TFC Republic Weekly: October 6-12
A rare trip out west for a midweek match vs. LAFC will see Toronto FC test itself against one of the best clubs in MLS.
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...
An MLS-record extending 8th straight draw for TFC
Outplayed by the playoff-bound Chicago Fire for most of the game, Toronto FC managed to scratch out a come-from-behind 2-2 draw at Soldier Field on Saturday in a contest that had a wild ending.
Toronto benefitted from a first half own-goal and then after trailing late was given a lifeline in the form of a Djordje Mihailovic penalty deep into injury time to register its league-record extending eighth consecutive draw. TFC (5-13-14) are now winless in their last 10 matches with their previous victory coming on July 16 away to San Diego FC.
The Reds continue to impress on the defensive side of things as they put in a very professional road performance against a high-scoring opponent on Saturday. You also have to give them a lot of credit for sticking with it to take something out of this game, much like they did against other top teams the last two months, including Inter Miami, the Columbus Crew (twice) and Supporters' Shield champions Philadelphia Union.
At the same time, the Reds' toothless attack continues to be a major problem, as evidenced by their rather anaemic display on Saturday. Coach Robin Fraser chose to see the glass as half full, impressed with how his side never gave up against Chicago.
“The effort was fantastic. I thought the first half, we were very good; very solid defensively, created a couple of good opportunities, obviously got the goal. And the second half, I didn't react to their [formation] adjustment quickly enough, and it led to a pretty chaotic second half,” Fraser told reporters after the game.
John Molinaro
Toronto FC signs TFC 2 defender Stefan Kapor
Toronto FC announced last Friday the signing of defender Stefan Kapor to an MLS contract as a homegrown player through 2029 with a club option for 2030. He will join Toronto's roster when his contract becomes effective on Jan 1, 2026.
The young defender, considered one of the club's brightest prospects, becomes the 38th player in club history to sign for the first team from the youth academy. At age 16, he is also the second youngest player in Toronto FC history to sign with the senior team.
Kapor, from Stoney Creek, Ont., inked his first pro contract with TFC 2 prior to the start of the current MLS NEXT Pro campaign after coming up through the TFC youth academy. TFC 2 coach Gianni Cimini raves about Kapor, heralding "his demeanour and ability to compete" for someone so young.
"He has certain things he has to work on, like defending the space in behind ... but he's never shied away from challenges because of where he's at physically or because of his age. He's always a guy that steps up," Cimini offered.
Kapor earned three appearances for the Young Reds last season while still an academy player, making his club debut as a 15-year-old against New York City FC II on Sept. 11, 2024. He's made 11 appearances (all starts) for the Young Reds during the 2025 campaign.
TFC's newest signing originally joined the youth academy as a 13-year-old in 2022 and went on to play at the under-14, under-15, under-18 and under-19 levels.
John Molinaro
TFC 2 misses out on playoffs on last day of the season
TFC 2 were one of five teams vying for the last two MLS NEXT Pro playoff berths in the Eastern Conference going into the final day of the regular season on Sunday.
A win by TFC 2 away to New York Red Bulls 2, coached by Michael Bradley, would have secured the club its second playoff berth in club history. Instead, the Young Reds came up short in a 2-1 loss.
TFC 2 (10-12-6) finished ninth in the East, one spot and one point behind Carolina Core FC who clinched the last post-season berth.
The team's only other playoff appearance came in 2022 when it lost to eventual league champions Columbus Crew 2 in the Eastern Conference final.
John Molinaro
TFC vs. LAFC on Wednesday
Toronto FC returns to action when it visits LAFC on Wednesday (10:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV).
Los Angeles (16-7-8) has won five consecutive matches, including a 1-0 home result vs. Atlanta United on Sunday. Gabon international Denis Bouanga scored his league-leading (tied with Lionel Messi) 24th goal of the campaign to help LA secure a top-four spot in the Western Conference.
The Black and Gold currently sit fourth in the West with 56 goals, two points adrift of Minnesota United, and four points off the pace of the Vancouver Whitecaps and San Diego FC. But LA have at least one game in hand on all three teams, so it still has a very good chance of winning the Western Conference.
Coach Robin Fraser confirmed last week that Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea and Derrick Etienne Jr will be unavailable due to national team duty.
"I don't anticipate having them," Fraser said.
He added: "I've looked at the dates closely, but I just know it's an international window, and a lot of players are going to be missing all throughout the league, and I think we'll be missing those three."
Osorio and Laryea will be away with Canada who'll play friendlies vs. Australia (Oct. 10 in Montreal) and Colombia (Oct. 14 in New Jersey). After a lengthy international absence, Etienne Jr has been recalled by Haiti for its pair of World Cup qualifiers vs. Nicaragua (Oct. 9) and Honduras (Oct. 13).
John Molinaro
CanMNT vs. Australia on Friday
After briefly being omitted from Canada's squad, Jonathan Osorio is being brought back into the men's national team fold.
Coach Jesse Marsch recently named his 24-man roster for the Canadians' pair of upcoming friendlies and included in the squad are Osorio and his Toronto FC teammate Richie Laryea.
Canada, ranked No. 26 in the world by FIFA, will face No. 25 Australia (Oct. 10 in Montreal) and No. 13 Colombia (Oct. 14 in Harrison, New Jersey).
Osorio, 33, wasn't called up for the September international window that saw Canada earn a 3-0 win over Romania in Bucharest and a 1-0 win against Wales in Swansea. Prior to this month, Osorio was one of Marsch’s most trusted players, having played in 17 of the 21 games that the American coach oversaw since his appointment last May, including appearances in all six matches at the 2024 Copa América.
In explaining his decision to recall the TFC midfielder, Marsch said he wanted "to continue to involve him and make sure that he knows how important he is."
"He has been playing very well for TFC, and although it's been a really tough year, I think he's shown his importance, his leadership, his experience, and he's performing at an incredibly high level right now. So, that's the first part; everyone has to earn the opportunity to go to the World Cup next year, and Oso is doing that with his performances," Marsch said.
Note: I will be at Stade Saputo in Montreal to cover Friday's game between Canada and Australia, so be sure to visit TFC Republic all weekend in order to check out our special on-site coverage.
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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
With only two games remaining in the season, GM Jason Hernandez will soon turn his full attention to reshaping Toronto FC's squad over the course of what is shaping up to be the most important off-season in the club's history. I'll take an in-depth look at TFC's current roster and the job that Hernandez has on his hands. Look for my feature story to run later this week.
Other stories that will be published later this week include:
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's match vs. LAFC.
- A new audio interview piece with LAFC beat reporter Trebor Tracy of Angels on Parade ahead of Wednesday's game.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Canada's match vs. Australia.
- A feature story on Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.
- The weekly TFC Random Thoughts column.
- A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.
- Regular "TFC Tidbits" stories throughout the week.
- The reader mailbag.
- The weekly TFC 2 report.
- 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.
(Top photo by Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)
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