MLS 2009 Preview: Toronto FC

Today’s preview is Toronto FC, now entering its third year. Toronto is known for its flying streamers and its rabid fan base, and this year is hoping to be known for its performance on the pitch

Our preview comes from our Toronto blogger Colman, who ably mans the Toronto Offside blog. You can also catch all of our MLS bloggers over at MLS Offside.

What’s the Big Picture?
As TFC enters the third season of their existence, the time has come for them to make a playoff run. While season 1 included the record goalless drought, and season 2 was marked by a horrific middle stretch, Mo Johnston has made the necessary moves to contend for the Eastern Conference title in time for season 3. Heck, we could even pull an Energy Drink, and win the West. Either way, the roster is currently strong enough in all areas to contend with the cream of the crop in MLS.

Did I say all areas? I meant goalkeeping, midfield, and attack. Our defense could definitely use some more help in the middle. While we have added former Dallas player Adrian Serioux, his play so far in exhibition games does not instil confidence that he can cover for the other CB (Kevin Harmse, technically a midfielder, or Marco Velez, technically useless). On the bright side, there are lots of rumours floating about that this hole will be addressed before the start of the season, and due to his great performance this offseason, I trust Mo to find somebody worthy of anchoring an MLS defense.

The wingbacks are one of our strengths, with team captain Jimmy Brennan on the left, and USMNT speedster Marvell Wynne (pictured) on the right. In goal, we have last year’s returning starter, Greg Sutton, as well as American standout talent Stefan Frei, fresh out of the University of California. Frei has been getting the lion’s share of minutes during preseason, and pundits feel there is a chance he will be starting on March 21st in Kansas City.

Our midfield is arguably the strongest in MLS. It is anchored by Carl Robinson, who is the best defensive midfielder in the league (according to Shep Messing[http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/did-you-know-that-shep-messing-once-posed-for-a-nude-magazine-spread.html], for what it’s worth. Probably nothing.) Crowd favourite Rohan Ricketts returns on the right, with Amado Guevara behind the strikers. Native son Dwayne DeRosario, an instant local hero, will likely play on the left. Up front, last year’s midseason addition Chad Barrett will be responsible for scoring the goals alongside one year loan Pablo Vitti, who joins the Reds from Independiente of Argentina. On the bench, TFC will again be coached by Toronto’s favourite Geordie, John Carver.

How did the team do last year, and why?
TFC finished last year four points shy of a playoff berth, but still last place in the very competitive Eastern Conference. The main reason for this was an eleven game winless stretch in all competitions, which lasted from mid June to mid August. TFC also faced many problems with international call ups, at one point even having to start their head scout as a central defender against Chivas USA (not surprisingly, a loss).

The star – who is the team built around?
The team will undeniably be built around new acquisition Dwayne DeRosario (pictured). After spending most of his career with San Jose/Houston, his native city finally has a level of soccer high enough for him to play at home. While Mo Johnston had been trying to make a deal with Houston for the past two years, it wasn’t until this offseason that he made an offer which was too tempting for the Dynamo to refuse: Julius James and a second round draft pick. Yes, it was a head scratcher for Dynamo fans – James was not good enough to play consistently in Toronto’s leaky defense, and made rookie mistakes when he did see the field. Either way, one of the first questions asked by Reds fans was where DeRo would fit into our system, since we already have Guevara in his typical role. It seems as though the answer will be the left wing, but we know that DeRo can also play up front, if required. It is likely that he will be moved around a bit in order to find out where he can contribute best, but one thing is for sure: he will be the go to guy for TFC this year.

DP or not? And how will this affect the team?
Last season John Carver promised that he would leave if there was no DP brought in. Mo quickly responded by guaranteeing a DP signing this offseason. However, we ended up making three great signings instead, and did not overspend on an aging star. However, since most DP teams have limited success, I for one am very happy that we have elected to go with quality across the board instead.

The newcomers – who’s going to come in and make a difference?
Apart from DeRosario, the most important offseason addition is Pablo Vitti. He first caught TFC’s eye in last season’s friendly against his old club, Independiente. Vitti scored the Argentines’ lone goal at BMO field in a 1-0 win. Unfortunately, TFC could not come to terms with his club at the time, and he was instead loaned out to Odessa of Ukraine. You may be wondering why so much stock is being placed in a man who couldn’t fit in at either of his past two clubs. For the answer, look no further than Lionel Messi, who claims that Vitti is the closest in potential to him and Sergio Aguero among Argentine players. If Vitti pans out, we could have an extremely potent strike force between him, Barrett, and TFC legend Danny Dichio coming off the bench.

The other important signing is the above mentioned Adrian Serioux. His strengths include a stellar long throw and great tenacity, though he is sometimes prone to losing his head[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T569Qero3Ac]. Either way, this CMNT player will be a starter in the central defense, and his play will be decisive in determining how much work there is to do for Sutton/Frei.

Also watch out for Sam Cronin, a defensive midfielder drafted out of Wake Forest. Like Frei, he has received too much playing time to simply be making up the numbers. Expect him to start if Carl Robinson is unavailable, and also to fill in on the wings should Ricketts need a breather.

Keep an eye on:

FIFA Dates. Out of Toronto’s starting line up, Rohan Ricketts, Pablo Vitti, and Stefan Frei are the only players that certainly won’t be called up for their respective national teams. This has hurt the Reds badly in the past, and in order to succeed in MLS, our subs will really have to step up to fill the void.
Chad Barrett: While he has a reputation for needing too many chances to score, he had quite a successful run after joining TFC last summer. Fans are looking for him to score in double digits for the first time in his career, and I think there is a strong possibility he could have a breakout year with the type of service he will likely be getting.

We’ll win the league if…
– We are able to add another centre back of high quality. There’s enough cap space left, and we know Mo is searching…all we need is somebody to sign.
– Pablo Vitti is able to adjust to MLS. While the language barrier will be a problem, all signs point to a great locker room atmosphere and with Guevara and Velez on the team, he won’t be completely isolated. I think both him and Barrett can score 10-12 goals for this team, especially being fed the ball by DeRo, Ricketts, and Guevara.

We’ll be in trouble if…
– Marvell Wynne leaves for Europe during the season. While many supporters are comfortable with young Canadian right back Nana Attakora-Gyan filling in for him, I don’t think he has enough experience to fill a Wynne shaped hole.
– We sustain as many injuries in season 1 due to our Field Turf’s effect on people’s knees. Our midfield and attack has decent depth, but even with a new signing, our defense is pretty thin.

Some things you may not know
– Since Toronto is not in the USA, different rules apply to TFC in the roster department. Our domestic players have to be from Canada, which has a much smaller talent pool than the USA. This makes it harder for the Reds to compete with their neighbours to the south.
– On March 28th, TFC fans will once again take over Columbus, OH. Your favourite TFC blogger will be joining 3000 Canadians, as we hope to spoil the Crew’s MLS Cup party at their home opener.
– At the 23:13 mark of every game, TFC fans sing an ode to Danny Dichio in honour of the club’s first ever goal, scored against the Chicago fire in a 3:1 win at BMO Field on May 12th, 2007.

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Category: World Football