Toronto FC conceded an 84th-minute goal in a 1-0 loss Tuesday to the Colorado Rapids in an MLS pre-season friendly that once again saw Italian star Lorenzo Insigne not figure in the initial starting 11.
Colorado ended the scoreless deadlock in Palm Beach, Fla., when Brazilian forward Rafael Navarro, who scored 15 goals in league play last season, knocked home a corner from fellow designated player Djordje Mihailovic.
Toronto coach Robin Fraser fielded a first-team lineup to start the game, which saw a 30-minute segment tagged on to two 45-minute halves.
Sean Johnson started in goal behind Richie Laryea, Kevin Long, Henry Wingo and Raoul Petretta. Jonathan Osorio captained the side from midfield alongside Matty Longstaff and Deybi Flores with Deandre Kerr up top flanked by Theo Corbeanu and Federico Bernardeschi.
The 33-year-old Insigne came on in the 71st minute.
"At the end of the day, we are looking at all the players and looking at players in different scenarios," Fraser said after the game when asked about Insigne's late participation. "It's just how it worked out."
There have been question-marks over the future of Insigne, the second-highest-paid player in MLS last season at US$15.4 million. The Italian managed four goals and seven assists in 23 league appearances in an injury-disrupted campaign.
Fraser has shifted Bernardeschi from wingback, where he played last season under John Herdman, to a more forward role on the flank in a 4-3-3 formation.
"We accomplished quite a few of the things we wanted to, in terms of our structure and how we were setting up attacks," said Fraser. "I didn't think ultimately we were as dangerous as we needed to be."
"Overall I was pretty pleased with it but there's definitely things we can do better," he added.
Toronto's only other pre-season action was a 1-1 draw with Norway's Fredrikstad FK on Jan. 30 in Marbella, Spain, in a game that saw TFC field two different lineups, each playing two 30-minute halves. Insigne was part of the second squad to take the field that day.
Against Colorado, Sigurd Rosted came on at halftime for Toronto with Alonso Coello, Kobe Franklin and Hugo Mbongue entering in the 52nd minute. Kosi Thompson and Lazar Stefanovic joined Insigne in coming on in the 71st minute, followed by Tyrese Spicer, Markus Cimermancic and Michael Sullivan three minutes later.
Cimermancic is a TFC 2 player while Sullivan, also a midfielder, was taken in the second round (39th overall) of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft out of Pittsburgh.
Goalkeeper Luka Gavran, Nate Edwards and Charlie Sharp came on for the final 30 minutes.
"There were tons of changes" said Fraser. "We're still working guys into 90-minute fitness … so today was a day where most guys did about 75 minutes."
Attacking midfielder Derrick Etienne Jr. (hernia surgery) and defender Nicksoen Gomis (calf) have yet to see action as they work their way back to health. Etienne has started training but is not yet ready for actual competition. Gomis is due to return to action in the next couple of days.
Toronto general manager Jason Hernandez said last week that he had offers out to a forward, midfielder and centre back.
"All I can tell you is what he's told me, which is we are working through details trying to finalize some of these," said Fraser when asked whether new signings were expected
Canadian youth international Kimani Stewart-Baynes came off the bench for Colorado in the 72nd minute.
Fraser, who was an assistant to Greg Vanney in Toronto from 2015 to 2019, was head coach of Colorado from August 2019 to September 2023.
Toronto is slated to face the Columbus Crew on Saturday in Florida. The club kicks off regular-season play Feb. 22 at D.C. United.
Tuesday's game was the last of the pre-season for Colorado. which opens the regular season Feb. 22 at St. Louis City.
Toronto was slated to play Sweden's BK Hacken during the Spain half of camp but the friendly was called off with the Marbella Football Center, which was to have hosted the contest, citing "technical reasons" without elaborating. A Toronto spokeswoman said TFC had been prepared to play.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2025
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
