TFC’s first home win of the 2026 MLS season
TFC began their second home game of the season as a continuation of the home opener the week earlier. The Reds’ players must have had limited sleep heading into the game just waiting for the referee’s whistle to take out their frustrations on another opponent.
Last week they gave up an equalizer to New York Red Bulls on the last play of the game, without the luxury of the referee whistle to restart the game when both teams were going back to the center circle.
However, unlike last week’s game, the Reds applied pressure on the ball from the opening whistle against the Columbus Crew. It was a combative situation in which it seemed like the Crew had done their homework and knew they were playing a frustrated team that was not going to take any prisoners.
TFC enjoyed the territorial advantage, but because of the game’s edgy nature, with no team willing to back down, possession was not pronounced enough to forecast a real advantage in terms of scoring.
However, it was during that early spell that Columbus caught TFC napping and countered down the left side, where Max Arfsten sent in a cross that found the head of Wessam Abou Ali, giving the Columbus Crew the 1-0 lead in the 4th minute of play.
It was yet another twist that TFC Head Coach Robin Fraser had to unravel after his team allowed a goal in the last second of last week’s match and gave up an opening goal in the first four minutes of the next game, both in front of the home crowd at BMO Field.
Coach Fraser had also changed the starting lineup from the previous encounter last weekend, giving the club’s new DP signing, Josh Sargent, DeAndre Kerr, and Alonso Coello starting assignments ahead of Zane Monlouis, Djordje Mihailovic, and Emilio Aristizábal.
It was Josh Sargent’s first start after he was brought in as a substitute in the last 20 minutes of last week’s game and compared to the run of play in last week’s game, Toronto FC seemed to be comfortable but not necessarily in control of the run of play in this game against the Columbus Crew.
The longer the game went on, the more it seemed there was a chance the Reds could have scored. However, the breakthrough that seemed close for the Reds never materialized, with a couple of fine saves here and there, that kept the Reds off the score sheet and into the break, trailing 1-0.
The game resumed in the second half as in the first; it seemed that Coach Robin Fraser might have addressed the occasional lapses in defensive coverage, as Toronto looked more compact moving forward, leaving little space for counters.
Toronto FC v Columbus Crew FC (c) Gerard Richardson
The Reds drew even, and the equalizer came from an unlikely source, but a welcome piece of the TFC’s offensive puzzle. It was Cifuentes who got TFC on the board in the 56th minute when he collected a right side set up pass from Daniel Salloi, and after putting it under quick control from the center of the box he delivered a right-footed shot into the far corner. It was the Ecuadorian international’s first career goal for the Reds after coming in from the Glasgow Rangers last August on loan.
The equalizer gave the Reds some momentum, but as the clock ticked into and beyond the 80th minute mark, the game grew tense and so were the Reds fans, who were cheering their team to avoid what would have been a disastrous if the Reds gave up a late goal.
20260321 Toronto FC v Columbus Crew FC (c) Gerard Richardson
However, it was the Reds who responded to their chants and took the 2-1 lead in the 83rd minute after Zimmerman’s header in a corner kick taken by TFC set play specialist, Djordje Mihailovic.
Then came the drama. Last week, the fourth official signaled 5 minutes of extra time in which the equalizer was scored, and in this game against Columbus, the fourth official signaled 9 minutes of time added on, which, one could imagine, seemed like an eternity to TFC supporters.
However, the progress from one week to another was evident. The Reds were not hanging on by a thread to secure the lead they never relinquished. They defended corners much better and the win was a huge boost heading into the FIFA window.
“Today, compared to last week, I thought we were much more aggressive _ earlier, higher up the field, and as a result, it made it very difficult for them to play out at times,” said TFC Coach Robin Fraser. “So, I was really proud of the engagement and the aggressive mindset.
“I think that set the tone for the entire game.”
Due to the international break, the Reds won’t be playing until April 4 when they host the Colorado Rapids at BMO Field.
TFC Draw Home Opener 1-1 with Red Bulls
Toronto FC had a game slip away in the last seconds of 5-minute time added on and settled for a 1-1 draw with a very young and inspired New York Red Bulls in their 2026 MLS Home Opener that kicked off at 1 pm on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at BMO Field in Toronto.
Coming off a 1-0 away win over Cincinnati, Toronto FC Head Coach Robin Fraser felt inclined to keep the same starting lineup from the previous weekend for the club’s 2026 MLS Home Opener.
TORONTO FC – Luka Gavran; Zane Monlouis (Derrick Etienne Jr. 46’), Walker Zimmerman, Benjamín Kuscevic; Richie Laryea, José Cifuentes (Josh Sargent 70’), Jonathan Osorio (C), Raheem Edwards (Kobe Franklin 82’); Djordje Mihailovic (Alonso Coello 87’), Dániel Sallói, Emilio Aristizábal (Deandre Kerr 46’)
Substitutes Not Used: William Yarbrough, Kosi Thompson, Lazar Stefanovic, Malik Henry
The Red Bulls match-up also marked the return of former TFC players Michael Bradley and Julian De Guzman in completely different roles for the Red Bulls. The former TFC captain, Bradley, is the Head Coach of the Red Bulls, while Julian De Guzman is the Head of Sport for the entire Club.
Together they seemed to have something going by playing young players who are performing well above their level. Red Bulls had greater ball possession and territorial play, and TFC were absorbing their offensive and taking advantage of the moments of inexperience in the Bulls’ finishing in the offensive third.
As is usually the case, Toronto caught Red Bulls napping on a fast break when Reds goalkeeper Luka Gavran’s sent an outlet pass from a quick taken free kick, that Djordje Mihailovic ran onto and picked up over the half on a one V one situation around the left flank and after three touches to control and create pace he sent a pass that beat the second defender for Dániel Sallói, who tapped over Red Bulls goalkeeper Horwath who was advancing to cut down the angle for a 1-0 lead in the 43rd minute.
This was Sallói’s second goal in back-to-back games following his game-winner against FC Cincinnati last weekend. It also marked Mihailovic’s first assist of the campaign and 10th goal contribution since joining TFC last August, while goalkeeper Gavran recorded the first assist of his Toronto FC career.
TFC goalkeeper Gavran had an excellent game amid the valiant defensive display required to keep the fiery Red Bulls’ offence at bay. On the Reds’ offensive side, the fans got a glimpse of the club’s DP signing in Josh Sargent, who made his debut as he entered the game with roughly 20 minutes left in regulation time.
It was sufficient time left in the game to assess Josh Sargent’s presence and awareness, both offensively and defensively, since the Red Bulls were looking for the equalizer and had the momentum. However, he did get a test of Red Bulls goalkeeper Evan Horwath with a decent shot at the 86th minute mark on a pass played in by substitute DeAndre Kerr.
The Red Bulls spoiled the imminent celebration when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored the equalizer in the 98th minute, which happened to be the last second of the 5-minute time added on for the 1-1 draw.
The draw leaves Toronto FC with a 4-game record of 4 points (1W-2L-1T) and 8th in the Eastern Conference standings while New York Red Bulls has 7 points (2W-1L-1T) and is ahead of TFC in 4th place in the East.
Toronto FC host the Columbus Crew on Saturday, March 21. Kick-off from BMO Field in Toronto, at 1:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast globally on Apple TV.
MEDIA NOTES
- Goalkeeper Luka Gavran recorded his first assist for Toronto FC.
- Gavran became the fifth goalkeeper in club history to record an MLS assist for the Reds, joining Stefan Frei, Joe Bendik, Alex Bono and Quentin Westberg.
- Josh Sargent made his TFC and MLS debut, becoming the fifth player to make his club debut during the 2026 Major League Soccer season.
- Richie Laryea made his 150th appearance for Toronto FC, becoming the 10th player in club history and the second active player, alongside Jonathan Osorio, to reach the milestone.
- With today’s result, Toronto FC’s MLS Home Opener record moves to 9W-7L-4T (31 points) through the Reds’ first 20 seasons.
TFC Playoff Journey 2026
TFC Playoff Journey II 2026
It is conceivable that the player moves Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) has been making since last summer, with its Toronto FC franchise, is moving towards making the MLS playoffs in 2026.
In 2025, the Reds won just 6 of 34 games, with 14 losses and 14 draws, for a total of 32 points. It came as no surprise that TFC finished the 2025 season 12th out of the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference with just 37 goals scored and 44 against. While the goal numbers should have been reversed, it was easier said than done, given what seemed like very soft, high (DP)-priced forwards who, quite honestly, could not handle the MLS physicality and athleticism with their predictable style of play.
TFC Signs DP Josh Sargent
The long-awaited move came in July 2025, with the release of the two Designated Players (DPs), which, from our (SSR) assessment, was long overdue. Since that time, the club has been cleaning house, signing 13 players, including Josh Sargent, and disclosed the following day that the club has acquired centre-back Benjamín Kuscevic from Brazilian club Fortaleza Esporte Clube (Second Division) on loan for the duration of the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) season, with an option to purchase.
With more moves to come, it sets the stage for an exciting 2026 season for the Reds’ supporters, since the last time MLSE was in such an awkward position of having to answer to the best fans in the MLS was at the end of the 2013 season.
TFC was on a 9-year playoff journey upon entering the MLS in 2007, and it seemed like Déjà vu in 2026: Back then, Reds fans were annoyed by the team’s dismal play and results; MLSE responded with the “Bloody Big Deal”, and we (SSR) began documenting the Club’s playoff journey.
TFC’s “Bloody Big Deal” was the signing of Michael Bradley and Jermaine Defoe to make the playoffs, but the only true definition was that the deal turned out to be bloody indeed.
Defoe left the city before the objective was met, and MLSE was left to clean up the mess, which, to their credit, they did well by signing Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco. And while the results were not immediate, they stayed the course until October 2015, when Toronto FC clinched its first-ever MLS playoff berth. The playoff drought ended under coach Greg Vanney, with a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls on October 14, 2015.
