Toronto FC (0) - Minnesota United FC (0) Postgame Summary

Sports stats



MLS Toronto FC

Toronto FC (0) - Minnesota United FC (0) Postgame Summary

April 12, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Toronto FC News Release


MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

MIN - Bongokuhle Hlongwane 17' (caution)

TOR - Lorenzo Insigne 32' (caution)

MIN - Jefferson Díaz 84' (caution)

RECORDS (W-L-T)

Toronto FC 0-4-4 4 points

Minnesota United FC 4-1-3 15 points

LINEUPS

TORONTO FC - Sean Johnson; Kosi Thompson, Sigurd Rosted, Kevin Long, Raoul Petretta; Deybi Flores, Jonathan Osorio (C), Federico Bernardeschi, Lorenzo Insigne (Maxime Dominguez 80'), Theo Corbeanu (Charlie Sharp 80'); Derrick Etienne Jr. (Tyrese Spicer 72')

Substitutes Not Used: Luka Gavran, Lazar Stefanovic, Kobe Franklin, Matty Longstaff, Markus Cimermancic, Alonso Coello

MINNESOTA UNITED FC - Dayne St Clair; Bongokuhle Hlongwane (D.J. Taylor 54'), Michael Boxall (C), Nicolás Romero, Jefferson Díaz (Carlos Harvey 87'), Joseph Rosales (Anthony Markanich 87'); Joaquin Pereyra, Will Trapp (Samuel Shashoua 70'), Robin Lod; Kelvin Yeboah (87'), Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi

Substitutes Not Used: Alec Smir, Hoyeon Jung, Morris Duggan, Loic Mesanvi

MEDIA NOTES

Toronto FC kept their second clean sheet of the 2025 Major League Soccer season.

With his 17th clean sheet for Toronto FC across all competitions, goalkeeper Sean Johnson moves into third outright on the club's all-time clean sheet charts.

ROBIN FRASER - HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC

Q: Robin, a pretty even affair considering the issues you had on defence and attack. Are you happy with what you saw today?

Really happy with the commitment, the engagement. They're a tough team to play against. They're a very tough team to play against and I think everybody needs to be really engaged. You probably hear me say that word about 10 times, but everyone needs to be really engaged to deal with. They throw a lot of balls in the box, a lot of bodies in the box. It takes so much concentration to deal with that. And then once they sit back in their shape, they're very difficult to penetrate. So really happy with the engagement and dealing with what they threw at us, which is almost the exact opposite of what we dealt with last week in Miami. And I think in this league, this is the way it is that you see such different styles from week to week and you have to be able to adapt. And because of that, I'm really proud of the engagement. And again, I feel like we're doing a lot of things really well and I really just want the players to reward themselves for the work that they're doing. And I so disappointed in that sense. I mean, you're at home, you obviously always want three points at home, but again, I feel like there are a lot of positives to take from it.

Q: Minnesota is one of the quickest and effective teams on the counterattack. They get only limited them to one shot on target. From a tactical perspective, how were you able to keep them in front of you guys?

I think the guys did a really good job in our attacks. We were very aware of what was behind the attack so that we could try to limit their effectiveness on counter attacks. The two forwards can absolutely fly. So, for us to limit how dangerous they were, I thought was a real credit to really everyone, not just the defenders, the midfielders, the guys behind the attack. I thought they did a good job of slowing them down. Like I said, it's a very tough team. They're extremely physical and extremely athletic, and in order to do so, we had to be really sharp and really cohesive. I felt like the guys behind the ball were very, very aware of that and put themselves in good positions. Then I thought Siggy [Sigurd Rosted], and Kevin [Long] did a great job of winning headers against a very, very tough group. And then we did a good job of picking up second balls and this game was always going to be about engagement before anything else. And I thought that they were up for the test.

Q: Deybi Flores seemed pretty effective today and he was all over the pitch. What did you think of his performance?

Yeah, Deybi is, we sometimes joke on the bench, the heat-seeking missile. He just finds opportunities to snuff out plays and he's very good in the air and I think that you saw him using his best attributes today, reading where things are going to be dangerous, being physical, breaking up plays, winning headers, things like that. And I thought that his play was very effective for us today.

Q: Based on your being comfortable with your defensive effort, what do you think about your offensive exploits?

I feel like you're trying to bait me into saying something. I feel like you're trying to bait me here. And the fact of the matter is they sit five guys in front of the ball in front of the goal. They have three in front of them and two in front of them. They're very compact, they're very difficult to break down. And we talked about a number of ways to break them down. They don't give you a lot. You have to absolutely, absolutely earn everything. And I felt like we had different ways that we tried to probe them and we had some decent looks that didn't quite turn into what we would've hoped in the very end. But it's again a work in progress and I feel like guys understanding and the relationships on the attacking end are getting better and better.

We had moments from Theo [Corbeanu], and having our wingers be effective causes them to, that's one of the ways that we can kind of break up their back five. If our wingers are effective, then they need to send someone else out to double and then some spaces open up. But it's a tricky proposition to break this team down. They're okay with sitting deep. They're okay with dealing with crosses because they have three very big strong centre-backs who are good at clearances and they play very much suited to the personnel that they have. And having said that, I thought we did a good job of getting into some decent positions, but in the end, it doesn't feel that way because we didn't score goal out of it. But given the way that they play and the things that we tried to do, I thought it was decent overall. But certainly, we would like to have gotten more out of it.

Q: The rare start for Derek Etienne Jr. I'm interested to hear your take on or your evaluation on him.

Yeah, I thought Derek [Etienne Jr.], he gave us a lot of what we expected and what we needed from him, which are well-timed runs to get in behind to be second options if you move a few of the centre-backs and some gaps open up. And I would say one of the best examples of Derrick's timing of his running is the one where Fede [Federico Bernardeschi] came inside and slipped him in and he had the left-footed shot that got blocked. Obviously, Derrick wasn't going to win aerial duels against that crew for the most part, but he gave us good, honest defensive work. Some well-timed runs as I said, and I thought overall it was a solid performance for him. It doesn't feel that way if you don't have great stats as a forward, but I think given the way the game went, I thought was good for us.

Q: Was it the first easy decision to make going with him upfront? Did you mull over other options?

Absolutely. I mean, we thought about Theo [Corbeanu], we thought about [Tyrese] Spicer, we thought about Charlie [Sharp] who played two days ago with TFC II, and we definitely thought about their strengths and weaknesses and comfort level in the position. And Derek [Etienne Jr.] is, of all those players we just mentioned, Derek is the most experienced and has played the most minutes as a winger and as a nine and at various spots on the field. But it felt like the right decision based on his experience, what we thought we would need on the day and what we thought he would give us.

DEYBI FLORES - MIDFIELDER, TORONTO FC

Q: Deybi, another good performance against a strong team. How do you feel the team's doing and do you think a win is coming close to a win?

Good evening, everyone. Obviously, we have been doing a good performance and seeing progress in the last couple of matches, but we were still working through to get the three points and we are hoping that we can get to that point sooner rather than later.

Q: Minnesota is a very quick team, especially on the counterattack, yet they only had one shot on target today. How were you able to slow them down or get them defensively?

We know from the beginning that they had a very offensive team and [are] very good in the attack. They have two good strikers and during the week, we were working really hard analyzing different games and seeing how they play and how they like to find a free space in the attack. So, I think we played very well and we had a really sharp, good performance on the defensive side. The defenders were very sharp, so we just prepared for the match and we were ready for that.

Q: We've seen a different approach from the team these last couple of years. Jonathan [Osorio] called it a different attitude and Robin [Fraser] used the word engaged. For you, what's been the difference for the team the last couple of matches?

I think that the other thing that I can see is the change of mentality. I think this is the biggest thing that I have seen in the last couple of matches and that has allowed us to get good performance over the last couple of matches. I aligned with everything he [Jonathan Osorio] said, but also the mentality if we keep working to keep it strong and make sure we're compact and united, we can get to where we want to be. Obviously, we have a new coach and we're working to understand what he wants, and he wants a team that is compact, strong and it always stay united in everything. We just have to continue working on our mentality as well.

Q: The team has put in some good performances and has progressed, but it still is winless in eight games. What is the missing element do you think, in terms of getting over that hump to finally getting a win on the board?

Well, we just have to score pretty much is what we are needing is the last final third. We have created a lot of chances and opportunities in the last previous matches. So yeah, we just need to be sharp and get it there, hopefully next match, we not only have chances, but we also score the goals so that we can get that win.

Q: Did you always have that intensity in your game all the way since you've been playing the game?

Yeah, I think I have always been like that. Something that is one of my main features, if I can say, of being aggressive and intense. I only play for, because this is what defines me in a way and it's like what allows me to provide food for my family in a way. And I always say that when I came to Toronto I want to bleed for the jersey and play with all my heart. So that is what I've been doing since I got the opportunity to play and represent this organization.

Q: Beyond the intensity, at times it kind of looked like a Concacaf game. You should get the opportunity with Honduras to play Canada in the Gold Cup this summer. What are your thoughts about that?

Personally, the intensity part has always been part of me. I consider myself a warrior that I'm always fighting for the better of the team. So, I'm always going to keep doing that. And obviously now for the Gold Cup is a nice feeling. I've played against Canada but now knowing that I'm going to be playing against in the country where I live right now is a very special one. And as usual in Concacaf, it's going to continue to be like a fight in the battlefield. So, we're going to continue working and hopefully we get the three points.

Check out the Toronto FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Major League Soccer message board...

Major League Soccer Stories from April 12, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central