Coach Bob Bradley says Toronto FC is close to landing a new No. 1 goalkeeper

Coach Bob Bradley says Toronto FC is “close to finalizing” a brand new No. 1 goalkeeper, with free agent Sean Johnson the membership’s anticipated goal.

“Sometimes things just take a little longer than you hope, but I think that we should be just about there with the goalkeeper,” Bradley mentioned Tuesday from San Diego, the place the MLS crew is holding its coaching camp. “And we’re still working on some other things.”

Toronto has not recognized Johnson however the membership has been extensively linked to the U.S. worldwide, who spent the final six seasons with New York City FC. Reports that NYCFC is in talks to safe goalkeeper Matt Freese from the Philadelphia Union have added gasoline to that fireside.

Freese is a backup to Jamaican worldwide Andre Blake in Philadelphia. Blake is the reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and the primary to earn the honour thrice.

Toronto conceded 66 objectives final season, tying a franchise worst. Alex Bono and Quentin Westberg, who cut up the beginning duties the final 4 years, have since moved on — Bono to D.C. United and Westberg to Atlanta United.

TFC has 29-year-old Greg Ranjitsingh, final yr’s third-stringer, and 22-year-old newcomer Tomas Romero as backups.

The 33-year-old Johnson is coming into his 14th MLS season. In 2022, he appeared in all 34 of NYCFC’s common season- matches, with a profession excessive 14 clear sheets whereas incomes his first MLS all-star choice.

Toronto has added defenders Matt Hedges and Raoul Petretta and ahead Adama Diomande within the low season in addition to welcoming attacking midfielder Victor Vazquez again to the fold and signing veteran Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio to a brand new contract. Romero was picked up within the MLS re-entry draft.

The first crew roster at present stands at 25 gamers. While the crew has a gap for a delegated participant, Bradley says there is no such thing as a plan to fill it for the time being.

“It’s not like there’s a set guy that we’ve identified that fits the DP budget that we have,” he mentioned.

TFC is scheduled to return to Toronto on Friday earlier than flying again to California on Feb. 2 with pre-season video games towards the Vancouver Whitecaps, Los Angeles FC, Portland Timbers and Los Angeles Galaxy between Feb. 8 and 18.

Diomande has but to make it to camp. The Norwegian has been in Toronto whereas his visa is being settled.

“He should be ready to go with us when we return to California,” mentioned Bradley.

Petretta, Toronto’s latest signing, is a 25-year-old left again, previously of Turkey’s Kasimpasa Spor Kulubu and Switzerland’s FC Basel.

“We knew that the situation in Turkey wasn’t exactly what he was hoping for. He had had a really good stretch at Basel,” mentioned Bradley. “(He) started there as a young player. Basel’s a really good club and obviously he made his way to the first team and he played important matches. His reputation as a guy inside Basel was very positive. Good guy. Really well liked. Trains well.”

Bradley mentioned he expects Petretta to mix properly with Italian star Lorenzo Insigne on the left flank.

“Raoul’s an intelligent player. He’s a good passer … He’ll understand quickly some of the thing Lorenzo likes to do and find good ways to be able to connect with him.”

So far TFC has had only one closed-door scrimmage, with Mexico’s Tijuana.

“For 10 days in (camp) I thought it went pretty well,” Bradley mentioned of the Sunday match. “Nobody performed greater than 45 minutes however the tempo of every half was sufficient to get the sort of bodily challenges that they wanted at this level.

“There were moments where the play was fluid, where the ball moved quickly. It’s early in pre-season so some of the final moments, some of the sharpness around the (penalty) box, those were things that still, of course, need to be improved.”

Toronto kicks off the common season Feb. 25 at D.C. United in a matchup of the league’s two worst groups final season. TFC (9-18-7) completed twenty seventh within the standings, seven factors above D.C. United (7-21-6).