By Canadian Press

Toronto FC training camp opens with medicals then a flight to warm-weather Florida

Jan 12, 2024 | 10:54 AM

Toronto FC players are scheduled to report for medicals Saturday before heading south for Florida next Tuesday in search of warm weather.

The MLS club, in is first pre-season under former Canada coach John Herdman, says it will train in Palm Beach through Feb. 2. The team will play a friendly against Nashville SC on Feb. 2 before leaving later that day to return to Toronto.

The second stage of training camp will run Feb. 8 to 17 in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Toronto FC is slated to face the MLS champion Columbus Crew in a Feb. 10 friendly before taking on Real Salt Lake on Feb. 14 and Los Angeles FC on Feb. 17. All three games are in Santa Barbara

TFC, which finished last in the league at 4-20-10 last year, opens the regular season on Feb. 25 at FC Cincinnati. Its home opener is March 9 against Charlotte FC.

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Former Toronto defender Luca Petrasso, meanwhile, is headed to Triestina in Italy’s third-tier Serie C on a six-month loan from Orlando City SC. The Italian team also has an option to buy the 23-year-old from Toronto.  

TFC sent Petrasso to Orlando in November 2022 for up to US$350,000 in general allocation money. Toronto also retains a sell-on percentage in the event of a subsequent permanent transfer.

“Luca is someone who has shown us his hard work and potential for the future,” Luiz Muzz, Orlando’s GM and executive vice-president of soccer operations, said in a statement. “This loan is a great opportunity for Luca to grow even more and get more regular competitive minutes, as well as expose his talents to the European market.”

Petrasso has made 14 appearances, including five starts, across all competitions, for Orlando.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2024.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press