TORONTO — Gianni Cimini watched with pride when Malik Henry, newly promoted to the first team, came off the bench Aug. 9 to set up Deandre Kerr's stoppage-time goal as Toronto FC rallied for a 1-1 draw at the high-flying Philadelphia Union in MLS play.
"That's really what the goal is for us … We want to be able to produce players for our first team," said Cimini, coach of Toronto's reserve side.
Cimini, who joined the Toronto academy staff in 2012, has worked with Henry since the midfielder was 13.
The 23-year-old Henry is one of a dozen players that Cimini helped make the jump to the first team (the 22-year-old Kerr signed with the first team as a homegrown player out of Syracuse University but worked with Cimini on the TFC academy under-16 and U-17 sides).
The 42-year-old Cimini marks his 100th game in charge of TFC 2 when New York City FC 2 visits York Lions Stadium on Sunday.
"He has a great demeanour," said Toronto first team coach Robin Fraser. "He has a great way of imparting the information. Good coaches know when to bark and when to smooth things over and I think Gianni does a really good job of that.
"As a result you look at a player like Malik and how well he did there. And the fact that he's come in with us and is so ready and so prepared, I think speaks volumes about what Gianni and (TFC 2 assistant coach) Marco (Casalinuovo) are doing."
Before taking over TFC 2, Cimini served as coach of the Toronto academy's under-12, U-16 and U-17 age groups, as well as academy technical manager (from 2015 to 2017).
"You don't really realize how the time flies, that's first and foremost," Cimini said of the approaching milestone. "But (I'm) just really grateful to be part of this club for so long. This is my fourth year with T2 and to be able to have a real impact starting from when they were 10, 11, 12 then 17, then 18 and now at T2 at that critical stage — in the city that I grew up in and the club I love — I'm just really grateful."
The other TFC 2 graduates who earned first-team contracts under Cimini are goalkeepers Luka Gavran and Adisa De Rosario, defenders Kobe Franklin, Lazar Stefanovic, Adam Pearlman and Themi Antonoglou, midfielders Alonso Coello and Markus Cimermancic and forwards Hugo Mbongue and Charlie Sharp.
Antonoglou has since joined Valour FC of the Canadian Premier League, where he was a finalist for Defender of the Year in 2024. Mbongue (Vancouver FC, CPL), Pearlman (Halifax Wanderers, CPL) and Sharp (Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL) are currently out on loan.
Cimini has impacted a lot of players.
He recalls working with a 10-year-old Jacen Russell-Rowe (now with Columbus) and an 11-year-old Jayden Nelson (now with the Vancouver Whitecaps). Today both are Canadian internationals.
"This is why you do this job," he said.
While wins are welcome — with five regular-season games remaining, seventh-place TFC 2 (9-9-5 including one shootout win) is one point above the playoff line — preparing players for the first team is Cimini's ultimate brief.
"It's really different," he said. "You're going in there knowing that they need to gain the experience, they need to make mistakes, they need to learn from it. And then it's their responsibility to respond and to grow … You give them those experiences because that's more likely going to prepare them for where they want to go next."
Cimini's TFC 2 team is a young squad that includes two 15-year-olds and several 16-year-olds.
The 29 teams in MLS Next Pro offer a variety of opposition, from young MLS reserve sides like Toronto's to more experienced teams like Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC that are independent franchises.
Cimini played collegiate soccer at Old Dominion University and Philadelphia University and represented Canada at the under-17 and U-18 level.
Prior to joining the TFC academy, Cimini was technical director at Woodbridge Soccer Club from 2006 to 2012 and regional assistant coach at the Ontario Soccer Association in 2011.
While he enjoys his role as reserve team boss, Cimini hopes to coach at the next level at some point.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 30, 2025.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
