TORONTO 鈥� A miserable May ended in another loss for Toronto FC.
Toronto coach Robin Fraser had hoped his team could pick up points in a home-heavy month. Instead TFC went 2-5-0 in May, culminating in a disappointing 2-0 loss to Charlotte FC on Saturday.
Toronto (3-10-4) lost five of six at BMO Field in May, with the lone home win May 10 over D.C. United. And it followed the 6-1 victory May 17 at CF Montreal with home losses to Nashville, Philadelphia and Charlotte.
Fraser had asked for a response from his team after a painful 2-1 mid-week loss to Philadelphia that saw his team concede goals in the 86th and 92nd minute. He didn't get it Saturday.
"It's just disappointing that we see good and bad within each game," said Fraser, his voice still hoarse from Wednesday's post-game address to the team. "I think last time we talked about having more good and less bad. 鈥� And I felt like today we just didn't see enough (good)."
Second-half goals by Pep Biel and Patrick Agyemang lifted Charlotte to a comfortable win that left 14th-place Toronto 12 points below the playoff line at the midway point of the Major League Soccer season.
It was largely one-way traffic in the first half with Charlotte, with the wind at its back, in control on a sunny, blustery evening before an announced crowd of 19,406. The visitors outshot TFC 12-0 (4-0 in shots on target) in the first 45 minutes with Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson, celebrating his 36th birthday, once again keeping Toronto in the match.
TFC began to show signs of life in the second half, only to fall behind to Biel's 56th-minute strike. Ivory Coast attacker Wilfried Zaha started the play, finding Liel Abada on the right edge of the penalty box. The Israeli forward cut inside, drawing defenders, before feeding an unmarked Biel for a tap-in in front of goal.
Johnson continued to make big stops in the second half. But he could not stop Agyemang, on a solo run, in the 90th minute. It was the sixth goal of the season for the U.S. international.
Charlotte outshot Toronto 18-7 (9-2) in shots on target.
"We, just in a way, weren't sharp enough today," said 18-year-old Toronto defender Lazar Stefanovic, who drew the short straw in having to speak to the media after the loss.
The game marked a return for Toronto fullback Richie Laryea, out since March 1 with a hamstring injury, and former Toronto winger Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, on loan to Charlotte from CF Montreal, in his first game back at BMO Field since being traded in August 2024
Laryea came off the bench to cheers in the 77th minute, his first action since TFC's second league game of the season. And the abrasive fullback wasted no time getting in the face of Zaha and Charlotte captain Ashley Westwood.
Laryea was shown a yellow card nine minutes after coming on.
Charlotte (8-8-1) went into weekend play in ninth place, the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference 鈥� five places and nine points ahead of Toronto. Charlotte also had a poor May, going 2-6-0 in all competitions before the Toronto visit.
It was a rare road win for Charlotte, which ranked 28th in the 30-team league at 1-6-1 away from home before Saturday. Toronto's home record, now a dismal 1-7-2, ranked 29th.
Toronto brought on Derrick Etienne Jr. and Sigur Rosted to start the second half and began to show signs of life, only to fall behind soon after.
Captain Jonathan Osorio recorded Toronto's first shot, albeit off target, in the 53rd minute. And Charlotte goalkeeper David Bingham was finally called into action a minute later, coming off his line to stop Ola Brynhildsen
Toronto was coming off a painful 2-1 mid-week loss to visiting Philadelphia, which scored 86th- and 92nd-minute goals for the win.
Charlotte lost 4-2 mid-week at the New York Red Bulls after a 3-2 home win over Columbus last Saturday that snapped a five-game league losing streak.
Toronto coach Robin Fraser made four changes to the starting 11 that faced Philadelphia with Stefanovic, Kosi Thompson, Maxime Dominguez and Lorenzo Insigne slotting in. Winger Federico Bernardeschi, who like Thompson was suspended mid-week, did not dress due to a muscle strain.
Bingham, making his first league start since October 2023, replaced Kristijan Kahlina, last year's MLS Goalkeeper of the year, in the Charlotte goal. Kahlina's form has been spotty of late.
Charlotte, which joined the league in 2022, recorded its second-ever win north of the border (the first came April 12 in a 1-0 decision at CF Montreal). It is now 2-5-2 in Canada.
Saturday's victory was also Charlotte's 50th in all competitions (50-50-29).
Toronto was missing injured defenders Nicksoen Gomis, Henry Wingo and Kobe Franklin and forward Deandre Kerr.
Saturday's game was TFC's annual Indigenous Heritage Night.
It also marked the working debut of one of the four new video screens to be installed ahead of next year's World Cup 鈥� one at each corner of the stadium. The two screens at the north end are now in place but only the northwest one is working at this time.
With the FIFA international window looming, Toronto doesn't play again until June 13 at Los Angeles FC. Seven of TFC's 17 remaining games after the break are on the road.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2025.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
