TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+ TSN5
English (Apple TV): Tyler Terens (Play-by-Play) and Kyndra De St. Aubin (Analyst)
Spanish (Apple TV): Alejandro Figueredo (Play-by-Play) and Tony Cherchi (Analyst)
TSN (English): Luke Wileman and Steven Caldwell
Toronto FC (0-1-1, 1 point) head to the Buckeye State to take on FC Cincinnati (1-1-0, 3 points) at TQL Stadium on Saturday evening. The Matchday 3 encounter in Cincinnati, Ohio kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be viewed globally in English and Spanish on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app and on TSN5 in Canada.
Following an opening weekend draw against D.C. United and a road loss to Orlando City SC, the Reds head into the week looking for their first-ever victory at TQL Stadium and the club’s first under new Head Coach Robin Fraser. Historically, TFC hold a 4W-7L-1T head-to-head record through their first 12 meetings with the Orange and Blue in regular season play.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Toronto FC continue their 2025 Major League Soccer season in Cincinnati for a third straight road match this weekend. With a tie and a loss each to open the new campaign, the Reds hold a 54W-166L-73T all-time record (235 points) in MLS regular season matches played on the road.
AN ODE TO THE PAST
Toronto FC travel to face 2019 MLS expansion club FC Cincinnati for the 13th encounter in the all-time series between the two clubs. Historically, TFC hold a 4W-7L-1T head-to-head record through their first 12 meetings with the Orange and Blue in regular season play. In 2024, TFC opened their MLS season with a goalless road draw against FC Cincinnati, which featured club debuts for current Reds Kevin Long and Deybi Flores and the 100th career clean sheet for American goalkeeper Sean Johnson. On the day, the Reds recorded their first-ever MLS point at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio and this Saturday, Toronto FC will be looking for their first-ever victory at TQL Stadium and the club’s first under new Head Coach Robin Fraser. Most recently, the two Eastern Conference clubs played out an entertaining seven-goal thriller in Toronto, with Sergio Santos’ dramatic 93rd minute goal giving the Orange and Blue a 4-3 road victory at BMO Field on May 25, 2024.
STEP BY STEP
Toronto FC kicked off their 2025 MLS campaign with a hard-fought 2-2 draw against D.C. United in Washington, D.C. on February 22. Goals from Jonathan Osorio and Federico Bernardeschi cancelled strikes from Boris Enow and Christian Benteke for D.C. United, with both sides settling for a point apiece in the American capital. The result marked the club’s first MLS point earned under new Head Coach Robin Fraser and featured club debuts for new signings – starters Markus Cimermancic and Theo Corbeanu, along with Zane Monlouis off the bench. A week later, the Reds fell to a 4-2 road loss against Orlando City SC at Inter&Co Stadium. Goals from César Araújo, Alex Freeman and Martin Ojeda gave the hosts a three-goal advantage before Sigurd Rosted pulled one back for TFC. The Lions added a fourth through Dagur Thorhallsson minutes before Deybi Flores found the net with a low, blistering volley from distance past goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, which ultimately wasn’t enough to helps the Reds earn a result in Orlando, Florida.
A NIGHT OF FIRSTS
On the night, new recruit Ola Brynhildsen made his Toronto FC debut after entering the match as a 65th minute substitute. With the cameo, Brynhildsen became only the fourth Norwegian in club history to make an appearance for TFC, following in the footsteps of countrymen Øyvind Alseth, Sigurd Rosted and Adama Diomande. Rosted, meanwhile, recorded a first of his own in the Sunshine State. The defender headed home Federico Bernardeschi’s corner in the 72nd minute to mark his first goal for the club since joining in February 2023 and in doing so, became the first Norwegian to score a goal in club history. In addition, Deybi Flores’ long-range strike marked the Honduran midfielder’s first goal of the 2025 campaign and earned a “AT&T Goal of the Matchday for Matchday 2” nomination. After opening up his goalscoring account from the spot in Matchday 1, Federico Bernardeschi also recorded his first assist of the new season when he set up Sigurd Rosted for the first of TFC’s two goals on Saturday.
ONCE A RED
The Reds will come up against a familiar face in FC Cincinnati’s Nick Hagglund on Saturday evening. The Cincinnati, Ohio native was originally selected 10th overall by Toronto FC in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft and made 115 combined appearances across five seasons (2014 – 2018) for TFC, helping the club win the domestic treble in 2017 with the MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield and Canadian Championship. The defender joined his hometown club, FC Cincinnati, via trade in January 2019 and currently ranks top-three in club history in games played, starts and minutes. Hagglund was named the Orange and Blue’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and is the only player in club history to be on the club’s roster in all seven seasons for FC Cincinnati in Major League Soccer.
MLS NEXT PRO KICK-OFF
The fourth MLS NEXT Pro season officially gets underway on Friday, March 7 – the earliest in league history, with Austin FC II hosting Colorado Rapids II at Parmer Field to kick things off. Twenty-nine clubs, 27 MLS affiliates and two independent teams, will compete over the course of the year for a shot at MLS NEXT Pro Cup glory. High potential soccer players in North America continue to excel in MLS NEXT Pro and advance through the pro player pathway. Since the launch of the league in 2022, more than 155 players have signed MLS first team contracts after competing in MLS NEXT Pro, with many going on to have an impact on their MLS teams and national teams. Toronto FC II begin their 2025 campaign with a road trip to face FC Cincinnati 2 at NKU Stadium on Sunday, March 9, with kick-off set for 6 p.m. and available to stream at MLSNEXTPro.com.
A trio of Young Reds, Adisa De Rosario, Markus Cimermancic and Lazar Stefanovic, signed First Team contracts with Toronto FC in 2025 highlighting the importance of the player pathway in Toronto. Led by Head Coach Gianni Cimini for a fourth season, TFC II’s roster is comprised of returning players and exciting new signings, all looking to grow, develop and succeed in the competitive and professional environment of MLS NEXT Pro. Currently, 11 players on Toronto FC’s roster previously earned their stripes and gained experience with TFC II in United Soccer League (USL) and MLS NEXT Pro action prior to 2025 – Markus Cimermancic, Alonso Coello, Adisa De Rosario, Nathaniel Edwards, Kobe Franklin, Luka Gavran, Hugo Mbongue, Adam Pearlman, Charlie Sharp, Lazar Stefanovic and Kosi Thompson.
