Toronto FC coach understands fan unrest but says club is working hard to fix things

Toronto FC forward Deandre Kerr, centre, celebrates his goal against D.C. United with fans and teammates during first half MLS action in Toronto on Saturday, May 27, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

TORONTO — Toronto FC coach Robin Fraser says he understands fan unrest at the MLS team’s recent struggles, but says the club is working hard to change its fortunes.

Toronto has not made the playoffs since 2020 and currently sits 28th in the 30-team league at 1-6-4.

“Without a doubt I understand and appreciate the frustration of the fans,” Fraser said after training Friday. “There’s so much going on behind the scenes to improve the team whether it’s just the work that we are doing with the current players and the work that’s being done to scout and recruit players.

“I have no doubt that this team will be back where it needs to be. It just isn’t going to happen overnight.”

Some in the supporters section in the south stand of BMO Field walked out during the first half of Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the New England Revolution in an apparent protest. A banner reading “This Badge Don’t Belong To You!!!” was unfurled at one point. Another banner read “Accept Existence or Expect Resistance.”

“We hear you. We understand your frustration,” MLSE president and chief executive officer Keith Pelley said in an email to season ticket-holders Monday.

Pelley offered no panacea but asked supporters to stick with the struggling team, which has not won at home since Sept. 14.

Fraser was an assistant coach under Greg Vanney from 2015 to 2019 so remembers the franchise’s glory days.

Toronto made the MLS Cup final in 2016, ’17 and ’19, lifting the trophy in 2017 when it also won the Canadian Championship and Supporters’ Shield, which goes to the team with the best regular-season record. In 2018, Toronto reached the final of the CONCACAF Champions League (now CONCACAF Champions Cup) where it lost to Chivas Guadalajara in a penalty shootout.

The club’s record from 2016 to 2020 was “incredible,” Fraser said while omitting the 2018 season when TFC missed the playoffs at 10-18-6.

Fraser also knows the dark times before that run.

“I understand that there’s been years of futility and then a period of bliss,” he said. “To have that team and those players and the way they were, and to have the seasons that they did was incredible. It was incredible for this town.

“So they’ve gotten a taste if what it’s like to be the best. And when you’ve had that, even though they had years of futility before, this feels worse. Because you’ve been in a position where you have been the best. Whereas from 2007 to 2015, it was futility but it wasn’t ‘How could we have fallen so far?’ I think that’s a different kind of futility.”

TFC has not scored in league play at home in 439 minutes, dating back to Deandre Kerr’s goal April 5 in a 2-1 loss to Chicago.

“I feel badly in that we are where we are at the moment,” said Fraser. “But I also feel very positive that this is going to turn, this is going to move in the right direction. I know the people above me are all completely committed to it and it literally feels no one is going to rest until we get back to where we want to be.”

Toronto stands 12th in league attendance, averaging 21,915 a game at BMO Field. Announced attendance for last Saturday’s loss to New England was 19,690.

Toronto is one of just three MLS teams to have spent all their 2025 general allocation money, which can be used to acquire players and buy down their salary cap charge. The other two without GAM are Charlotte FC and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

In contrast, league-leading Vancouver has US$1,979,520 in GAM while CF Montreal has US$1,725,894.

Toronto hosts D.C. United (3-5-3) on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2025.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press