Toronto FC were looking to have a bounce-back year and return to championship contention after missing the playoffs last season despite having high expectations.
Those hopes quickly diminished when former head coach John Herdman stepped down from the position. His resignation was linked to investigations into Canada Soccer about the drone-spying scandal that occurred at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
A coach of Herdman’s quality and experience stepping down left the club with uncertainty heading into this season. It took the club over a month to find their new manager. On Jan. 10, the club announced Robin Fraser as the 15th head coach in franchise history. He was a former TFC assistant coach from 2015-2019, which included the club’s first and only MLS Cup victory in 2017.
In his opening press conference, Fraser said he was delighted to be back in Toronto and was looking forward to bringing this team back to being a championship contender.
“I’m incredibly delighted to be back in Toronto and back with TFC. This is a city and a club that are very near and dear to my heart,” Fraser said.
“The TFC fans are among the best in the league, and I’m so thankful to be a part of this group as we look forward to giving our fans something to be excited about. From top to bottom, this is a first-class organization, and I’m so looking forward to doing all that I can to help us compete for championships, year in and year out,” he said.
For TFC to have a bounce-back season, top players like Federico Bernardeschi, Lorenzo Insigne, Jonathan Osorio, and Richie Laryea need to have big seasons to spring the Reds into playoff contention for the first time since 2020.
Toronto FC started the season on the road with a 2-2 draw against D.C. United. Bernardeschi got on the score sheet in the first game of the season. Unfortunately for TFC, their next stretch of games did not go well at all. The club lost their next four games, and even worse, Laryea suffered a hamstring injury against Orlando City, which will keep him on the sidelines for four to six weeks.
Heading into this past Sunday’s game against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, the Reds were second last in the Eastern Conference, only ahead of fellow Canadian team, CF Montreal. It was a game that offered the team a huge momentum boost heading into the middle stretch of the season.
Bernardeschi opened the scoring in extra time in the first half, only to be scored on three minutes later by Messi. The game would end as a 1-1 draw, and TFC gained no ground in the standings.
The club still sits second last in the conference and is still looking for its first win of the season.
They need to turn their form around before it’s too late to make up points in the later stages of the season. Bernardeschi is tied for top scorer on the team with Deandre Kerr with two goals apiece. Bernardeschi is also tied for the most assists on the team, along with countryman Insigne with two assists.
After a fifth of the season, TFC technically still has a chance to climb back up the standings and potentially reach the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. Although TFC's start to the season hasn't been ideal, there are still plenty of games remaining to make up ground and potentially finish in a playoff spot for the first time since 2020. It's hoped their form can turn around in their next game against Minnesota on Saturday.
