TFC Republic Weekly: September 22-28

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 records 6th straight draw; now winless in 8 games

Make it six draws in a row for Toronto FC. Stalemates have become a speciality for TFC who once again came out all even this past Saturday courtesy of a come-from-behind 1-1 draw vs. the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field.  

Canadian international Richie Laryea scored the equalizer for Toronto (5-13-12) who extended their winless run to eight games, its previous victory coming in a 1-0 road decision over San Diego FC on July 16.

The Reds showed plenty of grit in grinding things out in a professional road performance that allowed them to earn a credible point against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. At the same time, and at the risk of beating a dead horse, TFC’s lifeless attack continues to be their biggest problem. Had Toronto shown a bit more imagination and courage in the final third, it could’ve taken all three points on offer.

"It's not the result we want. But at the end of the day, I'm looking at the progress and the growth of the group, and every week, I feel more and more encouraged about the progress and where we're headed," coach Robin Fraser said after Saturday's match.

"I just feel like our group understanding has gotten so good, and we just see guys fight and fight for each other. And for me, that's a great place to be. I know it's not ultimately what we want, but it's moving us in the direction of what we want."

Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew: 3 takeaways

A professional road performance allowed TFC to take a point in Ohio, but they still can’t find a way to get over the hump.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

Both Gavran and Johnson to get playing time

Luka Gavran made a fabulous save on Andrés Herrera's shot angled for the top right corner from inside the box deep into injury time to help Toronto FC earn a draw in Columbus on Saturday.

It was Gavran's second consecutive start for the Reds and third of the MLS season – his first came in an impressive road draw against the Philadelphia Union last month. Gavran was also in net when TFC lost to CF Montreal in the first round of the Canadian Championship in April.

Robin Fraser said he wanted to give some playing time to Gavran late in the season in order to keep him sharp. So, don't be surprised if he sees more action over the course of the Reds' final four games of the campaign.

"I think we're going to continue to make sure that we look at both. I think Sean has had an absolutely fantastic year. I've said it so many times, the fact that he's not in the [U.S.] national team shocks me, because what he did for the first half of the season, it was unbelievable. And I say the first half of the season because I think in the second half of the season, we have been better as a group," Fraser said ahead of the Columbus match.

He added: "Sean's had a fantastic year, and he will play more. Luka will play some as well. And I think we have a really, really good group of goalkeepers, and certainly want to give them opportunities."

Reader mailbag: Early returns on Djordje Mihailovic at TFC?

Toronto FC have invested a lot in the new DP who has shown well so far and promises to be even better once he’s fully settled in.

TFC REPUBLICJohn Molinaro

TFC vs. Inter Miami on Saturday      

Toronto FC returns to action when it hosts Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET/TSN & Apple TV). 

Miami (15-6-7) sits fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 25-point edge on Toronto, and nine points above the 10th-place New York Red Bulls who are chasing the final playoff berth in the East.

The Herons are coming off back-to-back home wins, including a 3-2 victory over D.C. United in which Messi scored a brace and added an assist.

"It was an important victory. We won the six points we needed to win at home. We've gone up, we still have several games left to get us [higher up the table]," coach Javier Mascherano said.

Messi has a league-leading 22 goals this season (tied with LAFC's Denis Bouanga). Messi also has a team-high 12 assists. Other key contributors for Miami this season are Tadeo Allende (eight goals, one assist), Telasco Segovia (seven goals, five assists) and Luis Suárez (six goals, 10 assists).

Not surprisingly, Miami boasts the league's best attack with 60 goals. It can clinch a playoff berth with a win or draw on Wednesday when it visits New York City FC.

RELATED READING: Newsletter || Features || Match reports || Opinion || Q&As || Videos || News || Transactions || TFC 2 ||

Stories to look out for at TFC Republic  

Toronto FC pulled off a big trade last month when it sent Matty Longstaff to CF Montreal. A regular starter in 2024 in his debut MLS campaign under John Herdman, the English midfielder fell down the depth chart at the beginning of this season when Robin Fraser took over before getting regular starts and playing time right before the trade. How does Longstaff look back upon his time at TFC? I recently chatted one-on-one with Longstaff to get his take on the trade. Look for my feature story to run later this week.    

Other stories that will be published later this week include:                      

• A TFC notebook column after Tuesday or Wednesday's training session (or possibly after Thursday's practice).     
• A piece on the four stories to watch for this week.     
• In-depth pre- and post-game coverage of Toronto's match vs. Inter Miami.           
• A new audio interview piece with Alex Windley of The Heron's Nest ahead of Saturday's game vs. Miami  
• 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)

TFC Republic has a comments section! At the very bottom of every story, there is a feature where you can post your comments, so be sure to share your thoughts and views.