Charlotte FC (2) - Toronto FC (0) Postgame Summary
MLS Toronto FC

Charlotte FC (2) - Toronto FC (0) Postgame Summary

Published on July 26, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Toronto FC News Release


CHARLOTTE FC (2) - TORONTO FC (0) POSTGAME SUMMARY

SCORING SUMMARY

CLT - Idan Toklomati 60' (Brandt Bronico)

CLT - Kerwin Vargas 65' (Wilfried Zaha)

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

TOR - Maxime Dominguez 39' (caution)

CLT - Ashley Westwood 68' (caution)

RECORDS (W-L-T)

Charlotte FC 12-11-2 38 points

Toronto FC 5-13-6 21 points

LINEUPS

CHARLOTTE FC - Kristijan Kahlina; Bill Tuiloma (Nick Scardina 73'), Adilson Malanda, Tim Ream, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty; Pep Biel (Nikola Petkovic 89'), Ashley Westwood (C), Brandt Bronico (Eryk Williamson 72'); Kerwin Vargas (Liel Abada 73'), Wilfried Zaha, Idan Toklomati (Tyger Smalls 89')

Substitutes Not Used: David Bingham, Djibril Diani, Andrew Privett, Brandon Cambridge

TORONTO FC - Sean Johnson; Kobe Franklin, Kevin Long (Lazar Stefanović 89'), Sigurd Rosted, Richie Laryea; Maxime Dominguez (Markus Cimermancic 88'), Matty Longstaff (Tyrese Spicer 62'), Alonso Coello; Theo Corbeanu, Jonathan Osorio (C) (Deybi Flores 72'), Deandre Kerr

Substitutes Not Used: Luka Gavran, Kosi Thompson, Derrick Etienne Jr.

ROBIN FRASER - HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC

Q: Robin, a tough place to come especially in these conditions. What did you make of the team's performance tonight?

Really good. Really good. I thought last week ago that in Nashville we didn't do well enough with the ball. We worked on it throughout the week, and then to come back and see some of the decisions made early too, which allowed us several deep progressions early on, was really pleased with that. Maybe a little bit more precision in the final part of the field, and we turned some of that in some really dangerous things, but I thought there were a lot of really good performances.

Q: You guys were kind of hanging with them for about 60 minutes and that first goal just seemed to be like an absolute killer.

I don't know if I would say "hanging with them," as it sounds like we were hanging on.

I thought they had some chances. We had some chances. Yes. Let me get back to the question. Yes, the goal was a bit of a heartbreak because I think we had played really well to that point, and to give up the goal the way we did, we feel like set pieces, obviously there are big opportunities for the team on the set piece, but on the other side of it, defensively you have an opportunity set up and we just didn't deal well enough with the second phase of it, which I think was definitely an aberration when you look at the rest of the game to that point where we covered each other so well, we didn't really have moments where glaring errors were made. And I just thought that as a group collective performance was so, so solid to that point. So it definitely hurt but one-nil playing the way we were playing, getting Theo [Corbeanu] and [Tyrese] Spicer opportunities to get balls in the box, we still felt like my biggest concern at that point was that we didn't throw the kitchen sink at it and then open ourselves up.

But then to give up the second goal, I thought was a real back-breaker. At which point I didn't tell the players to do it, but they took it upon themselves to go and press and be more aggressive and really credit to them because of the conditions. It was very difficult to switch your mindset to be very, very aggressive at that point. And I thought we did it as what happens when you're pushing. We had some good moments where we won balls in there, in this field, let me open ourselves up and created some dangerous chances against us. But in those moments, again, they're showing really incredible stuff down the stretch and what really sucks is that we don't get to feel the reward, but it was a good performance.

Q: We kind of talked about Pep Biel earlier this week as a potential MVP-candidate but we had a rather quiet night. You guys kind of did a good job of, if not containing him, then at least sort of minimizing him.

He's excellent. Let me just say that first off, he's excellent. He's a very good player. I just like collectively how we are fighting and how we are making ourselves difficult to play against. In the first half I felt like a little bit was they couldn't really stop us. The early part on, we couldn't really stop them, and it seemed like whichever team had the ball was getting pretty good deep progressions. But I thought we sorted out a few things halfway through the half and it became a little bit more difficult for them to penetrate into our end. And a lot of that is just the collective work. And you could talk about the individual midfielders, but the centre-backs also helped with Biel, the wingers helped with Biel and collectively the effort and the awareness I thought was really, really good.

Q: Jonathan Osorio made his first start tonight since May 31st and he went for about 60 or 70 minutes. What did you make of the captain's effort on the night?

I thought he was excellent. I thought he was excellent. So aware defensively, really secure with the ball. I can't really remember a turnover that he had. And for me also, when he's at his best, he is that way. He's so engaged defensively that he's really reliable defensively and when he's at his best, really reliable on the ball, hard to get the ball off him because he has very, very good feet. And when he's at his best, he's also super aware with the ball and I thought it was a really good performance by him.

Q: Is that always the tight rope you have to walk playing this way of if the opponent gets that first goal, it just drastically changes the game plan?

Absolutely not. I mean, what I just said was even after they scored, I felt like we were playing well enough that we would still get a chance or two, that we would still be able to create something. The second goal is the killer and the time when the second goal occurred created this urgency because we've talked about this a lot, that every game's like a playoff game for us. So you could say at two-nil down, we could continue to be solid and safe defensively, but we need points. We need points badly. And without me telling them to go and press, they recognize the urgency of the moment and really took it upon themselves and Maxime [Dominguez], DK [Deandre Kerr], they were willing to go and start the press and go, the midfielders covered so much ground to cover what's left behind and then the centre-back's doing the same. So collectively, it was a decision that we need points, but we need to go for it.

Q: Matty die Longstaff was kind of the odd man out at the beginning of the year but he's coming to the side and been a bit of a workhorse for you. Just what have you seen from him these past couple of outings?

A lot of a workhorse, not a bit of a workhorse. His ability to cover ground is really impressive. Matty's super aware and willing to cover a ton of ground to get to the places he needs to get to defensively. He's a very intelligent player offensively, he's an intelligent player and he's come in a slightly different position for us, but he just does what's asked of him and can't really overstate how much I appreciate that.

Q: A week off coming up with Leagues Cup getting started, maybe just what does the road look like ahead for you guys?

We continue to push. I felt like we saw a huge improvement in our choices with the ball this week and our positioning and being able to get into, as I keep saying, deep progressions, you have to have deep progressions to score goals. The goal is way over there, so we were able to get quite a few deep progressions. We have to continue to work with the ball to be able to create those opportunities and then continue to work on finishing those opportunities. But the other part of it as well is if you look at our, I don't even know how many games it is now. Our defending has been really, really resolute and we have guys working incredibly hard. So it's continuing to improve on the attacking end and continuing to hammer the defending because at the end of the day, that's always going to be a must. And again, I feel like we made progress this week in certain areas and we just have to keep trying to make progress.

Q: I know you're not going to use the heat as an excuse tonight as it's the same for both teams. What were the playing conditions like for you guys?

The toughest all year, toughest all year. We thought Nashville was hot. Nashville was relatively cool compared to this, and I'm sure people aren't aware of this, but when you play in this sort of heat, humidity, the turf is so much hotter. And if you look at the game, I don't know if we looked like the team that was more tired, obviously we're chasing the game late.

I went to FIU [Florida International University] in Miami, we were Division II when I started, Division II when I finished but when we were Division II, we would bring the best teams in the country to us and play at one o'clock in the afternoon. And as a Division II team, we'd beat all of them, or at least certainly be competitive. The heat is a tremendous, tremendous factor. And the point of the story is that you get used to it. If you live in it, you train in it every day.

But when you look at the group tonight, I don't think one team looked more tired than the other, which again speaks to the character of this group. It was very, very difficult. I know it doesn't seem that way. If you're watching on TV, even sitting in here in the air-conditioned room, you kind of forget how brutal it is outside. And for us to be really step for step with a team who trains in every day, I think speaks a lot to the character of the crew.

Q: At that time of kickoff, it was like a hundred degrees so that can't be good for the players. Does that not put the players in somewhat danger? I mean, should the league be playing in games like this hot?

So this is also now a question for the World Cup. Next year, what do you do? This country gets really, really hot. If you play this game at two o'clock in the afternoon, I think you're trying to kill people, but playing at this hour, I just think that's all you can do. And it's one of the only things about this league and one of the real challenges in the league, because I'm trying to think. You could be in Portland right now and the storm comes through and you could play in 60 degrees [Fahrenheit] and turn around three days later and go to Houston and play in worse conditions than this or Dallas.

So it's an interesting challenge. Is it dangerous? I think the water breaks are absolutely critical. I just don't think there's a solution really. It's either that or we don't play through the summer, but it's one of the challenges of the league and you have to be prepared for it. I hated it as a player. I hated the hot, hot games. But again, I come back to the character of the group because they absolutely ran their socks off and did so, and the ability to concentrate and do a lot of things that are being asked of them, it's very, very difficult.

KOBE FRANKLIN - DEFENDER, TORONTO FC

Q: Tough result against a very tough home team and very tough conditions. What did you sort of like about the team's performance tonight? Even in the loss?

Even in a loss, I think we made an emphasis this week on being better with the ball because Nashville we struggled a little bit. So, throughout the week we worked on some ideas about how we can progress ourselves out the field and I thought that was something that we really improved on this game, and you could see it in a lot of the actions that we had. So, if we're going to take a positive out this game, I think that's one of them.

Q: How much of a killer was that first goal by Charlotte? Because you guys were playing them even pretty much right up until that point.

Yeah, it's a stinger comes off kind of the second phase of a set piece, so it's a tough one to swallow, but yeah, the game comes down to moments and that was a crucial one for them.

Q: Robin [Fraser] was saying when he was out here that he didn't even need to tell you guys to kind of go and sort of press for when you guys were down that you were still maintaining a very aggressive attitude and you were just automatically going for it. Is that how you saw it as well?

Yeah, I mean it's a professional game. We're down and I think all of us have the desire to win. So, stepping higher up the field, it's something that we needed to do in that situation, and I think it's kind of a non-negotiable for everybody on the field if we want to get somewhat of a result.

Q: It's the same for both teams, so I think everyone understands that. But the heat was really something intense today. How difficult was it just playing in that sort of temperature?

Yeah, definitely difficult, but for me personally, just as a player, I'm focused on other things than the heat my minds in other places. I know I have a game to be a part of and a job to do. So, it's no sense in thinking too much about the weather. It's definitely a difficult condition, but you do what you got to do.

Q: One of the words that Robin's [Fraser] used repeatedly, and I've asked pretty much every guy we've spoken to this question, is that word engagement and what does that mean to you? How does that play out on the field?

Yeah, engagement's definitely been one of the staff's principles of this season and I think it touches on a lot of things. I, off the field, on the field, defensively, offensively, just being tuned in at all times to everything that we can and as we know with this team, when we're engaged, we can go on to do some special things and put on some great performances. So, engagement's definitely a part of the culture here and we're trying to continue to build that.

Q: The last two [games] haven't gone the way that you guys would've wanted, but being hard to play against as a platform in these three road matches against top opponents, does it feel like that baseline foundation is in place for the rest of the season and beyond?

Yeah, for sure. I think going into every game we've got most confidence that we're going to be a team that the opposing team doesn't want to play against. We're going to put in all effort that we have and until the very last minute, work as hard as we can. So yeah, they haven't gone our way. There's been a couple of moments, but I think we've done a really good job as a team just sticking it out and the luck of draw hasn't gone our way at the moment, but I think with this mentality the future can be bright for us.

Q: You've had to be patient this season when it comes to getting minutes, but you got starts in these last two, but just how's that been and how have you used the time on the sidelines to prepare yourself for this challenge?

Yeah, it's definitely been a season with ups and downs for me, but I always go back to my foundation controlling what I can control, just being the best teammate and the best pro, I can on and off the field. I know as a professional that my time is eventually going to come and I've been thankful that I've been given the opportunity to play in these past couple games and with that I know I have to perform. So, leaving it all out there on the field is all I can do. And yeah, just looking to continue to build and do as much as I can for this club.

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