With post-season hopes dashed, Toronto FC to play for pride in season finale

TORONTO — After falling short in a late-season push for a playoff spot, Toronto FC will play for pride Saturday when the Major League Soccer club closes out its regular season against the Philadelphia Union.

A 3-1 loss in Atlanta last Sunday sealed TFC’s fate. It’s the sixth season in a row that the club has missed the post-season.

“It’s devastating, honestly,” Toronto forward Theo Corbeanu said Wednesday after a team training session. “Really, really annoying. Very frustrating to not be able to get into the playoffs.”

Toronto (9-12-12) felt like it was in must-win mode in recent weeks and delivered some decent results to get within striking distance of the ninth-place cutline in the Eastern Conference.

Hopes were buoyed after a 2-0 road win over Red Bull New York on Oct. 17 but a 4-2 road loss to Columbus that followed was a gut punch.

Needing a victory last weekend against an Atlanta team that was near the bottom of the East standings, Toronto did not display the required urgency.

The hosts jumped out to a three-goal lead and rolled to victory to end a six-game home winless skid.

“Obviously people are let down,” said TFC coach Robin Fraser. “But I do think that from what we’ve seen, this pride factor is an important thing.

“There are guys who have different things to play for — whether it’s contracts or longevity or starting positions — there’s always something to play for I think, as a professional.”

It will be more than a playoff warm-up for the sixth-place Union, who want to avoid slipping into eighth and a potential wild-card matchup.

Philadelphia (13-12-8) enters Decision Day with 47 points, one ahead of Cincinnati and three points ahead of Columbus. Toronto and the two New York teams share 10th place with 39 points.

“Of course we want to finish on a good note,” Fraser said. “First and foremost is to win the game. We want to do all things the right way.

“If you’re a professional, I feel like that should be your obligation. There’s no other thought.”

Fraser might tinker with his lineup to give backup players some minutes at Subaru Park. The teams played to a 3-3 draw in their last meeting on April 22 at BMO Field.

“It does present an opportunity to perhaps do some things differently,” Fraser said. “I’ll look at a few different players who have been knocking on the door or are really close. All of that hasn’t been fully decided yet.”

Forward Josh Sargent has been in strong form of late after a quiet start to the season. He’s tied with Daniel Salloi for the team lead with nine goals.

The squad managed to get some results in the second half of the campaign but overall inconsistency remained an issue. Toronto seemed to be pushing uphill after an injury-plagued first half and it proved to be too much.

“It’s been a really strange and choppy season between the injuries and the World Cup break,” Fraser said.

“Certainly when things don’t go your way, you try to find reasons why,” he added. “You start to look at all the different things that maybe could have been done differently along the way.”

The Union, meanwhile, have scored only three goals over their current four-game winless skid. Forward Milan Iloski leads the team with 19 goals.

“They are a direct team, they combine well in the middle of the field,” Fraser said. “They make it very difficult for opponents and it’s something they’ve done in various forms for many years now.”

Toronto’s last playoff appearance was a first-round 1-0 loss to Nashville SC in November 2020.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2026.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press