TFC Republic Weekly: March 23-29
Toronto FC has a bit of momentum courtesy of a three-game unbeaten run going into the FIFA international break.
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 earns come-from-behind win vs. Columbus
Toronto FC needs all hands on deck this season as it faces an uphill battle with a new-look roster.
José Cifuentes and Walker Zimmerman answered the call on Saturday afternoon by scoring their first goals for TFC to help them earn a come-from-behind 2-1 win against the Columbus Crew at BMO Field. Toronto (2-2-1) is now unbeaten in three games after beginning its 2026 MLS campaign with back-to-back road losses.
This was an important result for the Reds against one of their Eastern Conference rivals, as it was the second of nine consecutive home matches. If Toronto has any hope of being in the playoff mix this year, they have to come out of this extended homestand with as many points as possible.
"We know that it's a big opportunity to have nine games in a row at home, and you have to collect points. You can't get behind on what you're trying to do with the average points per game and where we want to go with this team. And so, that's the pressure that we feel; is we got to perform at home, in front of our fans, gather as many points as we can during this stretch," Zimmerman said.
John Molinaro
Josh Sargent earns his 1st MLS start for the Reds
Robin Fraser set his team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against the Crew while making three changes from previous week’s draw vs. the Red Bulls, including giving a first MLS start to new DP forward Josh Sargent.
Sargent recorded one shot on target in 45 minutes of action before being subbed out at the beginning of the second half. Fraser revealed after the game it was pre-planned to withdraw Sargent after 45 minutes
"It just makes sense for getting him back to a point where hopefully he plays the rest of the season. ... He was really, really good in the time that he was in there and certainly we are excited that he's getting through it and remaining healthy and hopefully we look forward to more and more minutes," Fraser explained.
John Molinaro
TFC off until April 4 due to the FIFA international break
MLS will idle for the next two weeks as it takes time off due to the FIFA international window.
TFC returns to action when they host the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, April 4 (1:00 p.m. ET/Apple TV).
MLS primary transfer window closes on Thursday
The MLS primary transfer window closes on Thursday, March 26.
That means TFC and the other 29 teams across the league only have a few more days to make player trades with each other or sign players on transfer deals from clubs outside of MLS.
The MLS secondary transfer window opens on July 13 and runs until Sept. 2.
TFC ink Dániel Sallói to extension
Toronto FC announced last week it agreed to a contract extension with winger Dániel Sallói through the shortened 2027 MLS season, with an option for the 2027-28 campaign.
When TFC acquired Dániel Sallói in a trade with Sporting Kansas City last month, it came with the understanding that it still had to come to terms with the Hungarian winger on a long-term deal. Sallói, 29, earned $1,300,000 US last year and was under contract to Kansas City through to the end of this season. That meant Toronto had to re-sign him to a new deal ahead of next year or potentially lose him to MLS free agency.
Considering how much the Reds gave up in the trade with Kansas City – $300,000 in guaranteed general allocation money (GAM) and an additional $700,000 in conditional GAM if certain performance-based metrics are met – this announcement hardly comes as a surprise.
John Molinaro
CanMNT set to return to BMO Field for 2 friendlies
When the Canadian men's team goes into battle at BMO Field later this month it will do so with two members of Toronto FC.
Coach Jesse Marsch last week revealed his 26-man roster for a pair of friendlies against Iceland on March 28 and Tunisia on March 31. Included in his squad are TFC captain Jonathan Osorio and fullback Richie Laryea.
Laryea, 31, has one goal and seven assists in 71 caps for Canada since his national team debut in 2019. Osorio, 33, has nine goals and eight assists in 87 games for Canada since making his international debut in 2013. He played in 17 of the first 21 games that Marsch oversaw since his appointment in May 2024, including appearances in all six matches at the 2024 Copa América.
Canada is 29th in the current FIFA world rankings, well above Tunisia (No. 47) and Iceland (No. 74). Tunisia will compete in its seventh World Cup this summer, while Iceland failed to qualify.
Canada has an all-time record of two losses and two draws against Iceland dating back to their first meeting in 2007. Their last encounter ended in a 1-0 win for Iceland on Jan. 15, 2o2o in Irvine, California. The only previous meeting between Canada and Tunisia saw the Africans earn a 2-0 home win on Oct. 21, 1984.
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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
Benjamin Kuscevic has made a smooth transition into MLS from South American club football ever since joining TFC last month. The Chilean defender has barely put a foot wrong with the Reds, establishing himself as a key player for Robin Fraser's side early on in the campaign. How does Kuscevic view his time in Toronto thus far? And what is Fraser's evaluation of his new defender? I'll have a special feature story on Kuscevic in the coming days.
Other stories that will be published later this week include:
- A video blog on the current state of the union at Toronto FC.
- A feature story on TFC and the international break.
- A feature story on Reds centre back Walker Zimmerman.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Canada's friendly vs. Iceland at BMO Field on Saturday.
- A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.
- The weekly Random Thoughts column.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Canada's friendly vs. Iceland at BMO Field on Saturday.
- The reader mailbag.
- Regular "TFC Tidbits" 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.
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).
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.
