Toronto FC vow to “only get stronger” after first win | OneFootball

By Ben Steiner

Toronto FC have set the stage.

On Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, the Reds picked up their first win of the season as new signing Dániel Sallói netted his first goal for the club in a 1–0 away victory at FC Cincinnati, closing out the three-game season-opening road trip.

With the road swing wrapped, Toronto returns to BMO Field for its next nine matches with a vital three points in hand.

“When you work this hard, you want to reward yourself,” head coach Robin Fraser said post-match. “Even the way they dug in at the very end is so important, because it's about establishing what our identity is going to be and what our character is going to be like as a group.”

“Now to go home and have these games at home, we should feel good about what we've done, but also understand that we still have to work to do.”

Setting up for Sargent

While picking up the first win before playing in front of home supporters was crucial, so too was finding some form ahead of star striker Josh Sargent’s debut. 

Although the club unveiled their new Designated Player on Thursday, purchased for a reported club-record fee of $22 million, the USMNT attacker did not make the trip to TQL Stadium. 

Sargent, who headlines Toronto’s rebuild, now joins a team entering Matchday 4 with a bit of confidence and could be in line to make his debut in front of the hometown fans.

“I think for us to come through these three games, obviously the last one being the most positive one in almost every fashion, I think it just sets us up for this long homestand we have,” Fraser added.

“This is a group tonight that did really well, and then you feel like you add Josh, and you've got other guys coming back from injuries that will only get stronger.”

Added Sallói, who scored his first MLS goal for a team other than Sporting Kansas City: “We’re very excited to have him. He’s an amazing player, and just the ambition of this club to get a player like him, I can't wait to play alongside him.”

Confidence growing

Despite a shaky start to the season, which included losses to FC Dallas and Canadian rivals, Vancouver Whitecaps, TFC are developing into a team that could contend for an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spot, especially with the upcoming home stretch lasting through May 16.

“This is a group that is still having players come in. We're still getting used to each other and getting to know each other, figuring out what we're best at, the things we need to continue to work on,” said Fraser. 

“You can feel this wave of it coming off us, becoming more and more like a team.”

Toronto host Red Bull New York in next week's home opener (1 pm ET | Apple TV), a match which could see Sargent's introduction.

WATCH: Dániel Sallói's late strike sends Toronto past Cincinnati