TFC Republic Weekly: June 15-21
Toronto FC's Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea are in Vancouver this week as Canada continues its World Cup quest.
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...
Canada in a 4-way tie in Group B at World Cup
The Canadian men’s team is still looking for its first ever win at the FIFA World Cup.
But it does have its first World Cup point after erasing a first-half deficit to earn a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina last Friday before an announced crowd of 43,002 fans at BMO Field. Cyle Larin came off the bench in the second half to score the equalizer and save Canada after it carried the bulk of play but struggled to put away its scoring chances in its opening Group B contest.
"The week in Toronto has been amazing, and the fans have been outstanding, but I'm really just so focused in trying to make sure that our players are equipped with everything they need to be the best that they can be. I feel like I didn't do enough to get them ready for the first half, but then the response that we showed in the second half, maybe some of the messages I gave at halftime helped," coach Jesse Marsch told reporters after the game.
Les Rouges are now 0-6-1 across their three World Cup appearances dating back to their tournament debut in 1986. More importantly, this draw sets them up quite nicely in Group B as a win over Qatar in their next match would give them four points and likely send them through to the knockout stage.
On Saturday, Qatar came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in San Francisco, a result that means all four teams in Group B are tied with one point apiece.
Canada plays Qatar on Thursday in Vancouver, while Switzerland and Bosnia meet on the same day in LA. A victory by Canada, combined with a draw in the other game, would put Les Rouges in pole position to win the group. If the Canadians win Group P, they would stay in Vancouver for the round of 32.
John Molinaro
Should there be a David-Larin reunion?
Cyle Larin was the goal-scoring hero for Canada in its World Cup opener.
Larin was subbed on in the 76th minute and then scored two minutes later to help Canada earn a come-from-behind draw vs. Bosnia. In scoring the leveller, Larin snapped a 14-game scoring drought for Canada that dated back to 2024.
"I hadn't scored in a while but I knew it was coming. I've always came up when Canada needed me. It was special for the fans, special getting a point at home," Larin said
He later added: "I've shown I can score for this country many times and I did it again and I'll keep doing it."
Larin's heroics means Jesse Marsch has a big decision to make ahead of Canada's next match vs. Qatar.
Does Marsch reward Larin for his efforts vs. Bosnia and reinstall him in the starting 11 alongside Jonathan David? Does he go back to the David-Tani Oluwaseyi duo for a second game in a row and bring Larin off the bench again? Or does he make a radical change and start Larin and Promise David together?
John Molinaro
MLS on an extended break; Toronto FC off until July 16
MLS has been on hiatus since May 24 and won't resume action until mid-July.
Toronto FC headed into this break on a negative note with three straight losses in MLS and without a win in nine games across all competitions – its last victory came on April 4. TFC sits 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 3-6-5 record, four points and four spots out of a playoff berth.
TFC are off until July 16 when they face CF Montreal at Stade Saputo, which means they have plenty of time to rest and get several injured players fully fit by the time they travel to Quebec.
GM Jason Hernandez also has to use this time to make a decision about José Cifuentes, while also taking a very hard look at his roster and figuring out what moves he must make during the summer transfer window in order to strengthen his squad in hopes that it can make a concerted push for a playoff spot.
John Molinaro
An important note about TFC Republic during World Cup
With Toronto FC on an extended break until mid-July, TFC Republic is turning its attention to the Canadian men's team and the World Cup that is being co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
TFC Republic's main focus for this month will be on Canada, who will play its opening World Cup match at BMO Field before closing out the group stage with a pair of games at BC Place. I will be covering all of Canada's group stage contests on site – I'll be in Toronto until June 14 and then will be in Vancouver from June 15-26.
Readers can expect in-depth coverage of the Canadian men's team for the full duration of its run in the World Cup, so be sure to check out the website for regular daily content.
As a result, we will be providing minimal coverage of Toronto FC during the month of June. That's not to say we're going to ignore TFC, but we won't be doing the regular daily coverage of the team you have come to expect from us. Instead, there'll likely be only one to three pieces of content on Toronto FC per week during the World Cup. Of course, if there is major news that breaks about the MLS club, we will provide in-depth coverage.
Regular service will resume at TFC Republic early next month with daily content about Toronto FC leading up to its first game back after the break, away to CF Montreal on July 16.
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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
I'll be in Vancouver starting on Monday straight through to the end of the group stage at the World Cup. Be sure to check out the website on a daily basis for in-depth pre- and post-match coverage of Canada's contest vs. Qatar on Thursday at BC Place.
Other stories that will be published this week include:
- A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.
- News from Canadian men's team training sessions in Toronto.
- Regular "TFC Tidbits" news stories throughout the week.
- The reader mailbag.
- 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 subscribers can get up to a 25% discount on ticket prices for Toronto FC home games during the 2026 MLS regular season and the 2026 Canadian Championship. To receive the special promo code, email me at jmo1897@gmail.com
(Please don't share promo code with non-TFC Republic subscribers).
