McLaughlin, 23, featured in 11 matches with the Toros in 2020, mere months after the Dynamo selected him 8th overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft
While he came through the TFC Academy, he rejoined the club after a collegiate soccer career split between the University of Connecticut Huskies and Oregon State.
A former Canadian youth international, the 21-year-old represented his country at the Concacaf Men’s U17 Championship in 2017 while also pulling on the national team red at the 2018 Men’s U20 Championship.
Speaking to WTR, Mike Munoz singled out Kosi Thompson as someone who has stood out in training so far. Thompson joins TFC II after several years in the TFC Academy programs, where he scored 16 goals in 20 appearances across three age groups (U13, U and U).
Although the winger is another member of the “never have played a professional game” club, Munoz knows that Thompson, among others, has the quality to adapt to a new level. “With these guys, it’s just going to be about being patient,” he said. “Knowing that they’ve never played a pro match before, knowing they haven’t competed in a long time, but we expect them to catch on quickly.”
Another product of the TFC Academy, he was part of the U-16 team that won the 2019 Dallas Cup
At 18, Nakye Greenidge-Duncan will be one of the youngest players on the TFC II team sheet. He has been an offensive contributor during his time with the Academy and will look to translate that into success in his first professional season.
TFC II will have two of Toronto’s 2021 MLS Superdraft picks on their roster in Talen Maples and Paul Rothrock. TFC selected the 22-year-old Rothrock in the third round of the draft at 64th overall after splitting his NCAA career between Notre Dame and Georgetown from 2017 to 2020.
While he has yet to debut for TFC II, Rothrock has played in the USL before, appearing for the Seattle Sounders affiliate, then S2 in 2017. He may have only been in the USL for a short time, but he made an impact, scoring S2’s line goal in a 4-1 loss to the Real Monarchs.
A 2019 NCAA champion with the Georgetown Hoyas, Rothrock is bad credit loans in IN primed to fit in at the USL League 1 level and will likely get his solid share of playing time in the Young Reds’ midfield.
One of the more intriguing additions to the TFC II midfield, Enric Bernat Lunar, heads to Munoz’s side after spending time with Lleida Esportiu in the Spanish third division. However, 23 and with international professional experience under his belt, he will offer a veteran presence that will be valuable to a young team playing miles away from their homes.
At 6-foot-2, he is one of the taller midfielders on the roster, and that, combined with his experience at the pro level, will likely mean a hefty amount of playing time for the Spaniard.
Garret McLaughlin is a consummate professional and is one of the most experienced players on the TFC II roster. He has pro experience under his belt from playing with the Rio Grande Valley Toros, the USL Championship affiliate of the Houston Dynamo.
With so few forwards on the TFC II roster, Munoz and his staff will rely on McLaughlin to carry the brunt of the offence through the beginning of the season before first-team players become available in Florida.
Brogan Engbers has spent the last four years in the NCAA with the Liberty University Flames, three clean sheets in 16 appearances across the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Before heading to college soccer, he was a part of the TFC Academy, which he joined when he was 12-years-old.
Yet another player set to make his professional debut in 2021, Rohan Goulbourne, is one of the latest success stories of the TFC Academy program. Signed in pton, Ontario native has big-stage experience, having represented Canada at the U17 Concacaf Championships and U17 FIFA World Cup.
Recently turned 21, Ovalle is used to playing in Arizona after spending three years with the Real Salt Lake-AZ program, which included time at Grande Sports World, where TFC II is based for the beginning of the season.