Stars Soccer Review Archives 2025

Toronto FC  plays Columbus on Caribbean Heritage Night 

Coming off a 4-game road trip which ended with a hard-earned point against the Philadelphia Union last weekend that included an equalizer in the 90+1 minute from Deandre Kerr, Toronto FC returned home to BMO Field to face the Columbus Crew on Saturday, 16^th September 2025 for its Caribbean Heritage Night.

 Gerard Richardson[/caption]

 Toronto FC uses the annual Heritage Night to pay tribute to the culture and contributions of Caribbean Canadians, transforming the matchday experience into a showcase of unity, pride and vibrant traditions with DJ music and steel pan music during the game from Toronto FC’s supporters club, called Tribal Rhythm Nation

It is one of the few Toronto FC games Stars Soccer Review or Caribbean Stars have been accredited, and quite frankly, it may have had everything to do with Caribbean Heritage Night. However, everyone is aware that Caribbean Stars is and has been the #1 representation and driving force behind the contributions that the Caribbean community has made to the promotion of the beautiful game of soccer in Canada, and it will all be seen in Stars Soccer Review coverage of Toronto Caribbean Soccer History, FIFA World Cup Experience, Preview to World Cup 2026 and the FIFA World Cup Canada soccer magazines.

In the game on Saturday, Columbus had the better of ball possession and territorial play and took the lead on Diego Rossi’s goal in the 8th minute of play. However, from my vantage point, it seemed like on the other side of the ball, without the high-priced Designated Players (DPs) Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi missing from the team, there was less complaining and more of a desire and determination in the Toronto FC team play that was non-existent when the high rollers were in Toronto.

 Toronto FC came from behind with a late equalizer against Philadelphia in their last game, and in this, it was apparent that the team felt it was possible when newly acquired left-footed player Jules-Anthony Vilsaint equalized in the 77th minute from a Djordje Mihailovic cross

TFC ends the 2025 season with an impressive 4-2 win against Orlando

Stay Tuned!

Australia defeats Canada 1-0 in Montreal

AFC Toronto clinches NSL Supporters Shield

Canada faces Australia in the FIFA International friendly window

Canada is approaching the second of its three key phases in international friendlies for 2025. Each phase is designed to become progressively tougher, based on the opposition’s style of play and ranking. However, within the progression, Canada coach Jesse Marsch should have most of the answers to his question about the team and its character heading into the FIFA World Cup in 2026 as one of the host nations with Mexico and the United States

^{In the first phase of friendlies in June, Canada played 48th-ranked Romania and #31-ranked Wales, and with impressive play and positive results, Canada moved up two places on the FIFA ranking from # 28 to 26th.} The performances gave Canada men’s its highest ranking by any Canadian team in the history of the men’s ranking.

Canada Soccer and coach Jesse Marsh have been doing a fantastic job with the team since the climb on the FIFA ranking has been steady, and the performance and exposure of the team have been careful and calculated after what I thought was a sub-par Gold Cup experience that Coach Marsh had to have learnt more about himself than of his team.

“There are certain things we want to develop on the inside of our team to fully prepare us for what (the World Cup) next summer looks like,” Marsch told a news conference in Bucharest on Thursday. “One of them is about leadership and communication on the pitch. And then another one is we continue to push the entire squad and not just that we have good performances from the starting 11, but that we have good performances for the entire 90-plus minutes.”

Canada is set to host No. 24 Australia in Montreal, followed by a trip to Harrison, New Jersey, next Wednesday to face No. 14-ranked Colombia on Oct. 14th. The team will then host No. 25 Ecuador in Toronto to open the third phase of 2025 on November 13th. While in search of a final opponent for the November FIFA international.

“Six good matches,” said Marsch, but his immediate focus is definitely on Australia.

CONCACAF WCQ Group B Update

T&T 0 and Curacao 0

TFC Caribbean Heritage Night

20250816 Toronto FC v Columbus Crew (c) Gerard Richardson

Coming off a 4-game road trip which ended with a hard-earned point against the Philadelphia Union last weekend that included an equalizer in the 90+1 minute from Deandre Kerr, Toronto FC returned home to BMO Field to face the Columbus Crew on Saturday, 16^th September 2025 for its Caribbean Heritage Night.

Toronto FC uses the annual Heritage Night to pay tribute to the culture and contributions of Caribbean Canadians, transforming the matchday experience into a showcase of unity, pride and vibrant traditions with DJ music and steel pan music during the game from Toronto FC’s supporters club, called Tribal Rhythm Nation

It is one of the few Toronto FC games Stars Soccer Review or Caribbean Stars have been accredited, and quite frankly, it may have had everything to do with Caribbean Heritage Night. However, everyone is aware that Caribbean Stars is and has been the #1 representation and driving force behind the contributions that the Caribbean community has made to the promotion of the beautiful game of soccer in Canada, and it will all be in Stars Soccer Review coverage of Toronto Caribbean Soccer History, FIFA World Cup Experience and Preview to World Cup 2026 and the World Cup Canada magazines.

In the game on Saturday, Columbus had the better of ball possession and territorial play and took the lead on Diego Rossi’s goal in the 8th minute of play. However, from my vantage point, it seemed like on the other side of the ball, without the high-priced Designated Players (DPs) Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi missing from the team, there was less complaining and more of a desire and determination in the Toronto FC team play that was non-existent when the high rollers were in Toronto.

Toronto FC came from behind with a late equalizer against Philadelphia in their last game, and in this, it was apparent that the team felt it was possible when newly acquired left-footed player Jules-Anthony Vilsaint equalized in the 77th minute from a Djordje Mihailovic cross

The Reds have now scored a late equalizer in back-to-back games, and the way the season has unfolded thus far for Reds Coach Fraser and the entire squad, it is a positive to build on.

Toronto FC Coach Fraser on his team play after the opening kickoff

“Yeah, I thought we didn’t start off quite as sharply as we wanted. Obviously, we gave away a bad goal. But again, credit the group; they dug in, fought, and grew into the game, ….  “I just can’t say enough about the effort, and we’re starting to see more quality in the attacking part of the field ….  I just think the group is growing in confidence in each other, reading off each other ……… We are disappointed that we didn’t get three points. Columbus is a fantastic team, and they are difficult to contain, but overall, I thought it was a good performance’ said coach Fraser.

   AFC Continues to lead NSL, but?

202050817 AFC Toronto v Vancouver Rise FC, Norther Super League (c) Gerard Richardson

Stay Tuned

AFC Toronto leads NSL Standings

0250710 AFC Toronto v Ottawa Rapids FC (c) Gerard Richardson

AFC Toronto became the first team in the Northern Super League to earn a 4-game winning streak with its current run of form. Stay Tuned for the latest news in the Northern Super League

Canada Wins Canadian Shield

20250607 MNT Canada v Ukraine (c) Gerard Richardson

Canadian Shield Tourney at BMO

This June, four men’s national soccer teams will go head-to-head in The Canadian Shield, a new four country international tournament to take place in Canada, celebrating the global game. The new tournament will also prepare the teams for the biggest tournament in the world, to be hosted in North America next summer with six of those matches to be held in Toronto.

 Matches will be held on June 7 and 10 at BMO Field, featuring the men’s national soccer teams for Canada, Ukraine, Côte d’Ivoire and New Zealand, and is being presented by MLSE, SPORTFIVE, and MIB Sport Agency.

 “Toronto is preparing to play host to the biggest sporting event in the world next summer, and with it, brings the opportunity to make history,” said Keith Pelley, President & CEO of MLSE. “The Canadian Shield will not only give the Canadian Men’s National Team a chance to prepare against some of the best competition in the world, but it continues to build the excitement for the city and the global fans here of the ‘beautiful game’. We are grateful to the partners who have helped us bring this tournament to life, including the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto, and we look forward to welcoming the world-class teams from Ukraine, Côte d’Ivoire and New Zealand to our city in June.”

 The Canadian Shield will take place over two days, June 7 and 10 during the summer FIFA window, with two double headers hosted at BMO Field and a tournament champion crowned. The matches featuring Canada (ranked 31st in the world), Ukraine (ranked 25th), Côte d’Ivoire (ranked 46th) and New Zealand (ranked 89th) will be sold as double headers, with tickets for each day giving access to both games. Full tournament ticket packs will go on sale to the general public on March 21st at 2 p.m. ET at BMOField.com.

The tournament will award three points for a win, one point for a draw and two points for a shootout win. All matches will have a winner and games will go directly to penalties after 90 minutes (plus injury time).

“MIB Sport Agency and I, as a proud Canadian, are honored to have contributed to making this global event a reality, said Bamdad Mirzaei, FIFA Match Agent, MIB Sport Agency. “This tournament will bring together four top teams from four different continents, serving as a thrilling preview of the next World Cup, which will also take place partly on Canadian soil.”

Schedule:

• June 7: Canada vs. Ukraine – 3:30 p.m.; New Zealand vs. Côte d’Ivoire – 7 p.m.
• June 10: New Zealand vs. Ukraine – 5 p.m.; Canada vs. Côte d’Ivoire – 8:30 p.m.

AFC Toronto; hottest team in NSL 25-05-23

AFC Esther Okoronkwo Scores Twice as AFC Toronto Registers First Win in Team History

Nigerian international Esther Okoronkwo found the back of the net twice as AFC Toronto marked their first win in team history. The club’s 2-1 victory over
Calgary Wild FC took place on Toronto’s home pitch, York Lions Stadium, on a rainy Thursday, May 1. The resilience and aggression of AFC’s offence capitalized early, as Okoronkwo opened the scoring in the 26th minute, with an explosive go-ahead off a cheeky pass from Nikki Small. On a turnover from Victoria Pickett in the 53rd minute, it would be Okoronkwo again who used her pace and curved the ball over Calgary’s goalkeeper, Stephanie Bukovec. The Wild answered in the 85th minute with a notch from Meikayla Moore, but it was not enough to equalize the scrappy and tenacious AFC performance.
“It’s gonna be business as usual. We’re gonna enjoy it tonight and then, tomorrow, we’re getting ready for the next one,” said Marko Milanovic, Head Coach.                  “It’s a long process. We know that. As important as results are for us in the short term, developing players and ensuring that players are growing and that we look better weekly is also just as important. So, yes, it feels good, but it’s just one game and we move on.”
“We haven’t won a game, and it was refreshing – being up two-zero (at one point), we needed it.
[Marko] also told us to keep going and keep fighting,” said Esther Okoronkwo. “Obviously, it’s a credit to my teammates, being around me telling me to go and just giving me a hundred percent and whatever I could do to get on the ball – I’ll get on the ball and try to help my team go forward.”
Next, Toronto takes on Vancouver Rise FC, continuing a homestand at York Lions Stadium on Sunday, May 11 at 2 p.m. ET.
ESTHER OKORONKWO: The Nigerian striker scored the first and second goal of her Northern Super League career

AFC Toronto kickoff NSL Season

TFC Wins First Game of 2025

Congratulations to the Reds and Coach Robin Fraser on winning their first game of what is expected to be a long and arduous MLS season. Toronto defeated Real Salt Lake 1-0 on a goal scored by Theo Corbeanu in the 9th minute of play at America First Field Stadium in Utah on Saturday, April 19th, 2025.

Coach Fraser’s record now stands at 1-4-4, and it seems like the Reds players have slowly bought into his defensive philosophies and coverage with a focus on scoring The Reds are a bit short in their offensive exploits and has scored just 8 goals in nine starts with 13 against.

“I think it was maybe four games ago that we talked about this “bend but not break” mentality. And I felt like that was really indicative of what happened today. And I’m really proud of the fact that we gave up 12 goals in our first five games and in our last four we’ve given up one. It just speaks to the level of commitment and engagement that the players are now playing with. And if you continue to do that, you give yourselves chances to win games,” said TFC Coach Fraser.

Canada defeated the USA 2-1 for 3rd place at the CONCACAF Nations League 2025

 #10 Jonathan David celebrates scoring Canada’s winning goal against the USA in the 59th minute at the CONCACAF Nations League 2025. The third-place game was the first of the day’s doubleheader played at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles. David’s goal broke the 1-1 halftime deadlock after Tani Oluwasewyi gave Canada the lead in the 27th minute before Patrick Agyemang returned the favour for the USA in the 35th minute with the equalizer. However, the elusive Jonathan David, who received a square pass and created space for himself on his left foot in the congested USA penalty area, gave Canada the lead they never relinquished. With the 2-1 win, Canada secured the third-place prize and achieved another milestone in the country’s soccer history. Mexico defeated Panama in the championship final by the same 2-1 margin.

Soca Warriors head coach Dwight Yorke can take pride in his young team. They took advantage of a short-handed Cuba team when Cuba went down a man after midfielder Romario Torres was red-carded for dangerous play from a two-footed tackle on Andre Rampersad in just the second minute of play.

The Soca Warriors could not have asked for a better gift. It was the second leg of a home and away CONCACAF Gold Cup Preliminary match played in Trinidad on March 25th at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva after Trinidad and Tobago had won the first leg in Cuba 2-1.

Cuba had opened the scoring in the first match at home, and it is safe to say that the early red card to Cuba in the second match must have calmed the nerves of Trinidad and Tobago Coach Dwight Yorke somewhat.

Yorke made no bones at the press conference the previous day that he would have accepted any result as long as his team advanced, and a draw would have secured his team’s qualification for the Gold Cup championship finals.

However, watching his team miss several easy-scoring opportunities after the red card may have been unsettling, and a scoreless draw to advance was not a good result for his tenure as a coach.

Things got worse before they got better when his team captain, Kevin Molino, missed two glorious scoring opportunities. On the positive side, Spicer’s aggressive play down the left flank kept the Cuban defence under constant pressure.

Forward Isaiah Lee finally put any notion of an upset to rest when he opened the scoring and later gave the Soca Warriors the breathing room with a brace that sent the Warriors into the halftime break leading 2-0.

It was the first time in quite some time that the anxiety level of the Trinidad and Tobago supporters seemed to be in check. It was definitely due to the two-goal and the man advantage.

The Soca Warriors supporters’ appetite for goals was satisfied when captain Kevin Molino scored just after halftime, and substitute Nathaniel James added another one for the road, giving T&T a 4-0 victory.

BRIGHT START TO TFC’s HOME OPENER UNTIL…..

Saturday, March 25th, 2025, began with showers before the skies opened up for sunshine to celebrate the end of a terrible winter. It was a good sign for Toronto FC’s home opener in the Major League Soccer (MLS) against the Chicago Fire at BMO Field in Toronto.

That day also marked the return of Robin Fraser to Toronto. Robin enjoyed good times in Toronto but entered the game winless in three games, with one tie and two losses. Before joining Colorado Rapids, where he stayed for 5 seasons, he was an assistant coach under Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney for five seasons (2015-2019). During that time, the club was very successful on the field of play. Toronto FC won the first domestic treble in MLS league history by winning the MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, and the Canadian Championship in 2017. While qualifying for three MLS Cup Playoffs (2015, 2016, 2017), reached two MLS Cup Finals (2016, 2017) and was also part of the coaching staff that led TFC to capture three consecutive Canadian Championships (2016, 2017, 2018).

However, despite the winning experience in Toronto, Coach Fraser entered BMO Field with a winless start to his team’s first three. He looked forward to his first win in front of what is still regarded by many as the best fans in Major League Soccer.

Coach Fraser’s young team may also have anticipated their first win in front of the home crowd, and they were on the front foot from the kickoff after having possession at kickoff. For the first twenty minutes, it was all Toronto, and the team was rewarded when #29 Deandre Kerr won an aerial

challenge and scored with a beautiful goal (header) in the 11th minute. It was the best start for the home team, which enjoyed their first lead of the season.

Toronto FC’s left-footed players were taking the play to Chicago down the left side, with TFC’s wing-back Nicksoen Gomis is feeding Tyrese Spicer up front. It was a promising attack since Spicer was having some early success with his defenders, and at that point, it seemed like it would be a long afternoon for the visiting Chicago Fire team. However, it appears that the inexperienced TFC players either became anxious or lacked energy as Chicago began to take over the game’s momentum and systematically moved into attack mode. At that point, it seemed like there was a dogfight, and the battle began to work against the inexperienced Toronto team. The tables finally turned in the 30th minute when Chicago’s Andrew Gutman scored the equalizer with a left-footed piledriver that beat goalkeeper Johnson’s outstretched left hand into the last post. Gutman’s shot was from just outside the 18-yard box to the left. The goal resulted from a careless giveaway from a TFC player’s attempt to dribble his third opponent.

It was not the goal Toronto should have conceded when the game was beginning to slip, and an extra effort was needed to weather the storm. Chicago capitalized on the momentum change and took the lead in the 44th minute when Hugo Cuypers mopped up a rebound off TFC’s goalkeeper Johnson. Chicago went into halftime leading 2-0.

There was no scoring in the second half, although Chicago scored a goal that the referee disallowed. The VAR officials in the booth above determined that the goal deserved a second look. After further review, the goal was called back because of a Chicago player’s infringement (foul) during the scoring.

TFC’s Jules-Anthony Vilsaint screens off Columbus defender

The Reds have now scored a late equalizer in back-to-back games, and the way the season has unfolded thus far for Reds Coach Fraser and the entire squad, it is a positive to build on.

“Yeah, I thought we didn’t start off quite as sharply as we wanted. Obviously, we gave away a bad goal. But again, credit the group; they dug in, fought, and grew into the game, ….  I just can’t say enough about the effort, and we’re starting to see more quality in the attacking part of the field ….  I just think the group is growing in confidence in each other, reading off each other ……… We are disappointed that we didn’t get three points. Columbus is a fantastic team, and they are difficult to contain, but overall, I thought it was a good performance’ said coach Fraser.

AFC Ester Okoronkwo Scores Twice as AFC Toronto Registers First Win on Team History

Nigerian international Esther Okoronkwo found the back of the net twice as AFC Toronto marked their first win in team history. The club’s 2-1 victory over
Calgary Wild FC took place on Toronto’s home pitch, York Lions Stadium, on a rainy Thursday, May 1. The resilience and aggression of AFC’s offence capitalized early, as Okoronkwo opened the scoring in the 26th minute, with an explosive go-ahead off a cheeky pass from Nikki Small. On a turnover from Victoria Pickett in the 53rd minute, it would be Okoronkwo again who used her pace and curved the ball over Calgary’s goalkeeper, Stephanie Bukovec. The Wild answered in the 85th minute with a notch from Meikayla Moore, but it was not enough to equalize the scrappy and tenacious AFC performance.
“It’s gonna be business as usual. We’re gonna enjoy it tonight and then, tomorrow, we’re getting ready for the next one,” said Marko Milanovic, Head Coach.  “It’s a long process. We know that. As important as results are for us in the short term, developing players and ensuring that players are growing and that we look better weekly is also just as important. So, yes, it feels good, but it’s just one game and we move on.”
“We haven’t won a game, and it was refreshing – being up two-zero (at one point), we needed it.
[Marko] also told us to keep going and keep fighting,” said Esther Okoronkwo. “Obviously, it’s a credit to my teammates, being around me telling me to go and just giving me a hundred percent and whatever I could do to get on the ball – I’ll get on the ball and try to help my team go forward.”
Next, Toronto takes on Vancouver Rise FC, continuing a homestand at York Lions Stadium on Sunday, May 11 at 2 p.m. ET.
ESTHER OKORONKWO: The Nigerian striker scored the first and second goal of her Northern Super League career

AFC Toronto Kickoff NSL Season 2025

TFC Wins First Game of 2025

Congratulations to the Reds and Coach Robin Fraser on winning their first game of what is expected to be a long and arduous MLS season. Toronto defeated Real Salt Lake 1-0 on a goal scored by Theo Corbeanu in the 9th minute of play at America First Field Stadium in Utah on Saturday, April 19th, 2025. The Reds players have slowly bought into Coach Fraser’s defensive philosophies however,  Coach the team has scored just8 goals with 13 against and may have to continue to work on their scoring exploits now that they seemed to have their defensive coverage in sync. The Reds have just data filled the win column and record now stands at 1-4-4. Not a long way from .500 if they focus on creating scoring chances. However, in this game Toronto scored very early, and the stat sheet showed that it presented a challenge to provide continuity after eight  9yellow) cautions were issued and one ejection to Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna in the 61st minute.

“I think it was maybe four games ago that we talked about this “bend but not break” mentality. And I felt like that was really indicative of what happened today. And I’m really proud of the fact that we gave up 12 goals in our first five games and in our last four we’ve given up one. It just speaks to the level of commitment and engagement that the players are now playing with. And if you continue to do that, you give yourselves chances to win games,” said TFC Coach Fraser.

Canada defeat USA 2-1 for 3rd place at CONCACAF Nations League 2025

#10 Jonathan David celebrates scoring Canada’s winning goal against USA in the 59th minute at CONCACAF Nations League 2025. The third-place game was the first of the day’s doubleheader played at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles. David’s goal broke the 1-1 halftime deadlock after Tani Oluwasewyi gave Canada the lead in the 27th minute before Patrick Agyemang returned the favour for USA in the 35th minute with the equalizer. However, the elusive Jonathan David, who received a square pass and created space for himself on his left foot in the congested USA penalty area, gave Canada the lead they never relinquished. With the 2-1 win, Canada received the third-place prize and another milestone accomplishment in the country’s soccer history. Mexico defeated Panama in the championship final by the same 2-1 margin.

Soca Warriors head coach Dwight Yorke can be proud of his young team. They took advantage of a short-handed Cuba team after Cuba went down a man after midfielder Romario Torres was red-carded for a dangerous two-footed tackle on Andre Rampersad in the second minute of play.

The Soca Warriors could not have asked for a better gift. It was the second leg of a home and away CONCACAF Gold Cup Preliminary match played in Trinidad on March 25th at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva after Trinidad and Tobago had won the first leg in Cuba 2-1.

Cuba had opened the scoring in the first match at home, and it is safe to say that the early red card to Cuba in the second match must have calmed the nerves of Trinidad and Tobago Coach Dwight Yorke somewhat.

Yorke made no bones at the press conference the previous day that he would have accepted any result as long as his team advanced and a draw would have secured his team’s qualification for the Gold Cup championship finals.

However, watching his team miss several easy-scoring opportunities after the red card may have been unsettling, and a scoreless draw to advance was not a good result for his tenure as a coach.

Things got worse before they got better when his team captain, Kevin Molino, missed two glorious scoring opportunities. On the positive side, Spicer’s aggressive play down the left flank kept the Cuba defense under constant pressure.

Forward Isaiah Lee finally put any notion of an upset to rest when he opened the scoring and later gave the Soca Warriors the breeding room with a brace that sent the Warriors into the halftime break leading 2-0.

It was the first time in quite some time that the anxiety level of the Trinidad and Tobago supporters seemed to be in check. It was definitely due to the two-goal and the man advantage.

The Soca Warriors supporters’ appetite for goals was satisfied when captain Kevin Molino scored just after halftime, and substitute Nathaniel James added another one for the road, giving T&T a 4-0 victory.

Toronto FC Caribbean Heritage Night

Coming off a 4-game road trip which ended with a hard-earned point against the Philadelphia Union last weekend that included an equalizer in the 90+1 minute from Deandre Kerr, Toronto FC returned home to BMO Field to face the Columbus Crew on Saturday, 16^th September 2025 for its Caribbean Heritage Night.

Toronto FC uses the annual Heritage Night to pay tribute to the culture and contributions of Caribbean Canadians, transforming the matchday experience into a showcase of unity, pride and vibrant traditions with DJ music and steel pan music during the game from Toronto FC’s supporters club, called Tribal Rhythm Nation

It is one of the few Toronto FC games Stars Soccer Review or Caribbean Stars have been accredited, and quite frankly, it may have had everything to do with Caribbean Heritage Night. However, everyone is aware that Caribbean Stars is and has been the #1 representation and driving force behind the contributions that the Caribbean community has made to the promotion of the beautiful game of soccer in Canada, and it will all be in Stars Soccer Review coverage of Toronto Caribbean Soccer History, FIFA World Cup Experience and Preview to World Cup 2026 and the World Cup Canada magazines.

In the game on Saturday, Columbus had the better of ball possession and territorial play and took the lead on Diego Rossi’s goal in the 8th minute of play. However, from my vantage point, it seemed like on the other side of the ball, without the high-priced Designated Players (DPs) Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi missing from the team, there was less complaining and more of a desire and determination in the Toronto FC team play that was non-existent when the high rollers were in Toronto.

Toronto FC came from behind with a late equalizer against Philadelphia in their last game, and in this, it was apparent that the team felt it was possible when newly acquired left-footed player Jules-Anthony Vilsaint equalized in the 77th minute from a Djordje Mihailovic cross

TFC’s Jules-Anthony Vilsaint screens off Columbus defender

The Reds have now scored a late equalizer in back-to-back games, and the way the season has unfolded thus far for Reds Coach Fraser and the entire squad, it is a positive to build on.

“Yeah, I thought we didn’t start off quite as sharply as we wanted. Obviously, we gave away a bad goal. But again, credit the group; they dug in, fought, and grew into the game, ….  I just can’t say enough about the effort, and we’re starting to see more quality in the attacking part of the field ….  I just think the group is growing in confidence in each other, reading off each other ……… We are disappointed that we didn’t get three points. Columbus is a fantastic team, and they are difficult to contain, but overall, I thought it was a good performance’ said coach Fraser.

BRIGHT START TO TFC’s HOME OPENER UNTIL…..

Saturday, March 25th, 2025, began with showers before the sky opened up for the sun to get a break after what seemed like one of the worst winters in quite some time. A promising sign, no doubt, for Toronto FC’s home opener in Major League Soccer (MLS) against Chicago Fire at BMO Field in Toronto.

That day also marked the return of Robin Fraser to Toronto. Robin enjoyed good times in Toronto but entered the game winless in three games, with one tie and two losses. Before joining Colorado Rapids, where he stayed for 5 seasons, he was an assistant coach under Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney for five seasons (2015-2019). During that time, the club was very successful on the field of play. Toronto FC won the first domestic treble in MLS league history by winning the MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, and the Canadian Championship in 2017. While qualifying for three MLS Cup Playoffs (2015, 2016, 2017), reached two MLS Cup Finals (2016, 2017) and was also part of the coaching staff that led TFC to capture three consecutive Canadian Championships (2016, 2017, 2018).

However, despite the winning experience in Toronto, Coach Fraser entered BMO Field with a winless start to his team’s first three. He looked forward to his first win in front of what is still regarded by many as the best fans in Major League Soccer.

Coach Fraser’s young team may also have anticipated their first win in front of the home crowd, and they were on the front foot from the kickoff after having possession at kickoff. For the first twenty minutes, it was all Toronto, and the team was rewarded when #29 Deandre Kerr won an aerial challenge and scored with a beautiful goal (header) in the 11th minute. It was the best start for the home team, which enjoyed their first lead of the season.

Toronto FC’s left-footed players were taking the play to Chicago down the left side, with TFC’s wing-back Nicksoen Gomis feeding Tyrese Spicer up front. It was a promising attack since Spicer was having some early success with his defenders, and at that point, it seemed like it would be a long afternoon for the visiting Chicago Fire team. However, it appears that the inexperienced TFC players either became anxious or lacked energy as

Chicago began to take over the game’s momentum and systematically moved into attack mode. At that point, it seemed like there was a dogfight, and the battle began to work against the inexperienced Toronto team. The tables finally turned in the 30th minute when Chicago’s Andrew Gutman scored the equalizer with a left-footed piledriver that beat goalkeeper Johnson’s outstretched left hand into the last post. Gutman’s shot was from just outside the 18-yard box to the left. The goal resulted from a careless giveaway from a TFC player’s attempt to dribble his third opponent.

It was not the goal Toronto should have conceded when the game was beginning to slip, and an extra effort was needed to weather the storm. Chicago capitalized on the momentum change and took the lead in the 44th minute when Hugo Cuypers mopped up a rebound off TFC’s goalkeeper Johnson. Chicago went into halftime leading 2-0.

There was no scoring in the second half, although Chicago scored a goal that the referee disallowed. The VAR officials in the booth above determined that the goal deserved a second look. After further review, the goal was called back because of a Chicago player’s infringement (foul) during the scoring.