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The year 2017 was Toronto FC II’s third season in club history.
While the first team went on to have an unforgettable campaign, the Young Reds finished bottom of the USL’s Eastern Conference, recording just six wins from 32 games.
In 2022, TFC II is arguably having their best ever season in MLS Next Pro. Gianni Cimini’s side are currently on an eight-match unbeaten run as of August 11th, a franchise record.
Since their inception in 2015, TFC II has produced some exciting prospects who worked their way up to a first team contract.
On the other hand, some players never saw their professional careers take off despite having featured prominently for the Young Reds.
So, let’s take a look back at Toronto FC II’s matchday squad from their 2-2 draw with the Charlotte Independence on August 9th, 2017, and where these 18 players are in their careers today.
STARTING XI
Mark Pais
Current Club: Free Agent
Pais was Toronto FC’s third choice goalkeeper during the club’s historic treble-winning season. The St. Louis-born shot stopper never played for the first team, but in 2017, he made 13 appearances for the TFC II.
Having been a part of the Reds’ first team squad, he is indeed an MLS Cup champion. The following year, Pais signed for Fresno FC before joining Miami FC one season later. Since December 2020, the goalkeeper has been without a club.
Jordan McCrary
Current Club: Free Agent
Following his release from the New England Revolution at the end of 2016, McCrary signed for TFC II and played 26 times in his lone season in Toronto.
After a successful trial with the Seattle Sounders during the 2018 offseason, the American returned to his native land to make his long awaited MLS debut. One year later, McCrary was released by the Sounders and would then make the move to the Sacramento Republic in the USL Championship.
McCrary was released by the club at the end of 2021 and has yet to find himself a new team.
Julian Dunn
Current Club: HamKam
A TFC academy product, Dunn worked his way up the ladder at the club before eventually signing a first team contract in April 2018, becoming the sixth player in the club’s history to complete the full player pathway.
Dunn’s 2021 campaign, his final season with the Reds, was unfortunately plagued by injury. The defender made just two first team appearances that season before joining Norwegian side HamKam following the expiry of his contract.
In Norway, injuries have once again hindered Dunn’s progress, as he has missed HamKam’s last nine matches due to a knee problem. Since making the move to Europe, the Toronto native has featured just four times.
Mitchell Taintor
Current Club: San Antonio FC
Taintor was a prominent figure at TFC II between 2016 and 2017, making 47 appearances in two seasons with the Young Reds.
Ahead of the 2018 campaign, Taintor signed for the Sacramento Republic, but in April of that year, he was loaned to Toronto FC’s first team for their MLS clash with the Houston Dynamo. Most of the senior squad was in Mexico for the CONCACAF Champions League Final, so Taintor and several youngsters were called upon to make their MLS debuts.
Toronto lost the game 5-1, with Taintor scoring the Reds’ lone goal in the game at PNC Stadium. In fact, Taintor’s strike made him the 100th different player to score for the Toronto FC first team.
Following two years in Sacramento, the Connecticut native signed for San Antonio FC, but his first stint in Texas only lasted a year as he re-signed for Sacramento in 2021. In August 2021, the defender then re-joined San Antonio on loan before signing permanently in January 2022.
Robert Boskovic
Current Club: Free Agent
A CPL champion with Pacific FC, Boskovic spent quite some time with TFC II. Between 2015 and 2020, he made 55 appearances for the Young Reds, but never featured for the first team.
After spending the 2019 and 2020 seasons on loan with the Ottawa Fury and Cavalry FC respectively, Boskovic then signed for Pacific in August 2021. The defender played just five times before leaving the club at the end of the year. Boskovic is still a free agent to this day.
Ashtone Morgan
Current Club: Forge FC
Morgan’s time with TFC II was brief, as he was a part of the Toronto first team since making his debut in 2010. The form of Justin Morrow saw Morgan join TFC II on loan on a few occasions to get more minutes under his belt.
The left-back is a treble winner and to this day, is still adored by the TFC faithful. Following his spell with Real Salt Lake, Morgan returned to his native land and signed for CPL side Forge FC in February 2022.
Liam Fraser
Current Club: KMSK Deinze
Fraser arguably remains one of the most exciting players that the Toronto FC academy has produced over the years. The tenacious midfielder played 64 times for TFC II and 39 times for the first team.
In 2021, Fraser was loaned out to the Columbus Crew, where he made 24 appearances and got his hands on the Campeones Cup.
Upon returning to the Reds, Fraser would not sign a new deal in Toronto and instead made the move to Belgian second division side KMSK Deinze. Fraser is now getting set for his first full season with the club after featuring 10 times during the second half of Deinze’s 2021-22 campaign.
Aidan Daniels
Current Club: HFX Wanderers FC
Another academy product, Daniels made a total of 65 appearances for TFC II, scoring three times. For the first team, the Markham native played just once, with his lone appearance coming in that 5-1 defeat to Houston in April 2018.
Daniels’ contract option in 2020 was declined by the club, which then prompted a move to the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the USL Championship. One season there was then followed by another year with the OKC Energy, where Daniels played 30 games.
Now in the CPL with HFX Wanderers, the midfielder has established himself as a regular for the Nova Scotian side.
Tsubasa Endoh
Current Club: Free Agent
The Japanese forward was drafted by Toronto in 2016 and scored three goals in 29 games for the club between 2016 and 2017.
At the end of his second season, he was released by the club, but signed a contract with Toronto FC II eight months later. His performances in the USL then prompted TFC to re-sign Endoh ahead of the 2019 campaign. He holds the record for the fastest goal in Toronto’s history after opening the scoring just 29 seconds into TFC’s clash with Atlanta United in June 2019.
Following the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2021 season, Endoh put pen to paper on a six-month deal with Australian club Melbourne City FC, where he picked up an A-League winners’ medal. As of today, Endoh is still a free agent.
Jordan Hamilton
Current Club: Forge FC
In this game, Hamilton’s brace, including a 92nd-minute equalizer, helped the Young Reds salvage a point after giving up a one-goal lead.
The man from Scarborough was undeniably a great servant to Toronto FC. He scored 15 goals in 66 games (as well as 17 goals in 43 games for TFC II) and lifted all there was to win at the domestic level. His six-year spell with TFC ended in July 2019 after he was traded to the Columbus Crew, where he added another MLS Cup winners’ medal to his collection.
After spending the 2021 season with Indy Eleven in the USL, Hamilton then crossed the Atlantic and signed for Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Now, the forward is back in Canada with CPL side Forge.
Ben Spencer
Current Club: Retired
Having made his professional debut with Molde in Norway, Spencer then signed for TFC II in 2016 (he initially joined on loan in 2015, but did not feature due to injury).
In May 2017, Spencer earned himself a first team contract with the Reds and would go on to make five appearances for the senior squad. Ultimately, Spencer’s time with the senior squad was forgetful, as he was released in June 2018.
The rest of the forward’s professional career was spent in the USL Championship with Phoenix Rising, FC Tucson (loan), and the San Diego Loyal. Spencer then called time on his career in December 2021 at the age of 26.
BENCH
Angelo Cavalluzzo
Current Club: Retired
The Hamilton-born goalkeeper spent the majority of his professional playing career with TFC II, playing in 28 games between 2016 and 2018. Sadly, Cavalluzzo ruptured his achilles tendon mid-way through the 2018 campaign, an injury that would spell the end of his time with the Young Reds.
As of today, Cavalluzzo is the head coach of the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s soccer team, as well as the head coach for Alliance United’s women’s team in League1 Ontario.
Brandon Aubrey
Current Club: Birmingham Stallions (American Football)
Aubrey’s career path is like no other on this list, as the American traded one form of football for another earlier this year.
The former defender was drafted 21st overall by Toronto FC in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, but would spend the entirety of the 2017 season with the Young Reds. After 21 appearances, Aubrey was released at the end of the year before going on to join USL side Bethlehem Steel.
The 2018 season proved to be Aubrey’s final year playing professional football. Three years later, Aubrey found himself getting drafted by Birmingham Stallions in the 2022 United States Football League Draft. He plays as a placekicker and made his professional American football debut in April 2022.
Brian James
Current Club: Retired
A fourth round pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, James made just under 60 appearances for TFC II, in addition to one first team appearance, which came in the 2016 Canadian Championship semi-final first leg against Montreal.
James left TFC at the end of 2017 and signed for Miami FC in the USL Championship. In December 2020, he hung up his boots.
Dante Campbell
Current Club: LA Galaxy II
Campbell featured prominently for TFC II between 2016 and 2021, making 68 appearances during his time with the Young Reds.
The Etobicoke native then made the move to California in 2022, signing for LA Galaxy II in the USL Championship. He has since featured 21 times, scoring once.
Ryan Telfer
Current Club: Columbus Crew 2
Many may still be wondering what if it worked out for Telfer at Toronto FC. The Trinidad and Tobago international initially signed for TFC II in March 2017 before putting pen to paper on a first team contract one year later.
After scoring once and providing four assists in 20 senior appearances, Telfer joined Cypriot First Division side Nea Salamis. A short spell there was then followed by stints at York9 and Atletico Ottawa in the CPL. Today, the winger plays in MLS Next Pro with Columbus Crew 2.
Malik Johnson
Current Club: Colorado Springs Switchbacks
Johnson made just under 75 appearances for the Young Reds between 2015 and 2018. The versatile midfielder also featured twice for the first team, making two appearances in the Canadian Championship in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
The Toronto native then found himself in the USL Championship with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2019. After two years in Florida, Johnson signed for fellow USL side Real Monarchs before joining the Colorado Springs Switchbacks ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Shaan Hundal
Current Club: Inter Miami CF II
Hundal was 16 games shy of reaching the century mark in appearances for the Young Reds. The forward from Brampton found the back of the net 17 times, but never earned a call-up to the first team.
He signed for Valour FC in 2020 before joining Inter Miami CF II (formerly Fort Lauderdale CF) one year later.
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