TFC Republic Weekly: September 29-October 5
A visit to the Chicago Fire this weekend presents Toronto FC with another chance to win its first game since mid-July.
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...
Make it 7 draws in a row for Toronto FC
If only they awarded three points for moral victories, Toronto FC would be near the top of the table in MLS.
TFC more than held their own against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami by recording a come-from-behind 1-1 draw on Saturday before an announced crowd of 28,855 at BMO Field.
It was another moral victory instead of the genuine article for the Reds who continue to show plenty of grit and heart down the final stretch of the season even though they’ve been knocked out of playoff contention.
Messi registered an assist for Miami while DP Djordje Mihailovic scored his first goal for Toronto (5-13-13), who recorded its club record-extending seventh consecutive draw. The stalemate also extended the Reds’ winless run to nine games with their previous victory coming on July 16 in a 1-0 decision away to San Diego FC.
Coach Robin Fraser said he had so much pride in the way his team fought and made life so difficult for Miami.
"They're obviously such a good team, and the all-time best player ever played against us today. So, to get a point certainly feels there's a lot to feel good about there. I thought the effort of the group was really, really fantastic. Guys fought really hard; worked really hard," Fraser explained.
John Molinaro
Sean Johnson gets the better of Lionel Messi
Saturday's stalemate owed a lot to a man of the match effort from Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson who came up with a quartet of fantastic saves to keep Lionel Messi off the scoresheet.
"I just did what I could to keep the team in the match tonight," a modest Johnson told reporters after the game.
Miami boasts the league’s best attack (65 goals) but only managed one goal thanks largely to Johnson’s heroics between the posts. The official man-of-the-match trophy was awarded to Djordje Mihailovic during a post-game ceremony on the pitch, but he immediately handed it over to Johnson.
"I didn't actually know who got man of the match. It's not really something that's honestly important for me ... I appreciate [Mihailovic] sharing that, but it's not something that I'll ever put my hand up and ask for," Johnson offered.
Miami coach Javier Mascherano said: "I think [their] goalkeeper was the man of the match."
John Molinaro
Djordje Mihailovic making a good first impression
The buyouts of Italian DPs Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi left a big hole in Toronto FC’s roster over the summer.
But GM Jason Hernandez wasted little time in filling it as he acquired U.S. international midfielder Djordje Mihailovic in a blockbuster cash-for-player trade with the Colorado Rapids in early August. Both Hernandez and coach Robin Fraser boldly proclaimed the acquisition of their new DP as a major turning point by the Reds and didn't shy away from the fact that the club would be built around Mihailovic going forward.
Thus far, Mihailovic has proven to be a solid addition to TFC's roster, giving the team some attacking impetus with his sublime playmaking skills while simultaneously helping out on the defensive side. He recorded three assists through his first six games for Toronto before scoring his first goal for the club in last weekend's draw vs. Miami.
"I asked him to do something a little bit different tonight. He played more off the left side than in the middle. And this is, I've spoken so much about Djordje as a person, his willingness to do whatever is asked for the team, his unselfishness, the way he has worked and defended for the group as we continue to improve on the attacking end tonight, I asked him to do something slightly different and he did it, didn’t bat an eye," Robin Fraser said.
John Molinaro
TFC vs. Chicago Fire on Saturday
Toronto FC returns to action when it visits the Chicago Fire on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV).
Chicago (14-11-6) is clinging to the ninth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and is sitting on a five-point edge (with a game in hand) over the New York Red Bulls.
The Fire have won three of their last four games, including back-to-back shutout wins over Minnesota United and the Columbus Crew in their previous two outings.
Chicago boasts the third-best attack in MLS with 59 goals. Belgian forward Hugo Cuypers leads the way with 17 goals, while Danish midfielder Philip Zinckernagel (14) and U.S. international Brian Gutiérrez (eight) have also chipped in. At the same time, Chicago has struggled on the defensive end with 53 goals conceded (fourth worst in the Eastern Conference).
The Fire visit Inter Miami on Tuesday and can officially clinch a playoff berth with a win at Chase Stadium.
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Stories to look out for at TFC Republic
One of the reasons why many fans and pundits thought Toronto FC put one over on CF Montreal in the summer trade involving Matty Longstaff was because the Reds received Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, in addition to up to $275,000 US in general allocation money (GAM). Thus far the young forward has proven to be a decent pickup by the Reds, notably scoring in his debut for the club last month. I recently chatted one-on-one with Vilsaint about his time in Montreal, the trade that brought him to Toronto and much more. 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. the Chicago Fire.
- A new audio interview piece with Chicago Fire beat reporter Joe Chatz of On Tap Sports Net ahead of Saturday's game
- 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.
TFC Republic subscribers can get up to a 20% discount on ticket prices for Toronto FC home games during the 2025 MLS regular season and the Canadian Championship.
To receive the special promo code, email me at jmo1897@gmail.com
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