It’s been almost three weeks since the official start of preseason training for The Young Reds.

With some players spending significant time training with the first team – including Mo Babouli and Wesley Charpie who are currently with Toronto FC in Orlando – and some new Academy faces, the coaching staff has faced the challenge of getting all the players on the same page.

“We’ve been trying to integrate the squad,” said Head Coach Jason Bent following the team’s second session of the day on Thursday.

“You have players from the Senior Academy coming into the USL and so we’re trying to get those players to mesh together. There are some familiar faces from last year but it is still a work in progress.”

Even with the challenge of integrating new players, Bent believes the team is better prepared following their first season in the USL.

“The players have been working very hard. We’re at a much better stage this year in comparison to last season,” he continued. “A lot of our work has been on the defensive side and trying to improve in those areas.”

The team picked up a 2-0 win in their first preseason match against Vaughan SC on Saturday. 

TFC II will take on NASL club Ottawa Fury FC on February 26th, before hopping on a plane and heading out West where they will continue to prepare for the upcoming USL season.  
TFC II’s Preseason Plans

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