Toronto FC 'a group you can always rely on to fight' in every match

Toronto FC split the points with the top team in Major League Soccer on Saturday, drawing 1-1 with the San Jose Earthquakes at BMO Field.

While there was some disappointment after the match about letting an early slip away and settling for a single point following Daniel Salloi’s second-minute opener, there was also the continued sentiment that the team is moving in the right direction. As long as they are putting up good performances and not losing games so they can add to their point total, they believe they are making progress as a group early in the season.

Robin Fraser was asked what stood out to him about his team’s good performance, which also came without ten injured players — including several players you’d expect to be starters.

One word came to mind, a much more positive one than last week after the Atlanta game.

“Character,” he said. “This team has for a while now been a group that you can always rely on to fight and always they’re going to put in a really good shift. I was asked about urgency a couple of weeks ago and that’s something that we’ve talked about, that we want to start the right way, we want to start with the right urgency, and we scored really early today.”

Fraser was happy with his side’s mindset around the game, and they went toe-to-toe with the league’s best club so far in 2026 without batting an eye. That attitude will serve them well against any opponent, but especially ones that leave TFC perceived as the underdogs.

“It just really goes to show the mentality of the group is that when we play with that sort of urgency and that sort of effort, we’re difficult to play against,” Fraser said. “[San Jose’s] an excellent team for sure. I know that they’re at the tail end of a three-game week, so certainly, there is some fatigue probably for them, but I was really proud of the manner in which we approached the game and the manner in which we played it.

“It was efficient, it was pragmatic, and out of that we were able to create some good chances.”

Courtesy: Shaun McLeod/Waking The Red

Toronto FC will need to bring that energy again next Saturday, when reigning MLS Cup champions Inter Miami are in town. If Lionel Messi makes the trip, it could be a pro-Miami crowd at BMO Field, something Toronto will also have to deal with the same way Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea had to for the Canada game against Tunisia at BMO Field in March where the crowd was jeering the Canadian players.

Before they can worry about Miami, though, Toronto FC have a date with Atlético Ottawa on Tuesday night in the Canadian Championship preliminary round.

Toronto FC ‘a group you can always rely on to fight’ in every match

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