

“But I don't think that at all is going to be connected to the commitment and intention to winning and being competitive. I think the commitment will continue in the investment space. It would just be dedicated and allocated much more efficiently.”  

Valuable lessons learned by TFC from buyouts of Italian DPs

If nothing else, the Italians’ departures serve as a learning moment for Toronto FC, and there are plenty of lessons to be learned.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

Michael Bradley set to return to Toronto... sort of 

Former Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley will be back in town this week. 

Bradley was appointed the new coach of New York Red Bulls II in MLS NEXT Pro last month, and the TFC legend has already taken charge of three games, a win and a pair of losses. 

New York's next match is away to TFC 2 at York Lions Stadium on Friday (Apple TV/7:00 p.m. ET) which marks Bradley's return to the city in an official capacity since retiring at the end of the 2023 MLS season. 

5 things to watch from Toronto FC for the rest of the season

How TFC will get on without the Italian DPs is one interesting story to keep tabs on during the second half of the MLS campaign.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

TFC vs. Atlanta United on Saturday    

Toronto FC returns to action when it hosts Atlanta United on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET/TSN & Apple TV).        

Atlanta (4-10-6) is in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, one spot and a single point above Toronto in the table. The Five Stripes are coming off a 0-0 draw away to D.C. United on the weekend, a result that extended their winless skid to four games (three losses). Veteran goalkeeper Brad Guzan stopped one shot to earn his second clean sheet of the season.  

Atlanta has been outscored 9-1 during its current four-game run and has the third-worst attack in the East with just 22 goals, one fewer than Toronto. At the other end of the pitch, its 37 goals against ranks third worst in the conference. 

Ivory Coast forward Emmanuel Latte Lath leads Atlanta in scoring with five goals, while Georgia international Saba Lobjanidze is the team's top playmaker with six assists. Guzan has started all 20 games this season. 

The Five Stripes' last victory was on May 28 and only once this season have they been able to post back-to-back wins.  

The all-time regular season series between Toronto and Atlanta is tied at five wins apiece and six draws in 16 meetings. This is the first of two meetings of the regular season between the clubs. They'll meet again on Aug. 24 in Atlanta. 

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

Stories to look out for at TFC Republic  

Last week, the MLS Players Association publicly revealed the wages for all of its players for the 2025 season. Toronto FC is spending big on its roster, but is it getting value for the money it's splashing out? Some of the contracts they have signed will surprise you, both in a good and a bad way. I'll take a deep dive into the numbers, examining every player's pay packet and salary cap hit. Look for an in-depth feature later this week. (Note: This was supposed to be published last week but ended up going on the back burner because of the Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi news). 

Other stories that will be published later this week include:                

• A TFC notebook column after Tuesday's training session. 
• A piece of the four stories to watch for this week. 
• In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's match vs. Atlanta United.     
• An audio interview piece with Doug Roberson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of Saturday's home game vs. Atlanta.   
• A new TFC Random Thoughts column.     
• A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.        
• Regular "TFC Tidbits" stories throughout the week.         
• The reader mailbag.       
• The weekly TFC 2 report.    
• 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.

(Top photo by Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)

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.