Toronto FC fills holes in starting lineup

Toronto FC filled holes in its starting 11 and added experience in the off-season.

So the hope is the 2017 champion can return to its winning ways after two seasons mired near the bottom of the Major League Soccer standings.

But depth is a question-mark as TFC kicks off the regular season Saturday at D.C. United.

The schedule-maker has pitted the league’s two worst teams from last year in an Audi Field matchup that likely only devoted fans are looking forward to.

Toronto (9-18-7) finished 27th overall, seven points ahead of cellar-dwelling D.C. (7-21-6), in a 2022 season that ended with a whimper for both teams.

Toronto wrapped up the campaign with five straight losses, conceding four goals in four of the five games. D.C. won just one of its final 13 outings (1-9-3), a slide that ended with four straight defeats.

Toronto and D.C. have each lost a league-worst 36 games since the start of the 2021 season. But with a total of 26 players moving on from the two teams in the off-season, it’s a new start for both.

Toronto coach and sporting director Bob Bradley continued his remake of the roster, with particular attention to the backline after a year that saw TFC tie a franchise low by leaking 66 goals.

Sean Johnson, a free agent from New York City FC, takes over in goal behind a revamped back four with newcomers Matt Hedges, Sigurd Rosted and Raoul Petretta joining incumbent fullback Richie Laryea.

Johnson had 23 clean sheets over the last two seasons with NYCFC, compared to just five for Toronto over the same period.

Captain Michael Bradley returns for a 10th season in Toronto colours.

The 35-year-old franchise stalwart is expected to play alongside Canadians Jonathan Osorio and Mark-Anthony Kaye in the midfield with Italian stars Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi flanking newcomer Adama Diomande up front.

Osorio and Bradley have made a combined 609 appearances for TFC in all competitions.

Insigne (Napoli), Johnson (NYCFC) and Hedges (FC Dallas) are all former captains at their previous clubs.

‘There’s some added experience that gives up more intelligence on the field,” said Bob Bradley. “I think that we’ve been solid with the way we’ve built from the back, moved the team forward, defended … We feel like we’re going in a good direction and we’re ready to start the season.”

Added Kaye: “We have a lot of guys that now (as) we go into any given game, we can rely on to step up and take control of different situations … This year I think it’s just a more experienced team, a more complete team.”

There is a question-mark over the Toronto reinforcements, however, with 12 players aged 24 or younger waiting in the wings.

“Like a lot of MLS teams, we still feel that we can add depth in different ways,” said Bob Bradley. “Depth happens in two ways. It happens sometimes where you bring someone in from the outside that fits a need. And then it happens when you see guys on the inside that are getting better every day.

“We’re looking at both sides on how we can add depth to our team.”

Toronto added defender Kobe Franklin to its first-team roster Friday, signing the 19-year-old to a homegrown contract through 2024 with options for 2025 and 2026. The Canadian youth international is the 32nd player in club history to sign for the first team from the TFC academy.

Toronto’s home opener is March 11 against the Columbus Crew.