TFC Republic Weekly: October 12-8
It's a make-or-break week for Toronto FC with two games against Eastern Conference rivals that could seal its playoff fate.
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...
TFC pull out late, dramatic win in 4012 Derby
Toronto FC looked to be dead and buried on Saturday, just minutes away from suffering what would’ve been a soul crushing loss to CF Montreal. But the Reds stuck with it and found another gear.
Substitutes Lewis Morgan and Djordje Mihailovic scored deep into injury time to erase a one-goal deficit and lift TFC to a dramatic 2-1 victory over their bitter rivals at BMO Field in the latest edition of the 401 Derby.
The win snapped a three-game losing skid and allowed Toronto (7-10-11) to move up two places to 11th in the Eastern Conference, four points and two spots below the playoff line with six games remaining in the regular season.
Coach Robin Fraser looked like a man who had the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders during the post-match press conference.
"I feel like I talk so much about the resilience of the group, and once again we see it. The effort down the stretch; I actually thought for most of the game we played quite well. ... Really proud of the group; it was a great win. But we know we have more to do," Fraser said.
John Molinaro
Mihailovic returns, Yarbrough debuts
Sidelined for a month due to a hamstring injury, Djordje Mihailovic marked his comeback for Toronto FC in the most dramatic fashion on Saturday.
Lewis Morgan drew TFC level with his first goal for the club deep into injury time before Mihailovic found the back of the net moments later to seal the comeback for the Reds. The DP midfielder missed the previous four games while recovering from his latest injury setback and hadn’t played for the Reds since a 4-4 home draw vs. the Chicago Fire on Sept. 9.
The game also took an interesting turn before the midway point of the first half when TFC goalkeeper Luka Gavran crashed to the ground inside his box under a challenge from Prince Owusu. Gavran tried to play on for a few minutes but had to be subbed off in the 23rd minute with a leg injury.
Gavran's premature exit meant backup William Yarbrough had to take his place. Not only was it Yarbrough’s debut for Toronto since signing with the club in off-season, but it was also his first taste of MLS action since Sept. 21, 2024, with the San Jose Earthquakes, as he didn’t play a single minute last season as a member of the MLS Cup champions Inter Miami.
Yarbrough, 37, overcame some rustiness to put in a solid performance as he ended up making six saves, denying star DP forward Alexis Sánchez and former TFC midfielder Matty Longstaff on dangerous scoring opportunities.
John Molinaro
No moves prior to the MLS roster free date
Toronto FC didn't make any moves prior to last week's MLS roster freeze date when clubs had to submit their final 30-man rosters for this season. Team rosters are now set in stone through to the day after the MLS Cup final, subject to the league's "extreme hardship" rule.
The MLS secondary transfer window closed on Sept. 2. which means clubs couldn't make any transfer signings, trade for players with other MLS teams, or arrange any loan deals for incoming players.
However, teams could still loan or sell a player to a non-MLS club, subject to the receiving club's applicable federation transfer window, provided such moves take place before Oct. 9.
MLS teams could also still sign free agent players who are unattached. MLS teams were also still able to make trades with each other that don't involve players – draft picks, international roster spots, general allocation money (GAM) and other assets.
John Molinaro
2 games for TFC this week
The win over CF Montreal moved Toronto up two spots in the Eastern Conference standings to 11th place.
However, TFC (7-10-11) remained four points below FC Cincinnati (9-9-9) who hold down the ninth and final playoff berth with a game in hand on the Reds.
Toronto hosts Orlando City SC on Wednesday and then travels to play the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. With two games in quick succession against conference rivals, TFC are facing a make-or-break week that could seal its fate as a playoff contender.
Four to six points would keep the Reds in the thick of the playoff race while anything less than that would pretty much kill off their chances of ending their post-season drought.
Toronto and New York played to a 1-1 draw at BMO Field on March 14 while TFC dropped a 3-0 road decision to Orlando last month.
John Molinaro
CanWNT vs. Denmark on Monday in Toronto
The Canadian women's team closes out the October international window when it faces Denmark on Monday at BMO Field in the finale of the two-game series between the nations.
Last Friday in Montreal, Oliva Smith changed the complexion of the game when she came off the bench after 45 minutes, netting a late equalizer and then scoring again in an unofficial 4-2 penalty shootout win for Canada. Shelina Zadorsky, Delaney Baie Pridham and Kaylee Hunter also scored in the shootout for Canada.
Fullback Allysha Chapman will play in her 100th and final international match for Canada on Monday. She will become the 24th member of the Canadian women's team to reach the 100-cap mark.
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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
The list of homegrown players who have left Toronto FC over the last few years is a long one and includes Ralph Priso, Jayden Nelson and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty. Why have so many of them left? And what does TFC have to do to make sure talented prospects stay longer and prosper at the club? I recently asked Robin Fraser about this. Look for my feature story in the coming days. (Note: This story was supposed to be published last week but was pushed back. Apologies for the delay. – John)
Other stories that will be published this week include:
- A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's game vs. Orlando City Sc.
- An audio interview piece with Mike Gramajo of WESH 2 News ahead of Wednesday's home game vs. Orlando City SC.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's match vs. Orlando.
- An audio interview piece with Michael Battista of the New York Soccer Journal ahead of Saturday's road game vs. the New York Red Bulls.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's match vs. New York.
- The latest Random Thoughts column.
- Regular "TFC Tidbits" news stories throughout the week.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Canadian women's team's match vs. Denmark.
- 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).
