Pressure mounts for Toronto FC in wake of poor homestand

A nine-game homestand that looked promising at the start ended in despair for Toronto FC.   

TFC closed out its two-month residence at BMO Field last week with a 4-2 loss to Inter Miami, leaving the Canadian club winless in seven games across all competitions, with its last victory coming on April 4.  

The extended home stretch didn’t go quite to plan for Toronto — just 11 out of a possible 27 points — and it won't be back at BMO Field until mid-August with its next six contests coming on the road, starting with Saturday night’s affair vs. Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium. Next week, the Reds visit the Chicago Fire before MLS takes a month-and-a-half break for this summer’s FIFA World Cup. 

Toronto (3-4-5) sits 10th in the Eastern Conference with 14 points, one spot and one point out of a playoff berth. Over the last four seasons, the ninth-place team in the East has averaged 44.5 points. To hit the 45-point mark in 2026, TFC would have to average 1.41 points per game over their last 22 matches of the season (or 31 of a possible 66 points). That's a significant jump from the 1.17 points they have averaged through the first 12 matches of the campaign.   

A good start would be for Toronto to collect 12 points from this road swing — that would give it an average of 1.44 points per game. But that would require it to win four of its next six games (or three wins and three draws). What’s more, the team has just one win from three road games in 2026 and recorded a meagre three wins away from home last season. 

“Not getting the points at home that we wanted means that we have to get the points elsewhere. So, it just amplifies the importance of every game after this. And obviously everyone would like to go into this World Cup break feeling good with a positive feeling. So, certainly, these [next] two games are really important for us,” second-year coach Robin Fraser said. 

Fullback Kobe Franklin, who has two goals and a pair of assists over his last five MLS appearances, admitted there is “a bitter taste in a lot of the guys' mouths” because the Reds left so many points on the table during their nine-game home stretch.  

“I thought there were a lot of games where we played really well and showcased ourselves and should have got points. And there were also games where we fought back and got points when maybe we were staring at zero. So, it was kind of a roller coaster of a ride over the homestand,” Franklin said. 

He added: “Everyone knows where the standings are at, and points are vital, especially during this next stretch.” 

Making matters worse for Toronto ahead of its crucial road swing is its ongoing injury crisis. No less than 10 players were ruled out last week vs. Miami due to injury, including forward Josh Sargent, who has sat out the last three games in all competitions and is questionable for Saturday’s visit to Charlotte. 

Also ruled out for Toronto are midfielder Djordje Mihailovic, Canadian international Richie Laryea, fullbacks Matheus Pereira and Henry Wingo, and Chilean international Benjamin Kuscevic and fellow centre back Lazar Stefanovic, all of whom are expected to be out until July once the World Cup break is over. 

As a result, Fraser has had to turn to his young depth players off the bench, such as Franklin and on-loan Colombian forward Emilio Aristizábal, who bagged a brace in the Miami loss. He’s even had to routinely call up players from TFC II, the club’s reserve team, just so that he can fill out a complete roster for matchdays. 

“It's obviously not easy and it's obviously not ideal, but I keep saying we have to get points, regardless of who we have. We believe in our youth and our inexperience and our bench. They're all now playing all the time, and now we also have to rely on some of the second team players, and it's definitely challenging, but I do think that every game is winnable if you do enough things right,” Fraser said. 

Elsewhere in MLS this weekend… 

• The Vancouver Whitecaps climbed into first place in the overall MLS table with a midweek win and will try to keep their momentum going when they visit the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. Vancouver (9-1-2) is unbeaten in its last seven games (five wins) while Sebastian Berhalter has been in an incredible run of form. The American midfielder has six goals this season (a career high) and seven assists — his 13 goal contributions rank him second overall in MLS, trailing only Lionel Messi (16). 

• CF Montreal wraps up its three-game homestand on Saturday when it welcomes the Chicago Fire to Stade Saputo. Montreal (4-7-1) appears to have turned a corner since firing manager Marco Donadel after it started the season with six losses through its first seven matches. Under interim coach Philippe Eullaffroy, Montreal has won three of five games with one loss, including impressive wins over the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC. 

• Speaking of the two New York teams, the latest version of the Hudson River Derby takes place on Saturday when the Red Bulls host NYCFC. Red Bulls striker Julian Hall, 18, became the youngest player in league history to record a hat trick in Wednesday's 3-2 home win over the Columbus Crew. Fellow teenagers Adri Mehmeti and Matthew Dos Santos have also impressed this season under first-year coach Michael Bradley. 

• Lionel Messi attempts to keep his hot streak going when Inter Miami hosts the Portland Timbers on Sunday. Messi has scored in three consecutive matches with four goals and five assists over that stretch. Curiously, Miami is winless in its past four home matches (with three losses) since opening Nu Stadium, its new venue, last month.