Soccer
Despite Toronto FC ending their winless streak last time out, head coach Robin Fraser still sees room for improvement ahead of their MLS clash with Charlotte FC.
It has been a rough run for Toronto recently, but they finally got their first victory since April last time out after edging the New England Revolution 2-1.
Toronto were helped by an own goal from Will Sands before Niklas Dorsch netted what turned out to be the winner, with the Revs only able to score a late consolation.
The Reds moved up to 12th in the Eastern Conference with the victory, but Fraser noted there are still things they can do better if they want to stay on the right side of results.
“We would like to have been able to be better with the ball and preserve the lead in a way that didn’t require all the emergency defending,” Fraser told reporters after the game.
“Everything is related; it just felt like we didn’t do a good enough job of stopping them high up the field.
“It felt like we were uphill the entire second half.”
As for Charlotte, they returned to winning ways themselves in MLS, bouncing back from defeat to the Chicago Fire with a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Crew.
The Crown also enjoyed a strong Leagues Cup group stage, winning two of their three matches, but head coach Dean Smith still wants to see more attacking intent.
“It was a really good reaction,” he said. “The first 20 minutes were really good, but then we lost our patience a little bit.
“They can play between the lines when you become impatient. The goal we gave away was disappointing, but we changed the shape and brought on players, and we’re a threat against anyone.
“We should’ve scored more goals.”
Got the job done pic.twitter.com/PGHZ57LVax
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) August 16, 2026
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Toronto FC – Niklas Dorsch
Toronto had just three shots against New England, with only one of those on target, and Dorsch ensured he converted it to get the team over the line.
His sole attempt was worth just 0.02 expected goals (xG), while he was also just one of three players to create a chance in that match.
Charlotte FC – Pep Biel
Pep Biel has scored 10 goals in MLS for Charlotte this season, more than any other player in the team.
He has scored once in each of his last three matches, having taken 12 shots in that time, though only four of those have been on target.
MATCH PREDICTION: CHARLOTTE FC WIN
Charlotte have got the better of Toronto of late, winning each of the last four meetings between the sides in a run dating back to April 2024. In that time, they have outscored the Reds 10-3.
Toronto ended a run of 12 matches without a win (D7 L5) last time out, holding out for a 2-1 win over New England despite having Djordje Mihailovic sent off.
Charlotte have lost just one of their last six matches in MLS (W4 D1), though that came in their last road game as they let an early lead slip against the Fire in a 2-1 loss on August 2.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Toronto FC – 34.5%
Draw – 25.8%
Charlotte FC – 39.7%
Read MoreSoccerNews Editorial Team