Toronto FC vs. D.C. United: 3 takeaways

After a disastrous week and in desperate need of something positive, Toronto FC came up with its best performance of the MLS season in Saturday's 2-0 win over D.C. United at BMO Field.

The results ended two lengthy droughts for TFC (2-6-4), who entered this weekend without a goal at home in MLS play in 439 minutes and without a win at BMO Field in nine matches in all competitions.

"We felt like last week was an aberration from what had been happening before. And [the players] looked at each other tonight before they went out and talked about committing and fighting together. And nothing even about tactics; just about commitment and commitment to each other. And I felt like it showed from minute one," coach Robin Fraser said.

Here are my three major takeaways from Saturday's match. 

All all-around performance from Toronto FC 

We saw some good and plenty of bad from Toronto FC through its first 11 matches of the MLS season. What we didn't see was a complete 90-minute performance. That changed on Saturday, as the Reds put forth their best effort of the campaign in a truly dominant display. 

This was a well-rounded team effort from Toronto, who looked sharp in all facets of the match. The attacking quartet of Theo Corbeanu, Lorenzo Insigne, Federico Bernardeschi and Ola Brynhildsen caused all sorts of issues for D.C. United's back line on the day as they combined for eight shots on target.  

The foursome clicked all game, especially in a first half that saw Toronto camped out in D.C.'s half of the field as it enjoyed a 13-1 edge in total shots. Corbeanu collected his first MLS assist for Toronto, while Insigne scored his first goal since last summer. 

At the other end of the pitch, TFC's defence held firm in helping the club record its fourth clean sheet of 2025. D.C. star striker Christian Benteke, the reigning MLS Golden Boot winner, had a quiet afternoon as he was starved of service. When he finally managed to get a decent look on goal, Reds goalkeeper Sean Johnson denied him with some timely saves. 

"I thought that Siggy [Sigurd Rosted] and Longie [Kevin Long] and the guys in front, Alo [Alonso Coello] and Deybi [Flores], they worked so well tonight to limit chances for him to even be effective. And that's really the key. If [he gets] a lot of service off, then I don't think there's much you're going to do. ... But we won balls before they were able to get into those serving positions for the most part," Robin Fraser said. 

It was also encouraging to see TFC not only take a lead in a game (something they've struggled to do this season) but also protect it. 

After going up 1-0 early in the first half through Insigne, Toronto looked a little vulnerable as D.C. began to assert itself. But Fraser's side held firm and went on to add a second goal to effectively kill off any chance of a comeback by the visitors. 

"One of the things I really liked is after we scored, we bent a little bit. We took some pressure and we've seen where that's taken us in the wrong direction. And we just hung together. We got back, got really solid in the middle of the field again and won some balls and changed the course of the game," Fraser said. 

"Because for a second there it felt like this is going to be one of those [where] we've scored, now we're going to take pressure and what's the rest of this game going to look like? And I thought it was a really mature performance because when things didn't go great, we stuck together, hung together, played our way out of some tough situations, created another chance, and scored. I just think it was a really mature performance." 

Lorenzo Insigne steps up in a very big way for TFC 

After being benched for the first four matches of the campaign, Italian DP Lorenzo Insigne has seen regular playing time across TFC's subsequent nine matches in all competitions.  

And while he's looked good, Insigne had yet to score this season, his two goal contributions prior to this weekend coming in the form of a pair of assists. But the former Napoli captain who TFC were trying to offload at the start of the campaign finally came good on Saturday, scoring one goal and having a hand in another as part of a man-of-the-match display. 

Insigne played a pivotal role in starting a brilliant counterattack early in the second half deep inside his half and then busted a gut as he ran straight down the middle of the pitch to get inside D.C.'s penalty area where he scored a gorgeous header off a dangerous cross from Theo Corbeanu.  

Later in the half, Insigne took a flicked-on pass from fellow Italian Federico Bernardeschi and scampered forward before delivering a dangerous ball to the edge of the six-yard box that was mistakenly stabbed home by D.C. defender Lucas Bartlett. It was the Italian’s first goal since a Canadian Championship game vs. Forge FC on Aug. 27, 2004, and his first goal in MLS since June 15, 2024, vs. the Chicago Fire. He now has 19 goals in 72 appearances in all competitions for Toronto (15 in 62 MLS games). 

Insigne finished Saturday's game with a game-high three shots on target and two key passes. He also helped out on the defensive end of things by registering two tackles. 

Insigne's $15.4-million US contract was second only to Inter Miami's Lionel Messi in MLS last season. The Italian's salary has been like an anchor around the team's neck as he hasn't come close to living up to his contract since coming to MLS. But Robin Fraser defended Insigne's relative lack of offensive production while heralding his performance on Saturday. 

"His intelligence and understanding of what's happening on the field offensively and defensively, I think is underestimated. And I think people just look at the money and look at the score sheet and go, 'Oh, he hasn't done this. He hasn't done that.' But I thought his intelligence in managing the game offensively and defensively, moving players around to where we needed specific things done, I thought it was really a very, very good performance for him," Fraser said. 

“And scoring a goal, again, it's like the cherry on top because I thought his performance was very, very good. And had he not scored the goal, I would still be lauding his intelligence and his decisions. But to score the goal is the kind of the ultimate way to cap off what was a good game." 

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Perfect counterattack leads to Reds' opening goal  

At the start of the season Robin Fraser talked about the importance of being a threat on the counterattack. Teams in modern-day MLS make it increasingly harder for opponents to break them down by defending in deep blocks, so you have to be able to score in moments of transition. 

We saw a textbook example of a perfectly executed counterattack from TFC in their first goal on Saturday. 

It all started with a D.C. corner kick that Deybi Flores intercepted with a header deep inside of his penalty area before playing a short pass to Lorenzo Insigne. With acres of open space in front of him, the Italian immediately shifted the ball out wide to the left for Theo Corbeanu who went on a darting run down the wing while being chased by D.C.'s Aaron Herrera. At the same time, Insigne went on a lung-busting run down the middle of the pitch. 

Once Corbeanu arrived at the edge of the penalty area he delivered a dangerous cross to the 12-yard spot inside the penalty area where a diving Insigne connected on a header, directing the ball past a diving Luis Barraza and just inside the far post. 

It took TFC just 14 seconds to go up the field and score from the time that Flores first won the ball inside his penalty area.  

Robin Fraser described it as a "well-worked goal." 

"I felt like even as the play was developing, the commitment that we had in getting numbers forward and getting numbers in the box was very evident. ... When we do good things, then there's real commitment that at the end of it, something good is going to happen. And I think that was a real example of not only the run down the line and the service, but the commitment to get numbers in the box," Fraser said.  

"And that's what you have to have. It's a tough league and no one's giving you goals, and you have to be willing to push a little and hurt a little to create a goal scoring opportunity. And I thought this was one of those occasions where guys were just so committed in that moment that the goal was so deserved." 

(Top photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

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