TFC Republic Weekly: June 8-14
Toronto FC's Jonathan Osorio could celebrate his 34th birthday on Friday with an appearance in Canada's World Cup opener.
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 opens its World Cup on Friday at BMO Field
It's the biggest match in the history of the Canadian men's team – its opening contest at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 12 at BMO Field, the first game in the history of the men's World Cup ever to be played on Canadian soil.
Canada's first opponent is a tough one. Bosnia and Herzegovina won five of eight games (with one loss) in the opening round of the European qualifiers before beating Wales and Italy in the playoffs to qualify for the World Cup.
Coached by Sergej Barbarez, the Bosnian team is led by veteran forward Edin Džeko, who is supported by a collection of teammates who play at top European clubs, including midfielder Amir Hadžiahmetović (Hull City), defender Sead Kolašinac (Atalanta) and forward Haris Tabaković (Borussia Mönchengladbach).
Canada is coming off a busy week in which it earned a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan in Edmonton and a 1-1 draw vs. the Republic of Ireland in Montreal. Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio came off the bench to score the winner in the first game, while Richie Laryea started both contests.
Coach Jesse Marsch has some important business to take care of as he has until Thursday to name an injury replacement for midfielder Marcelo Flores. It's also very likely the centre back Moïse Bombito will also have to be replaced due to injury. The top two candidates to take their spots are former TFC players Ralph Priso and Jayden Nelson.
After the Bosnia match, the scene shifts to Vancouver's BC Place for Canada where it will play Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.
John Molinaro
3 Toronto FC players at the World Cup
A record number of MLS players are going to this summer's World Cup, including three representatives from Toronto FC.
Captain Jonathan Osorio and fullback Richie Laryea will be in action for Canada, while Haiti’s roster includes veteran winger Derrick Etienne Jr.
In total, 44 active MLS players have been called up for the World Cup, the most in the league’s history. The 44 MLS players are spread across 17 different countries from six continents as the tournament has expanded from 32 to 48 teams. In total, 1,248 players will compete at the World Cup.
MLS says its 44 representatives is the most players from any league in the Western Hemisphere (the second-most outside of the top five European leagues) and that 103 players competing at the World Cup have spent time in the league.
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
It's the biggest match in the history of the Canadian men's team – its opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 12 at BMO Field. Be sure to check out the website on a daily basis for in-depth pre- and post-match coverage.
Other stories that will be published this week include:
- Regular "TFC Tidbits" news stories throughout the week.
- A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.
- The reader mailbag.
- News from Canadian men's team training sessions in Toronto.
- A Q&A with Canadian men's team forward Tani Oluwaseyi
- A Q&A with Canadian men's team centre back Luc de Fougerolles.
- A Q&A with Canadian men's team centre back Derek Cornelius.
- In-depth pre- and post-match coverage of the Canadian women's team's friendly vs. Costa Rica on Tuesday.
- 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).
