The road back to respectability proving to be a long one for Toronto FC

Winnipeg Free Press

23-05-2025

TORONTO – A record 6-1 win at rival CF Montreal last time out and the possible return of captain Jonathan Osorio from injury for Saturday's visit by Nashville SC offer hope for beleaguered Toronto FC fans.
But the road back to respectability is proving to be a long one for Toronto (3-7-4).
Saturday's game is the 600th regular-season outing for the franchise, which has compiled a 180-264-155 record since entering Major League Soccer in 2007. Eighty-five of those wins came between 2015 and 2020, when Toronto made the playoffs five out of the six seasons — its only post-season appearances to date.
Toronto reached the MLS Cup final in 2016, '17 and '19, hoisting the trophy in 2017 when it also won the Canadian Championship and Supporters' Shield (for the best regular-season record).
TFC's regular-season record is 33-82-35 since last making the playoffs in 2020.
Poor weather and inconsistent play have not done much to entice fans to come out this season.
Once considered a leader in fan support in MLS, Toronto currently ranks 17th in the 30-team league, averaging 20,662 over its six home league matches this season. The last home game, a 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati on May 14, drew a season-low 14,018.
'I think if you win games, fans are going to come. End of story,' said Robin Fraser, in his first year as Toronto coach. 'If you win games, people will come back. And people will continue to come.'
Steps are being taken off the field in the interim. Costco members are being offered two tickets in the upper East Stand of BMO Field for a discounted total price of $74.99.
But MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley gave the MLS club a vote of confidence Friday when he met with the media to discuss the decision to part ways with Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan in the wake of the NHL team's disappointing second-round playoff loss,
'I am totally confident that TFC is headed in the right direction … TFC's going to contend for championships every year,' said Pelley, who took charge of MLSE in April 2024. 'I have the utmost confidence in (GM) Jason Hernandez.'
Hernandez has seen the good and the bad of the soccer club, having played for Toronto in 2017 and '18 before joining the front office in 2019 as manager for player engagement. He was promoted to GM from assistant GM in June 2023.
Nashville seems a fitting opponent for Saturday's milestone game since it was the opposition in the 2020 post-season. Then an expansion side that finished seventh in the Eastern Conference, Nashville upset second-place Toronto 1-0 in extra time on a Daniel Rios goal in the 108th minute.
Nashville (7-4-3) entered weekend play in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, nine places and 11 points ahead of Toronto.
Nashville defeated fifth-place Orlando City 3-2 Wednesday in U.S. Open Cup round-of-16 play, extending its unbeaten streak in all competitions to seven games (5-0-2).
Osorio looks poised to see some minutes after missing the last four games since suffering a partially dislocated shoulder early on in the Telus Canadian Championship penalty shootout loss to Montreal on April 30.
'Oso will be available (Saturday),' said Fraser.
Defenders Richie Laryea, Raoul Petretta, Nicksoen Gomis and Kobe Franklin, midfielder Markus Cimermancic and forward Deandre Kerr likely all remain out.
Fraser says Petretta and Cimermancic are both close to returning, with Laryea also making good progress. Kerr and Franklin are both dealing with high ankle sprains, while Gomis is recovering from Achilles surgery.
After a 0-4-4- start to the season, Toronto has gone 3-3-0 in league play. Fraser says while the lopsided win over Montreal was obviously welcome, it has also increased the pressure on the club not to lose ground.
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'We still have a lot of games to go this season. We still have a lot of work to make up for, and not a great start. If we want to be competitive and we want to get to the post-season, we have to come off a game like Montreal and show that it's not a one-off. And we have to be able to repeat that sort of intensity, decision-making with the ball … We still need to progress from here.'
Nashville holds a slight edge over Toronto in career meetings with a 3-2-3 record in regular-season games as well as the 2020 playoff win.
Nashville, whose roster includes former TFC players Jacob Shaffelburg and Daniel Lovitz, is unbeaten in its previous four games with Toronto (2-0-2) dating back to a 4-3 loss in August 2022. Toronto's last home win over Nashville was a 2-1 decision in September 2021.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2025