Gianni Cimini is the rare coach for whom results are secondary. In charge of Toronto FC's second team, Cimini's role is to nurture and challenge talent.
"For us, as a second team, it's been really clear. Our objective is not the results. It's to really develop," Cimini said. "And sometimes for us that's not putting them in position where they have the most success at the present moment. Some times it's us putting them in position where they're under duress and they have to find a way to anticipate and deal with things. And think a little bit more.
"What does that mean? It means the results sometimes are not going to go your way but that's OK for us because we've made it really clear that that's our intention."
Cimini's roster ranges in age from 15-year-old defender Stefan Kapor to 24-year-old midfielder Mark Fisher.
"The team has definitely become younger in its composition, for sure," Cimini said.
The MLS Next Pro season starts Sunday for Toronto FC 2 at FC Cincinnati 2
Entering its fourth season, MLS Next Pro consists of 29 teams — 27 MLS affiliates, including Whitecaps FC II, and two independent clubs. Each side plays 28 matches (14 home, 14 away) over 30 weeks with eight teams from each conference continuing on to the playoffs.
Toronto's second team finished 12th in the MLS Next Pro Eastern Conference at 10-12-6 last season.
There is plenty of turnover at this level with players moving on as opportunities dry up. TFC 2 had just nine players remaining when its post-season roster decisions were announced in November and one of them, 20-year-old midfielder Markus Cimermancic, has since signed a first-team contract.
Julian Altobelli, a 22-year-old who led TFC 2 in scoring last season with 11 goals including nine in a club-record nine consecutive appearances, has left for York United FC of the Canadian Premier League. Altobelli joined the Toronto academy in 2014 as an 11-year-old.
Honduran forward Jesus Batiz, who had four goals and three assists last season, has also left TFC 2. The 25-year-old is now with Costa Rica's Cartagines.
"There's definitely a window (for players)," Cimini said of the second team. "Like we say all the time, our job is to provide you with the experiences, to make good observations, to see who can do it and who can't do it. To capitalize on moments.
"Some of the guys have shorter windows and some of the guy have bigger windows … It's the nature of second teams. You have prospects, you have projects and you have facilitators."
The future is wide open for Kapor, who will also see time with Toronto's under-18 team as Cimini looks to expose him to different challenges and more playing minutes.
Kapor is the youngest Toronto player to sign an MLS Next Pro contract (Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, at 14, was the youngest during the reserve team’s time in the United Soccer League).
Kapor made three appearances for TFC 2 last season, making his pro debut against New York City FC II on Sept. 11. A native of Stoney Creek, Ont., he joined the Toronto academy in August 2022 and has since played at the U-14, U-15, U-18 and U-19 levels.
The left-sided centre back has represented Canada at the U-17 level.
Goalkeeper Adisa De Rosario, who signed a first-term contract to become the third-string goalkeeper on the depth chart, is expected to see plenty of action with TFC 2. De Rosario is the son of former TFC captain and Canada star Dwayne De Rosario.
Cimini says 18-year-old defender Lazar Stefanovic, also a member of the first team squad, may also see action early on with his team to get minutes after an injury-disrupted 2024 season.
The large turnover from last year — and the fact that several players were away on international duty with Canada youth sides — likely means it will take some time for Cimini's side to jell.
Defender Reid Fisher, taken in the first round (23rd overall the 2025 MLS SuperDraft) and midfielder Michael Sullivan (second round, 39th overall) have both signed with TFC 2. Liberian international winger Joseph Melto (third round, 69th overall) remains in camp while the club works on his paperwork.
Midfielder Patrick McDonald, who returned to Indiana University for his senior year after being selected in the third round (59th overall) of the 2024 draft, has also joined the reserve side.
All four were in camp with the first team during the pre-season. Cimini reckons he has had the full squad for just two weeks of the seven-week pre-season.
"I don't expect things to be flying off the bat," said the 41-year-old Cimini, who was put in charge of the reserve side in March 2022 ahead of its MLS Next Pro debut season.
Cimini, a former Canadian youth international, had previously spent 10 years as head coach of the Toronto academy U-12, U-16 and U-17 sides in addition to serving as academy technical manager from 2015 to 2017.
Toronto FC 2 Roster
Goalkeepers (1): Shafique Wilson.
Defenders (6): Micah Chisholm, Reid Fisher, Stefan Kapor, Marko Stojadinovic, Theo Rigopoulos, Ythallo Rodrigues de Oliveira.
Midfielders (8): Hassan Ayari, Andrei Dumitru, Mark Fisher, Malik Henry, Costa Iliadis, Patrick McDonald, Lucas Olguin, Michael Sullivan.
Forwards (2): Dékwon Barrow, Joshua Nugent.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2025
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
