Draft Day in MLS

After weeks of Toronto soccer silence (especially on the DeRo front - WTF?), the action begins again today at the MLS Draft in St Louis. The TFC GM, "Trader Mo" Johnston is holding a pretty strong hand heading into today's events, with three early picks for a draft class that has the potential to fill some holes in teams across the league.

TFC Picks:
First Round: 2nd, 4th, 13th
Second Round: NONE
Third Round: 34th

Mo has obviously got a good eye for young American talent, having been responsible for bringing Jozy Altidore, Marvell Wynne and Maurice Edu into his teams - but players like this tend to be the exception rather than the rule. Very few NCAA players are ready to walk into an MLS game straight away. With this in mind, Mo Johnston is likely to start wheeling and dealing with his picks and Toronto Football Club could look very different come this evening.

I'll debrief the day's events once the dust has settled, but for now, here's a good site for all things MLS Draft, with plenty of info on the top prospects and all the teams' needs. Until tonight then...

TFC Sign DeRosario

TFC have just announced the signing of Canadian international, four-time MLS Cup champion, two time MLS Cup MVP, back-to-back Goal of the Year winner and three-time MLS All-Star - Scarborough's own Dwayne DeRosario, from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Julius James and allocation money. (Developing - more to come)

TFC DP?!?!

In a meeting yesterday of the MLSE board of directors, Toronto FC got approval to pursue a DP (which unfortunately in this instance stands for Designated Player). Essentially, this is the “Beckham Rule” whereby teams can sign a superstar for whatever money they want, and only about $400k of which counts against the cap. The roster rules in Major League Soccer are complex to say the least (a beginner’s guide) and have been developed to gradually increase the quality of the league while improving and expanding a large base of players for the US National Team. The consistent, decent showing of the US Men’s team at World Cups and Gold Cups, added to the estimated $40 million bids needed for the next batch of MLS expansion contenders show that the League’s policies have been successful in achieving the aforementioned goals. The system is by no means perfect as Toronto FC supporters can attest to, having had to endure important fixtures with the majority of the squad away on international duty, for instance, based on the league roster requirements.
As for the designated player specifically, three of the four semi-finalists in this year’s playoffs have a DP – Schelotto at Columbus, Blanco at Chicago and Angel at New York (but I’m not a big fan of any of that lot, so it’s “Come On Salt Lake City” for me!). It seems that the right player in the right environment can be a big time help for a “nearly there” team. Toronto is that team. If TFC had a solid finisher, a 15-20 goals a season man, some of those losses last year would be draws, and those infuriating draws would have been turned into triple the points. At this point I’m saying, “Aim high”. Set our sights on a world class striker – MLSE has the cash – and see what we can get. Admittedly, the plastic pitch and Canada’s lack of international cachet probably make it difficult. There has already been a long and distinguished (ed- “so’s my Johnson”) list of players linked with TFC and plenty of ‘my friend has a friend’ style rumors. With yesterday’s news this is sure to continue and I for one am glad of it.

TFC Season Review Part 1

It started off so well. Thousands of pissed up TFC fans invading Columbus for the season's opening game and setting a league record for away support. The Crew won that day (2-0 supposedly, but I can't confirm anything after halftime, the "Crew Lager" being deadly stuff), but we were all ready for the season of glory that awaited

Despite finishing 10 points better off than the inaugural campaign (not to mention ahead of David Beckham's Galaxy), Toronto FC again missed the playoffs in their sophomore year. A promising start to the season gave way to a series of underwhelming results throughout the summer, only to be followed by a Leafs style late season run to get everyone's hopes up. Given the support, cap room, draft picks and deep pockets that the MLSE owned TFC has heading into the off season, a playoff game in Toronto next October is a must. Work is needed all over the pitch, so in part one, we look at goal keeping and defence.

In Greg Sutton, TFC has a solid MLS keeper; he's had one or two shocking errors, but he's kept us in more games than he's lost, despite the fact that the team sometimes seems to be running the "Gongshow Defence" style favoured by under 10 house league teams every where. Backup keeper and Wake Forest product Brian Edwards looks promising enough to hang onto for now.

One of the major priorities in the off season is to acquire a top quality center back to partner Tyrone Marshall in the middle of the defense. Too often there has been a lack of communication at the back, and TFC's dubious distinction of conceding the most goals after 80 minutes in MLS shows a tendency to switch off. Marshall is OK on his own, but an experienced, vocal John Terry style CB would eliminate the pant-shitting moments that came whenever Marco Velez was left one on one with an attacker.

In Jim Brennan, Todd Dunivant and Marvellous Marvell Wynne, TFC doesn't have to envy any other set of full backs in the league. This is of course contingent upon Wynne not getting picked up by a European team in the January transfer window. Hopefully his poor positional sense and a concussion picked up in the season's penultimate game will outweigh his league leading pace and new found goal scoring ability in the eyes of the Euro scouts.

Overall 2008 Grade - Defence: C-

Top Priorities for the Off Season: Signing a top quality, experienced and vocal Center Back and hanging on to Wynne for another season.

Bloody Groundhog Day

What exactly is going on with the hirings in Toronto sports these days?

It all began less than a year ago with Grandpa Cliffy coming back to the Leafs. Is he older than John McCain? I'm serious, is he?

Then came the rescue of Cito Gaston from a mental institution for the severely clinically depressed.

Then the Argos dug up Don Matthews just in time for a playoff run. Or not.

Now since Cito, version 2008, proved to be the best manager the Jays have had since...Cito in the 1990s, the Jays have stuck with the formula and brought back Paul Beeston to replace the sleezy looking pedofile Godfrey character.

I suppose there is noone else in the world who knows anything about sports and is applying for these jobs. Oh wait, that's unfuckinlikely.

Are we doomed to contnue re-living the past and diggin up these fossilized characters to continue leading our home teams? If the answer is yes - which I believe it is - then here is my wishlist for resurrections:

TFC: Craig Forrest - As coach of Team Canada he got them nowhere. Still though, that was Team Canada. They've only qualified for the World Cup once in their history and during this brief cameo they scored 0 goals. I mean, who could succeed as coach of that team? They've already been eliminated from World Cup qualifying for 2010 after only 5 games of Concacaf fun. Bring Forrest to the TFC sidelines.


Raptors: Butch Carter - If it weren't for his feud/lawsuit with Marcus Camby and that whole issue with long distance telephone calls then he would be worshipped as the best Raps coach ever. He first took them to the playoffs, he developed Vince and TMac and he's a good tactician/motivater combo. I heart Butch.

Argos: Does anyone actually support the Argos? Anyone? Anyone? How about Paul Masotti? Has anyone seeen him around Hamilton lately? He might be up for redirecting the Boatmen.

Leafs: Pat Burns - Bring back the cop from Hull, Quebec to laydown the law. Most of the Leafs greatest accomplishments of the last 30 years (read: not many) came with him as coach. I know he was sick a few years ago but rumour has it that he is feeling better now and wants to get back into coaching. When Ron Wilson's wacky humour begins to wear thin, what the hell have the Leafs got to lose?


Blue Jays: Kelly Gruber - last time I saw the Golden Mullet he was returning to Toronto as a member of the Angels and said something like "Opinions are like asses - some stink, some don't." I'm not sure if he borrowed that poetic quote from Edgar Allen Poe or Maya Angelou, but either way it was sheer brilliance. He is apparently working as a motivational speaker now. If a quote like that won't get Vernon Wells to play through a tweaked hammy then I don't know what will. C'mon Cito, give the guy a job as third base coach. After all, his autobiography was titled Home on Third. Send him home Cito. Is he too good for his home?