TFC's Kosi Thompson looks to make fullback spot his own

Kosi Thompson has come a long way since turning pro with Toronto FC.  

Thompson, 22, joined TFC’s youth academy in 2012 and was a member of the 2019 team that won the 2019 U-16 Dallas Cup. He signed his first professional contract with TFC 2 on May 13, 2021, and went on to make 27 appearances during the USL League One regular season that year.   

Thompson was invited to pre-season camp with Toronto FC prior to the 2022 MLS campaign and former coach Bob Bradley was so impressed with what he saw that the midfielder was signed to an senior team deal. Thompson made his league debut on March 22 against the Columbus Crew, started his first match vs. New York City FC on April 2, and scored his first MLS goal on April 9 vs. Real Salt Lake. In total, he has two goals and an assist in 92 appearances in all competitions for his hometown club.  

A midfielder by trade, Thompson has been largely deployed as a right fullback this season, a role he is somewhat accustomed to having played there during Bradley’s first full season at the helm. It’s largely been a marriage out of necessity for current bench boss Robin Fraser – he’s been short of options at right fullback because regular starter Richie Laryea has been sidelined since he picked up an injury in the Reds’ second match of the campaign.  

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For his part, Thompson feels at ease playing there and is thrilled that TFC’s new coach has shown so much trust in him.  

“Robin and I have talked a lot about my position, my player profile, my potential. I think that he and I came to a conclusion that me playing as a right back with the inversions that we do to build out of the [back], it plays to all of my strengths on the ball, and then defensively, having that athleticism where I can defend out wide,” Thompson explained.  

He added: “At this point, it's a matter of really solidifying myself in that spot for the rest of the season.”  

Thompson recently made his 75th regular season appearance for the Reds, marking a special milestone for the Toronto native. The overwhelming majority of those appearances came in midfield, his natural position. But he knows this is a big career opportunity to show he can handle playing as a fullback and the new set of responsibilities that come with it.   

He’s already earned seven league starts through the Reds’ first 11 matches of the season – he only started six times in MLS in each of the previous two campaigns  

“I'm the type of person who loves to control everything. I mean, you can call me a control freak, but at this point, I know that there's nothing external that can change my pathway. Now it's all up to myself… Everything's in my hands, and I need to take this. I need to take this and really do the best that I can,” Thompson said.  

Thompson feels his time as a right fullback under Bradley has eased his positional transition this season, as has his time playing in central midfield.  

“I’ve spent a decent amount of games and training sessions as a midfielder, and in a place where it's a lot harder to see the field. And so, taking a step onto the outside, it's definitely different. It's a different look at the pitch. But I still feel like it's helped me being in the middle of the park to now play as a right back,” Thompson said.  

Having talked at length with Fraser, a former two-time MLS defender of the year, Thompson has taken on his coach’s advice and is anxious to make the fullback position his own.  

He also appreciates the direct way Fraser talks to players when giving them feedback. 

“He's very honest. He's sophisticated in the way that he talks. … He really likes to simplify things, down to numbers, down to simple pictures. Once you grasp the way that he wants to play, it becomes much, much easier on the ball,” Thompson said.  

Thus far, Fraser has liked what he’s seen from Thompson while playing as a fullback spot, feeling his athleticism serves him well in that part of the pitch.  

“I think it's been a really interesting learning period for Kosi, because he's not familiar with playing right back. Certainly, we try to put our fullbacks in different positions on the field that are probably more comfortable for him. But I do feel he's kind of the prototypical modern day fullback; meaning he's athletic, he's strong, he's comfortable [playing as a] six, comfortable [playing as an] eight, comfortable on the wing, and has the ability to move into all these different places,” Fraser said in the buildup to TFC’s recent loss to New York City FC.  

“So, I would say that he kind of embodies what that position looks like these days.”  

Thompson has made strides, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the would-be fullback. Single moments can change tight games in an instant, a hard lesson that Thompson learned in TFC’s 1-0 home loss to New York City FC on April 26.   

There wasn’t much difference between the two sides going into the halftime break. But then the complexion of the match was significantly altered in the 62nd minute when Thompson was judged to have fouled Alonso Martínez from behind. Referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere pointed to the spot, his decision withstood a VAR check and Martínez ended up scoring the winning goal by converting from the penalty spot.   

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There was also no need for Thompson to try to stop Martínez from behind, as the Costa Rican had Kevin Long and Sigurd Rosted in front of him before he attempted to take a shot from just inside the box.  

“I mean, I wasn't playing the ball. I wasn't playing the man. I was simply trying to just get goal-side of him. And I mean, if you watch it back, you see him check his shoulder. He knows that the contact’s coming and leaves the ball and tries to play [for] the foul. And I think with the reffing, it may have been a little bit unjust … At the end of the day, it's the ref, it’s his decision. We just need to move on from that,” Thompson said.  

Then in last weekend’s loss to the New England Revolution, it was an errant pass from Thompson in the middle of the park that allowed the visitors to launch a quick counterattack and score the game’s opening goal en route to a 2-0 win at BMO Field.  

“For him, it's about learning to understand and manipulate all the nuances that change a game. Every week, I feel like he's learning more and more, and one of the things that as a young midfielder going to fullback is to understand what your looks are going to be like when you get the ball in what is now a different part of the field, and what your options are,” Fraser said.  

“I think that that has been a work in progress, and I think he's had some very, very, very good moments, and he's had some young, naive moments with the ball. But I do think that he is making progress every week, and he's been quite solid defensively in his individual battles. So, I think it's been a worthwhile project to have explored.” 

(Top photo courtesy of Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)

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