TFC Notebook: New kids on the block
It’s a new-look Toronto FC and it’s time for another TFC Notebook.
A new notebook will be released every weekend throughout the course of the 2023 Toronto FC season, featuring news and updates from training during the week, exclusive interviews, tidbits and more. It's supported by BET99 Sportsbook so if you're interested in responsible gaming, please check out their special welcome offer.
Without further ado, let’s dive in.
MLSE not involved in new pro women’s Toronto soccer team
Let’s start this notebook off with some big-time news: a professional women’s soccer team is coming to Toronto.
That’s right, A.F.C. Toronto City was unveiled as the third founding team part of Canada’s new women’s pro league, joining the Vancouver Whitecaps and Calgary Foothills. The league, spearheaded by Diana Matheson’s Project 8, plans to launch with eight teams in 2025.
If you’re interested in learning more about the AFC Toronto City and the new women’s professional league, check out Neil Davidson’s article here.
For this week’s TFC notebook, let’s focus on the ownership, which interestingly enough, is not led by MLSE. Instead, it’s spearheaded by an entrepreneurial group led by CEO Helena Ruken, COO Brenda Ha and chief marketing officer Jill Burgin.
So that raises the question: why wasn’t MLSE involved?
Attempts to reach Toronto FC President Bill Manning for comment were unsuccessful. The club informed Room 4-4-2 that Manning has been out of office.
However, last June – before the announcement of Matheson’s new Canadian league – Manning and I did discuss the possibility of Toronto FC and MLSE bringing an NWSL Expansion franchise to Toronto, in which he said that they’ve discussed it internally and had “a number of discussions” with the NWSL.
“I do think at some point we do want to have a team. It’s just deciding what is the right time and how we go through the expansion process,” Manning said, adding that the team’s focus was on the impending arrival of Lorenzo Insigne and the 2026 World Cup.
“And then, with the expansion timeline of NWSL, as the World Cup comes and then post-World Cup, I think it makes a lot of sense. I think there’s a market here in Toronto to have a really strong NWSL team, and here in Toronto, I think it would be well supported.
“It’s something that we’re looking at very, very seriously and I do think [...] it is something we will do. Just from a timing standpoint, it’s trying to figure out how we fit this into a schedule and how we meet the expansion deadlines for the NWSL.”
Again, that was before the public launch of Matheson’s Canadian women’s league, so there’s a good chance those plans have since shifted. But if not, could Toronto get two professional women’s soccer franchises? And could the city support both A.F.C. Toronto City and an NWSL franchise?
There’s a possibility we may find out.
C.J. Sapong will “run into the areas where the sh*t flies” for Toronto FC
Toronto FC have their new number 9.
The club pulled off a deadline day acquisition, trading Lukas MacNaughton and up to $200,000 GAM to Nashville SC in exchange for striker C.J. Sapong.
TFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who has been teammates with Sapong in the past with the U.S. men’s national team, says he’s excited to share a locker room once again with the 34 year old.
“CJ is a relentless 9. From his time in Nashville, he worked tirelessly for that team and got rewarded with his goals and also doing what he can to help the team in any moment. I think that speaks volumes to who he is as a person and a player,” said Johnson.
Sapong, a 13-year MLS veteran, has been renowned for his work rate and selfless play over the course of his career. Lining up between Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, he’ll be counted on to do some of the dirty work to free up space and opportunities for TFC’s Italian stars — the same way he did for reigning league MVP Hany Mukhtar in Nashville.
“There’s an expression that we use: run into the areas where the sh*t flies. He goes into those areas and that creates opportunities for him and that creates opportunities for those around him, so I think that’s going to be important for us,” said TFC Head Coach and Sporting Director Bob Bradley.
Sapong will be counted on to “not just hang out and wait for balls” but make constant runs in the box — dangerous spots where there’s contact and where it’s physical. Defensively, he’ll be expected to press heavily, both up top and underneath when an opposing team’s defensive midfielder gets on the ball.
It’s a style of play in which Sapong relishes.
“Considering the last couple of teams that I’ve played for, I’ve definitely wanted to do the work, want to defend as well, but to be able to be in a position where you know at any moment as a forward you just have to be close to the goal and be hungry and concentrated and you can get something out of it — that’s my bread and butter,” said Sapong on Friday. “That’s what I’ve done in this league up until now, so I’m very excited for that opportunity.”
Although Sapong will add much more than just goals to Toronto FC’s overall dynamic, the team is hoping that he’ll add a scoring punch as well with just one goal from all of their strikers combined this season.
But Sapong is mired in his worst goal-scoring drought of his career, having not scored in 29 league matches dating back to last May.
“At our level, things like this just happen. It’s the first time for me that I’ve ever gone [this] long without scoring,” Sapong explained. “… I would almost feel better if I knew I was riddled with opportunities and chances and I was just missing them, but for whatever reason, I wasn’t finding myself in those spots. Those opportunities weren’t coming as much as I’m used to in the past … thankfully changes of scenery have the opportunity to be a catalyst to change the wave into something you can ride.”
Expect Sapong to make his debut on Saturday night vs. NYCFC.
It won’t take long for Aimé Mabika to become a fan favourite
Toronto FC swung another deal on Tuesday to replace the void left by MacNaughton, acquiring 24-year-old centre-back Aimé Mabika from Inter Miami CF in a deal worth up to $200,000 GAM.
Mabika spoke to media for the first time on Thursday after participating in his first training session. He’s well-spoken and has a vibrant personality, and I have a hunch that it won’t take very long for the 6-foot-6 defender to turn into a fan favourite.
“Every time I come up to Toronto, I always tell people it’s one of my favourite cities in North America. Perfect landing spot. I’m super excited,” Mabika said, adding that he already feels right at home. “It’s such a big city, and I had friends at the University of Kentucky that were from Toronto, and you kind of hear it a lot in music, you see it all the time … even though I’ve been here for just two days at a time, I always say ‘wow, what an unbelievable city.”
Mabika was a walk-on in his first year with the University of Kentucky before being subsequently redshirted his freshman year. However, he quickly developed into one of the best players in NCAA and was named Conference USA player of the year and co-defensive MVP during his time with the Wildcats.
After he was drafted in the first round of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft (26th overall) by Miami, Kentucky head coach Johan Cedergren said that Mabika “could probably be one of the biggest steals in college soccer history.”
“The amount of growth that I’ve seen in Aimé as a person and a player was not even in my most optimistic projections in 2016 (when Mabika was first recruited) … I know he will have a very long and successful professional career,” Cedergren said.
Now Mabika is hoping to fulfill his potential with Toronto FC, a club that he has admired from afar. When asked for his opinion of TFC, he knew exactly how to touch the hearts of the supporters: by citing the treble and his love for BMO Field.
“TFC, I think the history speaks for itself in terms of titles, the big players that have played here, and the stature in MLS. TFC is the only MLS club to win the treble. It’s stuff like that from afar that’s super impressive,” Mabika said.
The Zambian international added: “I would say [BMO Field] was my favourite stadium that I played in last season. It just has that special feeling to it. There’s not many MLS stadiums downtown as well, so I think that’s an interesting aspect of the stadium. Super excited now to be playing as a home player rather than an away player at BMO.”
Mabika appeared in 15 league matches and one playoff game for Miami last season – including a standout performance in a 1-0 win over Toronto FC last September. The defender made a team-high four clearances, two blocked shots, and despite his size, connected on 91 per cent of his passes, including a team-high six long balls, to help Miami earn a vital three points.
But this season, Inter Miami brought in depth at centre-back, with Sergii Kryvtsov and Kamal Miller their primary options. Kryvtsov joined this offseason from Ukrainian power Shakhtar Donetsk, while Miller arrived nearly two weeks ago in a trade with CF Montréal. Add in Chris McVey and Ryan Sailor, and it explains why Mabika hasn’t featured for Phil Neville in 2023.
“There were probably some more experienced players ahead of me,” said Mabika, reflecting on the lack of playing time with Miami this season. “I think it just didn't work out where maybe the coach didn’t see me playing at this moment in time, but I’m happy to be [with TFC] and fight for my place now.”
While you can’t miss his towering six-foot-six frame, Mabika says that he’s “deceptively good on the ball” and he “moves pretty well” for his size.
Bradley will give him time to integrate himself with the rest of the group and learn the nuances of playing in Toronto’s back line, but he seems to be a bright young player with some really good starting points.
Jonathan Osorio diagnosed with MCL strain
Jonathan Osorio was a surprise addition to the Toronto FC injury report this week.
The Canadian international played the full 90 minutes over the weekend and had taken part in training this week. However, on Thursday, Osorio was removed from training after suffering a knee injury, which was later diagnosed as an MCL strain.
“Sometimes as you go to make a play, your foot turns out and you get an MCL strain,” said Bob Bradley on Friday. “Sort of a standard football MCL type of play.”
Bradley said that the club had been worried that Osorio’s injury could’ve been worse.
“I think the news so far has been pretty positive,” he said, adding that it’s hard to put a timeline on the midfielder’s return.
Osorio joins TFC captain Michael Bradley and Victor Vázquez as midfielders who have been ruled out of Saturday’s game.
Bob Bradley is hopeful that his son will be back for next weekend’s match vs. New England Revolution, while Vázquez’s foot injury appears to be more serious than initially feared.
The Spaniard has flown back to Barcelona to get a consultation with a doctor that he’s worked with in the past.
"It's been hard for him lately. It's bothered him a lot, it hasn't settled down,” said Bradley.
Look for Mark-Anthony Kaye, Brandon Servania, and Alonso Coello to log most of the minutes in TFC’s midfield this weekend, while Deandre Kerr could also get a look as an 8.
Fullback Cristían Gutiérrez, meanwhile, is the only other TFC player expected to be unavailable Saturday. The former Vancouver Whitecaps defender has yet to feature for TFC, though is making progress in recovering from a non-covid illness. He was out on the field with the team this week and Bradley says he thinks Gutiérrez will be able to join the team for parts of training next week.
Sean Johnson on facing his former team: “It’s us versus them”
Sean Johnson spent the past six seasons with New York City FC. He was their club captain and was their most important player during their run to the 2021 MLS Cup.
But now, he’s sporting red (or onyx?), and he’s set to face his former club for the first time in his 14-year career.
“It’s just part of the business, right?” Johnson downplayed. “Now, a new home, a new club, and obviously our objective is to just to go into the game — we’ve been into a period now where we’ve been trying to find a consistent way to get results and it’s just another big opportunity at home with the fans behind us to do that.”
Asked if he’d been leaned on by the TFC coaching staff to provide insight and potentially any hidden secrets about his former team, the U.S. international joked that he gave his new club “all his secrets.”
“I know the players very well, I know the coach very well, but again, if tactically they decide to line up how they haven’t all year, then we have to adjust as a group. I do the best I can to give the group an understanding of some of the player qualities and potentially some areas where they may be dangerous, but you never know what’s going to happen on a day and what a game’s going to look like,” Johnson said.
NYCFC Head Coach Nick Cushing said the Cityzens won’t be changing anything.
“We know Sean knows us but ultimately if we change the way that we approach games because of players that played for us we’d be forever changing here and there with the nature of the league. I have huge respect for Sean. He was an excellent player, an incredible captain, for us. It will be nice to see him again,” said Cushing.
Johnson hasn’t cut off ties with any of his former teammates ahead of Saturday, but emphasized that when they do take the pitch, it’s all business.
“When you do step on the field and you step across the lines, it’s a different mentality. It’s us versus them. Friends are friends when you’re off the pitch, but once you’re competing, you’re only trying to do your best to get a result with the guys and the family we have here now,” said the TFC goalkeeper.
Added Time: News and Notes
– 16-year-old CB Lazar Stefanovic once again trained with the first team earlier this week. The Canadian youth international appears to be very high on the senior side’s radar – a player to watch.
– Toronto FC and NYCFC have met 22 times in their history, with eight wins coming for Toronto FC, seven draws, and seven wins for New York City. Expect fireworks. The two sides have never had a goalless match, with an average of 3.4 goals being scored in the 22 meetings.
– It’ll be a different looking NYCFC side, however. Nine players that made an appearance in New York’s 5-4 come-from-behind win over Toronto in April last season have now departed the club, including Sean Johnson. TFC are slight home favourites (+145).
– Toronto FC have one win in their last 15 matches dating back to last season, collecting just 10 points over that span (1W-7L-7D)
– Federico Bernardeschi (lower body) and Matt Hedges (concussion protocol) have both been cleared for minutes vs. NYCFC. Expect CJ Sapong to also make his debut on Saturday.
– Jonathan Osorio’s two-assist performance last weekend helped him earn a place in the MLS Team of the Matchday for the first time this season. It’s the eighth time that a TFC player has been named to the TOTW: Sean Johnson (MD2), Laryea (MD4 + MD8), Federico Bernardeschi (MD4+MD6 Bench), Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (MD5), Mark-Anthony Kaye (MD7 Bench), Osorio (MD9 Bench)
– Times for Toronto FC’s Leagues Cup matches have been announced. The Reds will play NYCFC at Red Bull Arena on July 26 at 7:30 pm ET before hosting Liga MX’s Atlas FC at BMO Field on July 30 at 7:30 pm ET. The top-two teams from their group (East 3) will advance to the Round of 32. The NYCFC match will be available to watch on TSN, or you can watch either game on Apple TV.
– Alex Bono made his first appearance for DC United in their US Open Cup win over Richmond Kickers on Wednesday, stopping a penalty en route to a clean sheet.
– Speaking of former TFC goalkeepers, Quentin Westberg suffered a patella injury and is expected to miss Atlanta United’s match this weekend. Instead, Clement Diop will start, which is a disappointment for Westberg, who has an opportunity to make his case as Atlanta’s No. 1 with incumbent starter Brad Guzan sidelined for the foreseeable future.
– Remember the name Paul Rothrock? A former Toronto FC draft pick, Rothrock was a crucial piece of Toronto FC II last season and made a pair of first-team appearances with Bob Bradley’s side. The 24-year-old attacker was not re-signed by the club, and instead, joined Tacoma Defiance – the Seattle Sounders second team. He has five assists in four MLS NEXT Pro matches and scored on his Sounders debut in their 5-4 US Open Cup win over San Diego Loyal SC Wednesday night.
– Toronto FC II are in Florida this weekend, to take on Orlando City B. The Young Reds are still looking for their first win of the season after falling to Philadelphia Union II in penalties last weekend.
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