TFC Republic Weekly: June 2-8

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 drop 3rd in a row in home loss to Charlotte FC

Coach Robin Fraser wanted to see Toronto FC “show a response” after suffering a heartbreaking home loss to the Philadelphia Union that saw them concede two very late goals. Instead, TFC responded with a rather tame effort in a 2-0 defeat to Charlotte FC on Saturday night at BMO Field.   

"I mean, clearly, based on the way we played midweek, we would have expected more tonight. ... There were spurts, but not enough. Not enough," Fraser bluntly told reporters after the loss. 

TFC (3-10-4) have now lost three in a row and four of their last five while remaining firmly rooted near the bottom of the Eastern Conference table at the official halfway point of the MLS season.

Goals continue to be the major problem for TFC – as in they're not scoring enough of them. Just 18 in 17 games, third-worst in the East. The Reds have been shut out on seven occasions in league play, or 41 per cent of the time. You're not going to win many games with stats like that. 

Toronto's players were booed off the pitch after the final whistle on Saturday. That's become a regular occurrence at BMO Field this month and one gets the strong sense there will be more for the fans to boo about as the season continues. 

Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty reflects on return to BMO Field

Saturday night was a homecoming of sorts for Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty.  

Marshall-Rutty, a 20-year-old from Brampton, Ont., was making his return to Toronto to play against his former club for the first time since being traded by the Reds to CF Montreal last summer. He ended up making 15 league appearances for Montreal before being sent to Charlotte FC on a season-long loan deal last month.   

He's played in seven games (five starts) for Charlotte, and a strong case could be that Saturday was his best outing for his new team. Marshall-Rutty lasted the full 90 minutes for the third consecutive game, completing 94.9 per cent of his passes (second-best on the team), while registering a tackle and interception, and making three defensive clearances.  

“It felt good to be back where it all started and the club that gave me my opportunity to become a professional footballer. It was a good feeling to see the guys and also to get the win with the team,” Marshall-Rutty told TFC Republic in a one-on-one interview after Charlotte’s win.  

“I just tried to block everything out. I had my family there, and I'm used to playing at BMO field, so I just looked at it like another game. But it was really good to be back.” 

He later added: “I have no bad feelings at all. [Toronto FC] gave me so much. I'm so grateful for the opportunity they gave me.”   

TFC now on a break until June 13

Toronto FC is on a two-week break with its next match coming on Friday, June 13 away to LAFC (Apple TV/10:30 p.m. ET). 

The time off allows some injured players to get healthy and also offers the club a chance to do a reset before the start of the second half of the MLS campaign. 

"We have some work to do and we're going to do some work in this break. And I would like to think that we'll be a different group when you see us again," Robin Fraser said after the Charlotte loss. 

CanMNT and CanWNT both in action this week

It's not very often that you'll see both the Canadian men's and women's teams play home games within days of each other. But that's exactly what's happening this week.

The Canadian women host Haiti in an international friendly on Tuesday, June 3 at Montreal's Stade Saputo (7:30 p.m. ET/OneSoccer), the second of two games between the nations. Canada earned a 4-1 win over Haiti in Winnipeg on Saturday in Desiree Scott's retirement match for the national team.

Canada is seventh in the latest FIFA world rankings, 46 spots above Haiti. The Canadians have won all four of its previous encounters with Haiti by a combined score of 23-2.

The Canadian men will be competing in the inaugural Canadian Shield tournament, a four-match series that also involves Ukraine, Ivory Coast and New Zealand. Canada faces Ukraine on June 7 and Ivory Coast on June 10. All games will take place at BMO Field. All games will air on TSN. Prior to the Canadian Shield, Canada will hold its training camp in Halifax. 

After the Canadian Shield tournament, Canada will compete at the Concacaf Gold Cup which runs from June 14 to July 6. Ranked No. 30 in the world, Canada faces No. 75 Honduras in Vancouver on June 17 of its opening match of the group stage. Canada then travels to Houston where it will face No. 90 Curacao (June 21) and No. 81 El Salvador (June 24).

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

Stories to look out for at TFC Republic 

We're now at the official halfway point of the MLS season with 17 games in the book and another 17 to go. With a 3-10-4 record and sitting second last in the Eastern Conference, Toronto FC have had a tough time under new coach Robin Fraser. What have been the positives and negatives of the campaign so far? And what will the second half of the season look like for Toronto? Look for my half-season report story on TFC in the coming days. 

Other stories that will be published later this week include:            

• A Q&A piece with TFC defender Lazar Stefanovic. 
• A feature story on TFC defender Zane Monlouis. 
• A feature story on Jahmarie Nolan, a 15-year-old player for TFC 2. 
• 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.   
• In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of the Canadian men's team's match vs. Ukraine.     
• In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of the Canadian women's team's match vs. Haiti.     
• 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.