Toronto FC (1) - CF Montréal (1) Postgame Summary
MLS Toronto FC

Toronto FC (1) - CF Montréal (1) Postgame Summary

Published on August 30, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Toronto FC News Release


TORONTO FC (1) - CF MONTRÉAL (1) POSTGAME SUMMARY

SCORING SUMMARY

MTL - Dante Sealy 84' (Bryce Duke)

TOR - Jonathan Osorio 89'

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

MTL - Hennadii Synchuk 10' (caution)

MTL - Luca Petrasso 32' (caution)

TOR - Maxime Dominguez 36' (caution)

MTL - Prince Owusu 40' (caution)

TOR - Kevin Long 50' (caution)

TOR - Jules-Anthony Vilsaint 86' (caution)

MTL - Thomas Gillier 87' (caution)

RECORDS (W-L-T)

Toronto FC 5-13-10 25 points

CF Montréal 5-15-9 24 points

LINEUPS

TORONTO FC - Sean Johnson; Kosi Thompson, Kevin Long, Richie Laryea, Kobe Franklin (Derrick Etienne Jr. 88'); Maxime Dominguez (José Cifuentes 74'), Alonso Coello (Jules-Anthony Vilsaint 85'), Theo Corbeanu, Djordje Mihailovic, Jonathan Osorio (C); Ola Brynhildsen (Deandre Kerr 74')

Substitutes Not Used: Luka Gavran, Lazar Stefanović, Markus Cimermancic, Malik Henry

CF MONTRÉAL - Thomas Gillier; Dawid Bugaj (Fernando Alvarez 70'), Brandan Craig (Bode Hidalgo 82'), Efraín Morales, Luca Petrasso (Aleksandr Guboglo 61'); Matty Longstaff, Olger Escobar (Bryce Duke 82'), Victor Loturi; Hennadii Synchuk (Iván Jaime 61'), Dante Sealy, Prince Owusu (C)

Substitutes Not Used: Jonathan Sirois, Tom Pearce, Sunusi Ibrahim, Owen Graham-Roache

MEDIA NOTES

Deandre Kerr made his 100th appearance for Toronto FC across all competitions, becoming the 18th player in club history and the fourth active player alongside Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea and Kosi Thompson to reach the milestone.

José Cifuentes made his Toronto FC debut as a 74th minute substitute, becoming the eleventh player to debut for the Reds this season.

ROBIN FRASER - HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC

Q: What were your thoughts on the evening?

It was a really chaotic game in a lot of ways. I think they're very man to man and you don't get a lot of time to set up. So, I thought we had to figure out how to navigate that. It's one thing to train and prepare for it, but once you get into a game, then I think for the players it was really incumbent upon them to find solutions in a game where solutions weren't readily available. So, I thought as we grew into the game, I thought it was a hard fought game both ways. And as we grew into the game, I thought in the second half we really started to create some good opportunities. I do feel like their goal was somewhat against the run of play, and we could have folded our tents, but we really just dug in harder and scored a great goal, had some other really good opportunities.

It's like I said to them, it's disappointing. I feel like I've said this so many times to them, I know it's disappointing to not reward yourselves for a good day's work, but I also said to them that they can only control the things they can control. They can't really control outcomes. The biggest thing you control is your mentality, your attitude, your approach to the game, that sort of thing. And I would say, I don't know how long it's been, they've been pretty good about that most of the year, but I think in the last two months they've really put themselves in a position to win just about every game. Yes, we haven't quite gotten there, but we see so much improvement in our attacking ideas. And today maybe in a different setting, a different day, these sorts of chances, maybe we score a few more goals. I thought defensively though we were pretty resolute against a team that has a lot of good players. They have a lot of good players, have a lot of players who are good individually, and I thought guys had to really take care of their responsibilities. And for the most part I thought we did a really good job of that.

Q: Sean [Johnson] really didn't have much to do. I think that the goal was only the second shot that he faced. How were you able to sort of minimize, as you said, Montreal side with a lot of technical players?

Yeah, I think the team has really grown and I feel like they're understanding defensively what's being asked of them and their cohesion and willingness to work together and ability to work together I think has really improved. And it fills me with a great deal of pride when I watch how determined we are and how we defend now. If you can't stop the other team, you give yourself very little chance to win games. And I do think that over the last couple of months we've become pretty hard to play against not giving up that many chances. And if you're not giving up that many chances, you're keeping yourself in the game. So, I think we've really grown as a team that way. And I think on the attacking end, we are growing as well. We don't have the results yet to prove it to everyone else, but we feel like we see growth really everywhere with the group.

Q: You went down, I think five defenders today. Richie Laryea, I thought had a heck of a game. He was everywhere tonight and also irritating the heck out of the Montreal players. Just your thoughts on his performance?

Richie [Laryea] has become, wherever we need somebody for whatever reason, he just goes there. And he's excelled in everything I've asked him to do. And I've asked him to do probably six or seven different things this year. I thought tonight he was outstanding. His ability to carry the ball and move the attack forward, especially out of center back, I think is a really unique thing. I don't really know many center backs who could influence the game on the offensive end the way that Richie [Laryea] was able to today and didn't mean he was involved in a lot of final actions, but he was able to drive us really deep into their half often, which allowed us to then set up attacks. And probably the only center back who comes to mind who does something like that is Moïse Bombito. And for someone who's not a center back, I thought it was a really good center back performance.

Q: Jules [Anthony Vilsaint] has proven to be a pretty useful player. I mean, you've got the goal. The equalizer against Columbus nearly had the winner tonight and then it was his shot that sort of forced that save, which led to the [Jonathan] Osorio rebound attempt. What's been your impression of him?

My impression of him gets better every day. We liked him when we were looking into the trade and the trade possibilities. He came in, we liked what we saw. He's a really good young man. He's enthusiastic, he wants to work hard, wants to improve. And what we are finding out, and it's always great when you get a new player and you find out more things about them week after week, it's like peeling the onion. We're finding more and more layers to his game. And tonight, I thought he was really good in limited minutes. And what we're seeing is that he's very, very, he's very comfortable with his feet. He's very comfortable with the ball. His feet are good. He's composed. For him to get into the spot that he did tonight required a ton of composure. And yeah, we're excited about working with him. We think he's really got something. So, we're excited to continue to work with him and help develop him.

Q: You touched on Richie Laryea making those progressive runs. Was this particular in this game? Was this to combat anything specific to Montreal's game?

Well, we had a number of injuries. We had two more injuries at the end of training yesterday. Well, more injury and illness at the end of training than we did before training. So, we had to shuffle things around a little bit. And again, a real, I'm really proud of Richie [Laryea] going into an unfamiliar position. Kobe [Franklin] going to left back. Kosi [Thompson] wasn't slated to start, but through what happened, he came in and was so prepared and so engaged. I just love the fact that we feel like a team most every day. And this was just another example. We lose a few players, guys step in, guys have to play different positions. Nobody complains, no one says anything. They just go out and get the job done. And it really is, I said this to them, I'm very proud to be associated with this group because they work relentlessly, they work together, we've pushed them a lot. We've seen improvement. We give ourselves a chance to win most weekends. Yeah, I'm really proud of the group because I love watching them become more and more and more like a team. And I think we see it every week.

Q: Is it serious with Raoul [Petretta] and Sigurd [Rosted]?

Raoul [Petretta] is flu basically, and Siggy [Sigurd Rosted] rolled his ankle in training yesterday. I don't think it'll be long, but I think it'll be a few days to a week. That would be my guess. I've done that so many times that as soon as he did it, I was extremely concerned because the way he did it, I didn't think he was going to be able to make it today. And we tried and tried and tried and iced and x-ray and this and that and the other, and in the end, he just couldn't do it. But I don't think it'll be too long.

Q: There were a couple of penalty shouts, [Djordje] Mihailovic going down the box, what was your view of those?

So, I looked at those before I came in because I'd never see them live. I didn't see Djordjes [Mihailovic]. I can't really comment on that because I haven't seen it again. I just saw it live. The one with Ola [Brynhildsen], the way it had been described to me, I thought for sure it was a penalty. Having watched it and watched it a few minutes before I came in here, I think it's questionable enough that at the end of the day he can't really complain about it. And then the Oso [Jonathan Osorio] one, the replay doesn't show. My understanding is the player had his jersey, but the replay doesn't show that, so I can't really comment on that. There was an English Premier League game today where a penalty was called for a holding onto a jersey, and I thought, oh, if that's the case, let me see. But the replay didn't show it. So, what are my thoughts on the penalties? I don't have enough of an argument for any of them to really make us think about it. So, I'm just not going to say anything.

Q: Deandre [Kerr] makes this a 100th appearance for the club tonight. Obviously, he's a young player shown quite well during his time. How much do you see him as a big part of the future of this club going forward?

I do. I do. I think that Deandre [Kerr] is a player who's still learning the position. I believe he came up as a winger and has over recent times been converted to a nine and he's still learning the position, and he's improved. I think he's improved a great deal this year in terms of his understanding of how to play the position. And I think his natural ability, his natural prowess in the air makes him certainly a candidate to only get better as a nine. And he's got a great mentality work rate. So, he's someone that we all like very much and we feel like he's just really scratch the surface in terms of what he can do.

Q: What does next week look like with the team off and does the break come at a good time, do you think?

I don't' know, there's so many breaks. I feel like we've had so many breaks this year. It probably does come at a good time given a few illnesses and injuries and that sort of thing. Guys have worked really hard. We'll take a few days off, we'll come back and train four days next week, take two days off after that, and then have a lead into the game the following weekend. But we'll take a few days off now. A really, really good shift. I would say a couple of really good shifts over the last couple of games. So, for the players to get a few days off right now and kind of get away from it, I think is good. I think we're in a good place mentally. Obviously, we're not happy about where we are in the table, but I feel like the team has really done everything they can in terms of work and preparation and what they've done in the games. So, we'll take a few days off and then come back next week and work on a few things, especially if we don't have a game on the weekend. It allows us to be a little bit more specific on a few things. And then the following week we'll be ramping up for the next one.

Q: Debut for [José] Cifuentes, a bit of a cameo from him. I thought he had one nice move up the right, just what was your impression of him?

Cifu [José Cifuentes] has not been involved in a lot of 11 vs.11 in the last six weeks, so the feeling is we need to introduce him incrementally, allow him to get fit, get used to the big spaces, that sort of thing. So, it wasn't a long appearance for him tonight, but there were a few moments where you can just tell this is an experienced player and he understands and reads situations offensively, defensively. His ability to recognize where to be defensively, his ability to recognize where openings are offensively. I thought it was a really good performance in a pretty short and very highly intense game. This sort of game can be difficult to come into. I think it might be marginally easier as a forward than certainly as a defender, but in the midfield also. It's extremely hectic and I thought he came in and he fit right in seamlessly. So, I think that speaks a lot to his ability to understand and pick things up quickly. We've only had a week of training, we've done a lot of video and we've talked about the things that we're trying to accomplish and the fact that he was so comfortable in there tonight just makes me feel, it further confirms what I thought, which is he's not only a good player, but he's an extremely intelligent player. And I think that we saw all aspects of that today.

Q: A feisty game, a little bit of controversy, some late drama at the end. Just what was it like to be on the sidelines for a Toronto Montreal game in this stadium?

Yeah, it's been a while and there've been some crazy ones over the years. The playoff game in 2016, that's one of the best games I've ever been a part of. Actually, that whole series. And actually, going back to 2015 and 2016, I think about having to coach against [Marco] Donadel, who was a very good player. So, to be back here with Marco Donadel on the other sideline we're both in similar positions, really trying to make improvements to our teams. It felt probably, I didn't feel it as much going into the game, but about 15 minutes in, I was like, yep, this is a Toronto-Montreal game. Not a whole lot of elaborate tactics as much as it was emotion, hard work, determination. I don't think the game was ever going to be a beautiful game given the rivalry. And it really became a bit of a war of attrition, and I thought it was a fitting game for Toronto, Montreal I thought.

JONATHAN OSORIO - MIDFIELDER, TORONTO FC

Q: A chaotic wild derby game, just how satisfying was that tying goal?

Yeah, I mean, I think that's usually how they go, the derby games, they're ugly, they're chaotic. I think the atmosphere was great, honestly, and it made for, I wouldn't say a great game of football, but a great derby game. I think a nice derby game and yeah, nice to get to battle back at the tie. But realistically, we wanted three points today and we thought that, especially throughout the game, I thought we were the better team for most parts. They did have their chances, but I think in the end we had the bigger chances to come away with three points, and unfortunately we couldn't.

Q: Jonathan, could you talk us through to the sequence of the goal? What was going through your mind when you connected the ball as it was a pretty great finish.

No, just I think I remember the ball got cleared to me. I chest it down and I'm able to get past the player and then start dribbling, and I think Jules (Anthony Vilsaint) makes a really nice peeling run, so I find him, he puts a good strike on net. The goalie makes a good save and it falls for me and for me, there's a space in the net, so I took it confidently and we got the tie.

Q: What's been your impression of Jules (Anthony Vilsaint) so far? It seems like he's young man who's kind of come in and shown well so far.

I think he's been great. He's been great, especially considering everything, coming to a new team and traded and everything, so he's came in with such a great attitude. I think he scores the goal against Columbus (Crew). I believe the next game, he doesn't get in and he has the mentality to be strong and just be ready for his time and comes in and I think made an impact today. I shouldn't have said made an impact, but he made a really good showing today on the game and yeah, he's great. He needs to keep going like this, and he'll keep getting more and more chances if he keeps going like this.

Q: You were down five defenders today and Richie [Laryea] steps up and just had an amazing game moving forward doing everything. Just your thoughts about what it's like playing with something like that in the back.

It's an honour. I can't even speak so highly about that guy. He is an unbelievable competitor, an unbelievable footballer. He plays where he's told to play and he does the job and the heart and grit that he has, plus the quality that he has. I think he should get a little bit more. I think a lot of people know how good he is, but actually I think even he deserves even more respect than he actually gets because that guy is a top level player and in these kind of games, you want Richie Laryea on your team because he has the character for these type of games and important games and yeah, that guy, he's unbelievable.

Q: Can I get your take on CF Montreal? I mean, you eliminated them tonight with a draw, but they're unbeaten in the last five games and they look like they're getting their act together again after a tough season. Just your thoughts on them as a team.

Yeah, no, they've done well in the last few games for sure. They're improving, so yeah, they're definitely better than they were in the beginning of the year for sure. Yeah, that's all.

Q: Even though the results you maybe necessarily haven't been there over the last six games, do you like the direction that the club is headed? Does it give you hope of where the team is headed?

I think, yeah. I think with the moves that are being made and the players that have come in, yeah, I think definitely the club is heading into the right direction. I think there's still a lot of work to be done and within this group right here that we have for the rest of the season, we are improving. We need to find a way to get three points. I think we've deserved in a lot of these games in the last few games, we got to find a way to now turn these kind of half chances into or good chances into goals. I think that's what we're missing right now. But yeah, no, we're playing a lot better. We feel more in control of games and we just want to keep improving as the season goes into the last stretch. And then, yeah, this off season's going to be an important one.

Q: We got our first look at Cifuentes. You're one of the guys who's helped, who helps bring new guys on the board. Just what's been your impression of him as a man and him as a player?

Oh, great guy, great guy, great person. I've spoken to him a lot, trying to get him just feeling comfortable here and he's excited to be here. And yeah, he just needs to a little bit, the more football he gets, the more minutes he gets, he's going to show the type of player, and you can already see being with him on the field today, he kind of solves situations tactically. He's very smart. So yeah, I think I'm excited for him and for this club to have him. And yeah, I think you'll see a guy that gets better and better as the games come.

Q: Do you feel like there were more goals out there today? We saw the woodwork hit in the final minute from both sides?

Yeah, definitely. I mean, it was a crazy game and I think it got a little bit more open than we would like at the end. I know this happens in the MLS a lot, but in this type of game, I think we have to be more tactically sound, that especially we get back in the game and we can't just open ourselves up to a game that goes back and forth. Even though yes, we had our chance to win the game, they had a chance. I thought the last corner was a great chance too. And then, yeah, I think a couple calls didn't go our way as well.

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Major League Soccer Stories from August 30, 2025


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