Toronto FC II (3W-2L-1T, 10 points) recorded a 2-0 home victory against Chicago Fire FC II (2W-4L-0T, 6 points) on Friday evening, courtesy of goals in either half from Dékwon Barrow and Hassan Ayari at York Lions Stadium.
TFC II Head Coach Gianni Cimini made five changes from his side that started in last week’s home opener against Carolina Core FC with Adisa De Rosario, Reid Fisher, Richard Chukwu, Malik Henry and Markus Cimermancic coming into the fray for Shafique Wilson, Micah Chisholm, Patrick McDonald, Andrei Dumitru and Nathaniel Edwards.
Toronto FC II found themselves forced into an early substitution with Antone Bossenberry replacing Mark Fisher due to an injury in the fifth minute.
The Young Reds opened the scoring when Malik Henry ran onto Marko Stojadinovic’s defence-splitting pass and crossed the ball into a dangerous area for Dékwon Barrow, who applied the finishing touch to make it 1-0 for the hosts.
The 36th minute strike marked Henry’s first assist for TFC II since joining the club in March and Barrow’s first goal of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season.
The second half saw the debut of TFC II’s newest addition, Jahmarie Nolan, who became the youngest player in club history to sign an MLS NEXT Pro contract earlier in the year, with the Jamaican forward coming on in the 61st minute.
In the 83rd minute of play, fellow substitute Nathaniel Edwards showcased neat footwork during a mazy run before getting fouled in the box by Chicago’s Juan Miguel Zapata Calle, leaving the referee with no option but to point to the penalty spot.
Brazilian defender Ythallo stepped up from 12 yards out for the hosts but saw his penalty saved by Chicago goalkeeper Patrick Los. Toronto’s Hassan Ayari was quickest on the rebound, however, and skillfully found the net with a clever ball roll and left-foot finish to double TFC II’s advantage.
The silky 84th minute goal marked the Tunisian attacker’s tenth goal contribution (seven goals, three assists) since joining TFC II in April 2024 and his first goal of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro campaign.
Down the other end, Toronto goalkeeper Adisa De Rosario remained commanding and imperious between the sticks, completing five saves on the night to ensure his side earned the clean sheet and all three points with the 2-0 final scoreline.
The Young Reds continue a four-game home stretch with a game against New England Revolution II on Sunday, May 4. Kick-off from York Lions Stadium in Toronto, Ontario is set for 3:00 p.m. ET and and will be available to watch on MLSNEXTPro.com.
Scoring Summary:
*TOR – Dékwon Barrow 36’ (Malik Henry)
TOR – Hassan Ayari 84’
Lineups:
TORONTO FC II – Adisa De Rosario; Reid Fisher, Ythallo, Richard Chukwu; Malik Henry (Nathaniel Edwards 68’), Mark Fisher (Antone Bossenberry 5’, Lucas Olguin 87’), Marko Stojadinovic, Hassan Ayari (Costa Iliadis 87’); Markus Cimermancic (Andrei Dumitru 61’), Michael Sullivan (C), Dékwon Barrow (Jahmarie Nolan 61’)
Substitutes Not Used: Shafique Wilson, Stefan Kapor, Patrick McDonald
CHICAGO FIRE FC II – Patrick Los; Dylan Borso, Jean Diouf, Diego Konincks (C), Juan Miguel Zapata Calle; Sam Williams, Trip Fleming (Jhoiner Montiel 67’), Chase Nagle; Vitaliy Hlyut (Bryce Richards 58’), Claudio Cassano, Dean Boltz (Jason Shokalook 58’)
Substitutes Not Used: Patryk Stechnij, Hugo Berg
Notables:
- Dékwon Barrow scored his first goal of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season.
- Malik Henry recorded his first assist for Toronto FC II.
- Jahmarie Nolan made his TFC II debut as a 61st minute substitute, becoming the ninth player to make his club debut during the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season.
- Adisa De Rosario recorded his fifth career clean sheet for Toronto FC II and his third of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro campaign.
