TFC Republic Weekly: September 1-7
A fourth consecutive draw on the weekend allowed Toronto FC to temporarily stave off elimination from the playoff race.
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 4th consecutive draw
At this point in the season, it’s about the small consolations for Toronto FC.
A 1-1 stalemate vs. CF Montreal on Saturday before an announced crowd of 27,076 at BMO Field allowed TFC to record their fourth consecutive draw and officially eliminate their bitter rivals from playoff contention.
Captain Jonathan Osorio scored a late equalizer for Toronto who won the regular season series against Montreal by taking four out of a possible six points. That’s where the silver linings ended on the night for the Reds who extended their winless run to six games (two losses) and who haven’t won a game since earning a 1-0 road decision over San Diego FC on July 16.
TFC (5-13-10) dropped one spot to 13th place in the Eastern Conference and remained barely alive in the playoff race with six games left in the regular season. But a fifth consecutive year without a post-season berth is a formality for the Reds – it’s only a matter of when it’ll become official.
It’s not difficult to figure out why the Reds find themselves in this position. Goal scoring has been the major issue all season, as they have the second worst attack in the league with just 28 goals in 28 games.
John Molinaro
Osorio says club is 'heading in the right direction'
The stalemate against Montreal was the club's fourth in a row and extended the club's winless run to six consecutive games. Toronto has just a single victory to its credit over its last nine outings – and it scored one goal or less in each of those contests.
Yet, captain Jonathan Osorio has seen improvement on the pitch from the side as the summer has progressed, as the club remains competitive and earned impressive draws away to the Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew, two of the best teams in the East.
He's also feeling a sense of optimism over the roster moves that club GM Jason Hernandez made during the summer transfer window with the additions of new Designated Player Djordje Mihailovic, young forward Jules-Anthony Vilsaint and veteran midfielder José Cifuentes.
"With the moves that are being made and the players that have come in, I think definitely the club is heading in the right direction. I think there's still a lot of work to be done and within this group right here that we have for the rest of the season, we are improving," Osorio said.
"We need to find a way to get three points. I think we've deserved in a lot of these games in the last few games, we got to find a way to now turn these kinds of half chances into or good chances into goals. I think that's what we're missing right now.
"But yeah, we're playing a lot better. We feel more in control of games, and we just want to keep improving as the season goes into the last stretch. And then this off season's going to be an important one."
John Molinaro
José Cifuentes looks to play key role in Reds rebuild
José Cifuentes, acquired on Aug. 22 by TFC on loan from Rangers of the Scottish Premiership, made his debut for the club when he was subbed on in the second half vs. Montreal.
The Ecuadorian midfielder arrived in Toronto with his eyes wide open, knowing the club is in rebuilding mode and that much will be expected of him to help that process along on the pitch.
“I think when I first had the conversations with the team, I really liked what they told me. They had good ideas, the club is in a good shape, and I know they're rebuilding at the moment, so I’m just coming in to contribute as much as I can. [What] I learned from my time in Europe, at the end of the day that helped me a lot,” Cifuentes said through a translator.
“So, I'm just coming here to help the team and get help from my teammates to win titles and bring Toronto where they need to be back.”
John Molinaro
No game for Toronto FC this week
The latest FIFA international window which runs from Sept. 1-9 means Toronto FC doesn't have a game this week.
The Reds will be off until Sept. 13 when they visit the New England Revolution (7:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV).
"We'll take a few days off and then come back next week and work on a few things, especially if we don't have a game next weekend. It allows us to be a little bit more specific on a few things. And then the following week we'll be ramping up for the next one," Robin Fraser said after the Montreal match.
John Molinaro
CanMNT vs. Romania on Friday
Injured in the second game of the MLS season, Richie Laryea has rebounded nicely from a hamstring issue that sidelined him for three months to become a key fixture in Toronto FC’s starting 11.
Laryea was recognized for his efforts last week when he was named to Jesse Marsch’s latest roster for the Canadian men’s team’s pair of friendlies next month. But fellow TFC teammate Jonathan Osorio was left off Marsch’s 24-man roster.
Coming off a disappointing quarter-final exit at this year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, Canada will play Romania in Bucharest on Sept. 5 and Wales in Swansea on Sept. 9 in a pair of high-profile friendlies that it will use to prepare for next summer’s FIFA World Cup.
Laryea, 30, has been one of Marsch’s most trusted players, having played in 17 of the 21 games that the American coach has overseen since his appointment last May, including appearances in all six matches at the 2024 Copa América.
The TFC wingback has one goal and six assists in 65 matches (52 starts) for Canada since earning his first cap in 2019. His last assist came in a 6-1 win over Honduras at this summer’s Gold Cup where he played in three of Canada’s four games.
Canada is 28th in the FIFA world rankings (its highest ever ranking), sitting above both Wales (No. 31) and Romania (No. 48). Canada and Romania have never previously faced each other. Canada has a record of one win and two losses vs. Wales, including a 1-0 defeat in their previous encounter on May 30, 2004, in Wrexham.
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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
Still only 20 years old, goalkeeper Adisa De Rosario has packed in a lot during his brief pro career. The son of former TFC star Dwayne De Rosario enjoyed stints in the CPL and MLS NEXT Pro before signing a contract with the senior side prior to the start of the 2025 campaign. I recently chatted one-on-one with De Rosario about his time with TFC 2, trying to break through with the first team and his famous father. Look for my feature story to run later this week.
Other stories that will be published later this week include:
- A feature story on Toronto FC defender Sigurd Rosted.
- A feature story on TFC 2 coach Gianni Cimini.
- A new TFC Random Thoughts column.
- A new TFC Talk interview with beat reporter James Grossi.
- In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Canada's match vs. Romania.
- A Q&A with Canadian women's team coach Casey Stoney.
- 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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