TFC star vows strong finish after playoff heartbreak

Toronto FC not ‘where it belongs’ after missing playoffs, Corbeanu vows TFC will end season strong.

Toronto FC is out of the playoffs for the sixth straight year.

Theo Corbeanu is not hiding how that feels.

“It’s devastating,” the Canadian winger said Wednesday after training.

“Really, really annoying.”

“Very frustrating to not be able to get into the playoffs.”

TFC was eliminated Sunday with a 3-1 loss in Atlanta.

The Reds needed a win to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Instead, Atlanta scored three unanswered goals before Lewis Morgan’s late consolation.

Corbeanu took a share of the blame.

He missed an early chance that could have given Toronto a 1-0 lead.

“I obviously miss my chance,” he said.

“I feel like if I put that away, it’s a different game.”

“Not to put too much pressure on myself, but I just felt like that was a game where you’ve just got to take your chances, and that’s what we didn’t do.”

Toronto’s late-season surge gave fans hope.

The club won a 2-0 road match against Red Bull New York on Oct. 17.

Then came a 4-2 loss in Columbus.

Still, the Reds entered the Atlanta match within striking distance of the ninth-place cutline in the Eastern Conference.

“It felt like we were getting those wins last minute and we were seeing games out, and it just felt like the luck was on our side,” Corbeanu said.

“Collectively we had a very good feeling that this was the year.”

“But obviously now, being in the situation that we’re in, it’s really frustrating.”

Corbeanu is only in his second season in Toronto.

But as a local product, he knows the standard.

He knows fans demand more.

“We’re all competitors,” he said.

“And regardless of what’s going to be happening now, we’re ready to compete in this game.”

That game is Saturday’s season finale against the Philadelphia Union.

Kickoff is at Subaru Park on Decision Day.

MLS Decision Day is Nov. 7, 2026.

All 30 clubs play on the same Saturday.

Eight matches kick off at 4 p.m. ET, seven at 7 p.m. ET.

The top nine teams in each conference reach the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Seeds 8 and 9 meet in a single Wild Card match on Nov. 19.

Seeds 1 through 7 go straight into the best-of-3 Round One.

The Eastern Conference field is already decided.

But the order is not.

Philadelphia sits sixth in the East with 47 points.

The Union are one point ahead of Cincinnati and three ahead of Columbus.

They could still slide as far as eighth.

That means a potential wild-card matchup.

So Philadelphia has plenty to play for.

Toronto? Not so much.

TFC is 9-12-12 on the season.

They share 10th place with the two New York teams at 39 points.

Coach Robin Fraser acknowledged the disappointment.

“Obviously people are let down,” he said.

“But I do think that from what we’ve seen, this pride factor is an important thing.”

“There are guys who have different things to play for — whether it’s contracts or longevity or starting positions — there’s always something to play for I think, as a professional.”

Fraser said he might tinker with the lineup.

“It does present an opportunity to perhaps do some things differently,” he said.

“I’ll look at a few different players who have been knocking on the door or are really close.”

“All of that hasn’t been fully decided yet.”

Saturday’s match is a chance to end the season on a high note.

A win would send TFC into an important offseason with momentum.

The club will regroup early in 2027.

Then the MLS Sprint Season kicks off Feb. 20, 2027.

That first match is in the same stadium where Toronto was eliminated.