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Three Players To Watch In 2021 On Toronto FC

By Connor Somerville

REUNION, FLORIDA - JULY 16: Ayo Akinola #20 of Toronto FC battles with Jukka Raitala #22 of Montreal Impact for control of the ball during a Group C match as part of the MLS Is Back Tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on July 16, 2020 in Reunion, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
REUNION, FLORIDA - JULY 16: Ayo Akinola #20 of Toronto FC battles with Jukka Raitala #22 of Montreal Impact for control of the ball during a Group C match as part of the MLS Is Back Tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on July 16, 2020 in Reunion, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Players Who Just Missed The Cut

Héber
REUNION, FLORIDA – JULY 26: Michael Bradley #4 of Toronto FC and Heber Araújo dos Santos #9 of New York City compete for the ball during a round of sixteen match between Toronto FC and New York City FC of MLS Is Back Tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on July 26, 2020 in Reunion, Florida. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

Ifunanyachi Achara. Achara is coming off of an ACL and LCL tear and still isn’t fully healthy, but with what he did last year in the two matches he played, he could be a key piece for TFC either as a substitute or as a starting winger. He showed he’s capable of being a good attacker but needs to stay healthy if he’s going to make an impact for TFC this season.

Liam Fraser. This year might be the last season for Liam Fraser to prove himself. He seriously struggled to get minutes under Greg Vanney, and he’s got a golden opportunity with Armas now at the helm. Fraser is 23 and has yet to be a meaningful player for TFC, so we might be getting to the point where the club starts thinking about whether there’s a future for him with TFC, which is unfortunate considering Fraser is a good player who still has promise. Hopefully, this is the year where he breaks through and can prove himself, from one Ryerson Ram to another.

The old DPs. I’m sure you know who I’m talking about when I say the old DPs, but in case you don’t, I’m referencing former DP, now TAM, player Michael Bradley and DP Jozy Altidore. These are two guys who are in their 30s and have struggled with injuries. How will they be able to manage in a pressing system? Can they keep up and stay healthy for a prolonged period? These are two very talented players, but they’re at the point in their careers where I don’t know if they’ll be able to handle a pressing system, so we’ll need to watch their play and whether or not they can keep up.

Justin Morrow. Let me make this clear right from the get-go; I love Justin Morrow off the pitch and all of the intangible things he does for this team. But, and this is a big but, he’s getting old quickly and, at this point, barring Auro Jr. or Laryea playing on the left (which I think one of them will), he’s the clubs only bonafide left-back. There are question marks around him. The biggest one is can he still be a difference-maker and keep up in the pressing system. He’s a player I never want to leave Toronto because of how beneficial he is to have off the field, but maybe the end of this season is the one where they finally see if Morrow’s interested in another role at the club and if he’s willing to hang up the cleats.

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