- Home
- Major League Soccer
- Toronto FC Kicks Off 2025 Season With 2-2 Draw Against D.C. United
Photo Credit: Toronto FC
Toronto FC Kicks Off 2025 Season With 2-2 Draw Against D.C. United
By Robin Fraser’s first game as the head coach of Toronto FC didn’t start with a win. Instead, the Reds rallied back to secure a important point on the road.
The Canadian visitors went a goal behind pretty early into the game, as in the eighth minute Boris Enow would open the scoring after picking the ball off TFC’s backline after some poor marking in the box from TFC. He would make a quick run into the box slotting it past goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
That kind of start for the Reds was definitely one which Robin Fraser had hoped to avoid, but the response he and the team showed fighting back from two one-goal deficits showed a glimpse of the new identity Fraser and the club is working towards.
TFC’s response to Enow’s 8th minute opening goal came at the hands of the Captain Jonathan Osorio as a deflected shot fell right to him, and the captain would score the Reds first goal of the 2025 MLS campaign and become the first Red in history to score for the club over the course of thirteen consecutive seasons (2013-2025).
Toronto would soon find its pace and spacing into the game following Osorio’s equalizer, but just minutes after Christian Benteke in the 35th to restore D.C’S lead with a header that showed just how vulnerable Fraser’s back line is.
The second half would be full of multiple missed chances, with the Reds showcasing more aggression. It would come with Federico Bernardeschi turning up the heat and setting up Deybi Flores in the 49th minute, with the shot going wide. The Italian would then in the 54th nearly set up Osorio for his second of the night but goalkeeper Kim Joon-Hong would get a hold of the ball before Osorio could.
The equalizing goal would come in the 69th minute, as Richie Laryea drew a penalty. The man of the second half, Federico Bernardeschi, would step up and bury it securing the vital point on the road for the Reds.
TFC’s side showed many positives coming back from a two one goal deficits. Head coach Fraser had a couple words to say in regards to this matter:
“Overall, I thought it was really good. I thought we started off with a few nervous mistakes and I think we grew into the game. Guys got more comfortable and the spots they needed to be in and knew what their options were going to be.”
“I think as confidence grew, certainly our stance changed, and we started to be a little bit more aggressive and at times we were able to control the game. So overall I was really pretty pleased with it. I think we probably will regret missing some of the chances that we did, but the fact that we’re creating the chances is really good,” concluded the head coach following his first game in charge.
Other positives included TFC saw the debuts of a couple of the club’s newest additions to the squad as Markus Cimermancic and Theo Corbeanu made their first starts, and defender Zane Monlouis also made his debut with the Reds after entering the match as a 96th minute substitute.
“With Zane [Monlouis], we’ll talk about him obviously. Well, not obviously, but he is a player with a pretty good pedigree having been at Arsenal for many, many years. He’s comfortable on the ball. He has good size, he has good athleticism, and he’s certainly a player that we think will be an important player for us this year.”
“And in terms of Markus [Cimermancic], I thought he was very good in his first start. First MLS start, got put in some tough situations a few times, but I thought he handled it well and I think he went through kind of the ups and downs that you see for a first time player. And I think as the game went on, he really grew into it and I thought he was very, very solid,” said the gaffer. C
Toronto had outshot D.C. United 11-7 (7-3 in shots on target).
“We were happy to get the point but we though we deserved more”, said midfielder Markus Comermancic, following his first team debut and start. We were pleased but not satisfied,” he added.
With the result, Toronto FC’s MLS season Opener record movies to 5W-9L-5T (20 points).
Toronto’s next game is also on the road and will see them headed off to visit Orlando City on March 1st.
Header Image Photo Credit: Toronto FC
