TFC - Toronto Football Club

The Toronto Football Club, also known as TFC, is a Toronto-based professional team that was founded in 2005.

History

TFC was founded as an expansion team, and his fan base grew quickly during the first years. Its first win was over the Chicago Fire Soccer Club in 2007. Mo Johnson from Scotland acted as the first coach of the team from 2006 to 2008. He was also the first general manager while the current manager is Ali Curtis, a former player from the U.S. and a soccer administrator.

Players

The roaster includes players from the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Spain, Japan, Belgium, and other countries. Justin Morrow is a U.S. soccer player who was traded to TFC in 2013 and currently plays as defender. Also an American, Drew Moor previously played for the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, and Chicago Fire Premier. He is currently a defender. Michael Bradley is a midfielder, a U.S. professional player, and the present captain of TFC. He previously played for major teams such as Borussia Mönchengladbach, SC Heerenveen, and New York Red Bulls. Jon Bakero from Spain plays as a forward and was traded to TFC by Chicago Fire in 2018. Jonathan Osorio is a professional player from Toronto, Canada who played in the CONCACAF under-20 championship which was held in 2011 in Guatemala. He plays as a midfielder. Jordon Hamilton is also a Canadian from Scarborough, Ontario who signed with the Toronto Football Club in 2014 after playing for Clube Desportivo Trofense and Wilmington Hammerheads where he was loaned. Chris Mavinga is a French national and a defender who played for the national team of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2015. Ayo Akinola is a forward and a U.S. player from Detroit, Michigan. He played for the U.S. national U-15 football team in 2015, U-17 between 2015 and 2017, and U-20 from 2018 until present. Alex Bono is a U.S. player and a goalkeeper who was born in Syracuse, New York. Bono graduated from the Syracuse University in 2014 and played for Reading United before joining TFC. In 2017, he was awarded the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award. Other players on the current rooster include Liam Fraser (midfielder), Laurent Ciman (defender), Gregory van der Wiel (defender), Tsubasa Endoh (forward), and Marky Delgado (midfielder).

The team competed in different championships over the years, including the Canadian Championship, Supporters’ Shield, and MLS Cup. Players have been awarded a number of awards such as the MLS Cup MVP, MLS Newcomer of the Year, MLS Golden Boot, and others. The largest attendance was registered in 2016 - 36,045 spectators when the Toronto Football Club played against the Seattle Sounders at the BMO Field.

Future

TFC qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League and Canadian Championship in 2019. The 2019 CONCACAF Champions League is held between February 19 and May 2, 2019, with qualified teams from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Panama, Honduras, and other countries. The Canadian Championship will be held between May 15 and September 25, 2019. The Toronto Football Club won the competition in 2016, 2017, and 2018. In 2019, qualified teams include Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Pacific FC, Ottawa Fury, FC Edmonton, and other clubs. The first legs are scheduled for May 15.

For all scheduled games visit: http://www.tvsoccer.ca/.

Soccer in Canada

Soccer holds a great popularity and is, in fact, the most popular sport in Canada, with over 865,700 registered players.

History

The first soccer game was organized in 1859 in Toronto and was played between a team of Irish players and the St. George’s Society. The Western Football Association was established in former Berlin in 1880. Teams were formed across Western Ontario, in Galt, Preston, Dundas, Brussels, Seaforth, and elsewhere. The Saskatchewan Football Association and Ontario Football Association were founded in 1905 and 1901, respectively.

Leagues

The Canadian Soccer League was founded in 1926 and is a Non-FIFA, semi-professional league today. The league includes 21 teams that compete against each other. The season champion is the team that wins the most points. The USL League Two is an amateur league that includes five clubs from Canada – Thunder Bay Chill, WSA Winnipeg, Calgary Foothills FC, Victoria Highlanders, and TSS FC Rovers. The Major Soccer League includes 24 teams from Canada and the U.S. and is the highest level in both countries. The three Canadian teams in the league are Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Toronto FC.

A total of 7 teams will compete in the first edition of the Canadian Premier League. Division 1 clubs include teams such as Pacific FC, HFX Wanderers FC, FC Edmonton, and Cavalry FC.

Professional Soccer Teams

There are a number of professional soccer teams in Canada, among which Toronto FC, Forge FC, Montreal Impact, and York 9 FC.

Montreal Impact was founded in 2010 and is coached by former player and coach Remi Garde. The team competes in the CONCACAF Championships and Major League Soccer. Montreal Impact won the Canadian Championship in 2014, 2013, and 2008. The team also played in international competitions against teams such as Heredia (Guatemala), Futbol Club Atlas (Mexico), New York Red Bulls (U.S.).

The Cavalry Football Club is a new team that was founded in 2018 and will play in the 2019 Canadian Premier League. The current coach is former football player Tommy Wheeldon Jr.

FC Edmonton is also a professional team that was founded in 2009 and is currently coached by Jeff Paulus. Home matches are played at the Clarke Stadium. Its players have been awarded a number of awards, including the NASL Golden Glove, Young Player of the Year, and Player of the Month. Top ranking scorers include players such as Jake Keegan from the U.S., Michael Cox from Canada, and Tomi Ameobi from Great Britain.

The Forge Football Club is popularly known as The Hammers and was founded in 2017. Bobby Smyrniotis is the current coach, and home matches are played at the Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. The team includes players from Sweden, Canada, and Cameroon. Vancouver Whitecaps FC was founded in 2009 and competes in the Major League Soccer. The current coach is Marc Dos Santos, and the team incudes players from different countries, including South Korea, Brazil, Canada, U.S., and Switzerland. The team won the Canadian Championship in 2018, 2016, 2013, 2012, and 2011. The list of top scorers includes Kekuta Manneh from Gambia, Cristian Techera from Uruguay, Pedro Morales from Chile, and others. Players such as Pedro Morales and Camilo received the MLS Golden Boot.

In addition to professional soccer teams, there are semi-professional teams such as the Serbian White Eagles Football Club, Milton SC, and Halton United. Women’s clubs that compete in League 1 Ontario include teams such as the West Ottawa Soccer Club, Woodbridge Strikers, Durham United FC.