TOTAL TFC - Toronto FC Blog & Podcast

Match 3: At home vs. Chivas USA

2011-04-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

The post-DeRo era begins for TFC this afternoon, as winless Chivas USA comes to town.

After last weeks success I would be disappointed with anything less than 3 points, but without De Rosario there is a chance that the attack could be in shambles. The TFC attack has gone through 2 players in their short 5 year history: Danny Dichio, and DeRo. Who will step up to fill the void?

Yourassowski sits this one out, as he was sent off last week. Julian De Guzman continues to recover from off-season knee surgery. Doneil Henry is out on international duty.

Confirmed: DERO TRADED!

2011-04-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

TFC and Aron Winter have made a statement to the club sending disgruntled captain Dwayne De Rosario to the New York Red Bulls.

In return TFC receives 21-year-old midfielder Tony Tchani, 26-year-old defender-midfielder Danleigh Borman and a first-round pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft.

I'm stunned, to say the least.

Below is how the rumour played out:

According to various reports, the club is sending the midfielder to the New York Red Bulls for 21-year-old midfielder Tony Tchani, 26-year-old defender/midfielder Danleigh Borman and a first round draft pick.

This would be the stupidest thing Toronto FC has ever done, and TFC has done some pretty stupid things.

Even with Aron Winter's new system, it has been obvious through the first 2 matches of the season that the attack goes through De Rosario. There is nothing that Tchani or Borman can bring to the table that will replace this.

Now we wait and see just what is what...

Update: Winter Addresses Reports

Martina scores a brace! TFC 2 Portland 0

2011-03-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

A different story for Toronto FC after their home opener against the expansion Portland Timbers as the Reds reward their home fans for braving below-freezing temperatures to witness a victory in Toronto's fifth home opener at BMO Field.

Javier Martina excelled, the Dutch striker finally on the receiving end of some quality service. His ability to finish was evident, especially on the second goal - a spectacular half-volley that curled in off the post from 20 yards out.

Mikael Yourassowsky was sent off in the 80' as he received his second Yellow Card of the match for what appeared to be time-wasting. Despite this, Yourassowsky had a very strong game, and his box-to-box presence played a huge role in TFCs success.

Despite the scoreline, TFC experienced more of the same trouble with their transition game that plagued them in the season opener in Vancouver. Towards the end of the first half, TFC found themselves bottled up yet again in their own end. Aron Winter brought on newly acquired Alen Stevanovic to replace the again ineffective Nathan Sturgis and the difference was clear in the second half, as TFC was able to string together a number of impressive looking runs on transition.

Nana Attakora was not in the lineup, but Ty Harden played a much improved game from last week, and Adrian Cann did an exemplary job in keeping Kenny Cooper, at times literally, under wraps.

There is still a lot of room to improve for TFC, but this first victory is a solid step in the right direction. It will be very interesting to see what Stevanovic can do once he is more accustomed to his teammates, and over a full 90'. Julian De Guzman gets closer to returning each day, and his return will be a huge lift to this TFC squad.

Next match: April 2: vs. Chivas USA

Toronto FC Home Opener vs. Portland Timbers

2011-03-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

Toronto FC looks to their opening match to improve on a poor showing in Vancouver last week.

On the injury front, Julian De Guzman is still out of the lineup while he recovers from knee surgery. Newcomer Elbekay Bouchiba will have to wait to make his TFC debut, out with a sprained knee. Midfielder Gianluca Zavarise is listed as questionable with an ankle issue.

I hope to see a stronger performance from the TFC back line. Nana, Cann, and Co. need a much improved performance than last week. Substituting Ty Harden may be a good starting point for Aron Winter.

The TFC midfield was also a mess last week, and I think Nathan Sturgis has earned himself a place on the pine. Zavarise would be his likely substitute, but with his status in doubt Sturgis may be pressed into action yet again.

Upfront, the Dutch newcomers have yet to impress, though the flow of play and poor midfield performance nullified their presence in Vancouver. Despite this, Maicon Santos performed well, and De Rosario was dangerous as always.

Serbian-born Alen Stevanovic comes over on loan from Torino FC in Italian Serie B, having prior had a stint with Inter Milan. Having just arrived in Toronto I would be surprised to see the 20-year old midfielder take the pitch today, though we might see him as a late match substitution.

The TotalTFC team will be at the match freezing in the steel of BMO field, so no live blog. Follow us on Twitter (@TotalTFC) for updates!

The day after... TFC v. Vancouver

2011-03-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

So the supporters groups are up in arms, at least taking sides, after the Slaughter at Empire Field. I would like to advise everyone to STAY CALM. It's the first match of the season.

Keep in mind that, unlike the case with TFC, the Whitecaps are a long-established organization, so despite this being their first MLS match, the club already has a preferred playing style and an established game plan. Something TFC still hasn't been able to muster here in its fifth season.

Still, it's largely a brand new side in Vancouver, but realistically it's the same boat in Toronto. Maybe even more so with the complete front office cleanout from last season. On top of that, Mo and Preki didn't leave current management much to work with.

At the end of the day, it's one match out of many more to come. Granted, TFC didn't look very good, but there is certainly room for improvement and some players had solid individual performances.

The Good

Dwayne De Rosario

Looks like he will be filling his familiar Midfield floater role, bringing a very offensive minded presence to the midfield from either wing, or the middle, where ever he sees fit. This is where DeRo is most effective, allowing his creativity to shine and open up plays for his teammates. Tracked down a lovely lob pass from Santos to score TFCs first.

Maicon Santos

There's not much that needs to be said about that left-footed blast in the 74'. Let's face it, the guy has the ability to pull goals out of nothing with that kind of left foot, and we've seen it before. Great vision shown to set up DeRo's goal too. Unfortunately his number of touches were limited by TFCs overall poor midfield play.

The Bad

Adrian Cann and Nana Attakora

The anchors of our back line were a mess for most of the match. Seemingly lost on each Vancouver drive, you could see them scrambling about the field as if they were unsure of who to cover, or what to do. Winter's new style of play will put an awful lot of pressure on these guys. If TFC is going to succeed they will need to make the adjustment faster than they have showed.

The Ugly

Ty Harden

Toronto FC has a long and storied history of terrible defenders, but Ty Harden may have put in the single worst performance in Reds history. Outmatched on strength, footspeed, and field smarts, we may as well have slapped a red shirt on a wooden dummy and called it a day. The dummy would have had less turnovers. Now it's not necessarily fair to pin all of the turnovers on poor Harden, he almost never had any options to pass too as TFCs midfield pulled a Copperfield-esque disappearing act almost every time they had a chance to clear, which leads me to...

TFCs midfield

With the exception of De Rosario, the other players lined up as "midfielders" had as much impact in the match as I did from my couch at home. Jacob Peterson had some quality touches early, but his lack of ability is evident on just about every play. Nathan Sturgis was completely invisible all match, while Dan Gargan just couldn't seem to figure out if he was supposed to line up as a defender or a midfielder and ended up playing as neither. Without this important linkage from the defence to the attack, TFC spent the majority of the game hoofing the ball upfield only to have it pushed right back in to their zone. This resulted in Vancouver's 11 corner kicks and plenty of quality time on the attacking side of the ball. Combine this with a struggling back line and you have a recipe for disaster!

Some positives...

Despite being stuck in neutral for most of the match, I can see where Winter's system is taking us. With JDG in the lineup at his comfortable holding midfield role, he will be able to fully utilize his distribution ability, unleashing the killer through-balls that we are used to seeing from him on the MNT to provide service to the 4-man TFC attack. This ability was sorely missed last match.

While a quality player at holding midfield is the keystone to this attack, strong play on the wings can provide substitute in its absence. While Sturgis and Peterson just weren't up for the task, things improved slightly when Yourassowski and Zavarise came in as substitutes. At the very least they brought energy, speed, and aggressiveness to the pitch. While their quality of service remains to be seen or judged, this style of play on the wing will do well to support a 3-man front. I hope to see them both in the starting lineup for next weeks home-opener vs. Portland.

Keep faith TFC fans. Give Winter some time to instill his system into his new charges. The confusion on the back line will only dissipate, and give way to an effective and exciting transition game. TFCs new Dutch attackers are still largely unknown commodities given the poor play by TFCs midfield last match. The season is far from over, in fact, it has just begun.

Match 1: Dominated in Vancouver. 4-2 Whitecaps

2011-03-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

Toronto FC opened the 2011 MLS Season with a loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps, in the Whitecaps MLS debut.

The speed of the Whitecaps attackers seemed to give TFC fits generating 11 corner kicks, and with the exception of the early minutes of the match, Vancouver was dominant all over the pitch. If Whitecaps striker Atiba Harris was a better finisher, this one could have easily been 6-2. Fortunately, Harris put his best Chad Barrett impersonation on and missed several good chances.

New TFC boss Aron Winter still seems to be feeling out his roster. After being dominated early in the 2nd half, Winter brought on Yourassowsky and Zavarise and their arrival initiated a marked improvement in TFCs midfield play. I would hope this will warrant starts for these players over the likes of Peterson and Sturgis. While Peterson was involved and had some decent chances, Sturgis was completely invisible. Ty Harden had a terrible match, and Cann and Nana struggled throughout.

The new Dutch attackers were largely invisible also. All of the TFC attack came from two familiar sources. Dero slotted home an excellent through pass from Santos, who also found the mark with a spectacular left footed strike from 20 yards out.

TotalTFC returns!

FULL TIME WHISTLE 4-2 VANCOUVER WINS!

90+3 - TFC defenders can't seem to close the distance on the Vancouver attackers. Either not enough speed or not enough effort. Either way they have been terrible.

90+1 - Santos with some nifty footwork in midfield.

88:00 -ANOTHER Vancouver corner. Cleared safe.

87:30 - Dero floats a free kick into the area, bounces around until it ends up on the foot of Makubuya, who puts it wide

86:30 - Khalfan whiffs on the volley, gets it again and puts on on target. Frei with the stop

85:00 - Long balls are creating dangerous opportunities for Vancouver. TFC defenders being exposed with speed

83:00 -Zavarise generates a dangerous chance with good hustle

82:30 - Hassli comes off to a standing ovation from the home crowd

81:00 - TFC on the counter, Red shirts fall all over the box. Goal kick for Nolly.

80:26 - Vancouver maintains possession off the corner which results in their 11th cornerkick

79:00 - Hassli again manages to get clear behind the Toronto line. 10th corner for Vancouver

78:50 - Dero leads the attack, Yourassowsky shows some speed down the wing. That could be a nice combination in the future for TFC

77:50 - Harden again with a brutal pass. This one fortuantely ends up on Gargans foot

77:17 - TFC finally showing signs of life

76:21 - Hooks over the bar

76:00 - Dero lines it up

75:00 -De Merrit with a hard tackle, free kick TFC just outside the box.

74:00 - MAICON SANTOS! From just outside the box, left foot to the top left corner. 4-2!

73:30 - Another through ball by Vancouver, TFC can't handle it, luckly goes too far.

71:56 - Hassli finishes a 2-on-0 all the way from HALF - disgraceful effort by TFC. 4-1 Vancouver

71:26 - This is closer to the lineup I expected to see at the start of the match.

70:43 - Toronto Substitution: IN Yourassowsky OUT: Lurch

70:00 - Harden AGAIN gives the ball away cheaply

68:44 - I'm happy that Sturgis is coming out. I was less than impressed by his play today. Excited to see Zavarise's TFC debut.

68:30 - Toronto Substitution: IN: Zavarise OUT: Sturgis

67:30 - Vancouver Substitution: IN: Knight OUT: ?

66:00 - good play by TFC ends up on the foot of Lurch Peterson, who drives it right at a defender and manages to hurt himself

65:30 - Harris in CLEAR on a breakaway. Frei stands his ground. If Harris could finish it would be 6-1. Thank goodness he can't

64:50 - Dero hits an awkward one right at Nolly. 1st shot for TFC this half?

63:00 - Not 2-1 anymore. Harris finally hits the goal. Reds just a mess trying to defend that corner. 3-1

62:30 - Yet another Vancouver corner. It's astounding that it is only 2-1

60:00 - Vancouver having their way all over the pitch. Outclassing TFC at every position

58:40 - Frei handles the corner just ahead of DeMerrit. How many more can TFC deal with?

57:22 - STILL all Vancouver. TFC is hanging on by their fingernails here. Corner is cleared, but no possession in midfield for TFC. Ball back in for ANOTHER Vancouver corner

56:00 - Dunfield hits a poor corner. TFC struggles to clear with any control. Nolly fires it back up for Vancouver.

55:30 - Harden puts the corner behind goal. Lets do it again!

54:40 - Cann comes back to clear a dangerous cross to safety behind the goal. Corner Vancouver.

52:40 - All Vancouver so far this half.

52:00 - Good freekick by Vancouver requires a good save by Frei

51:00 Harden is just out to lunch right now

50:30 - Harris through on goal, gets taken down clean by Nana.

48:00 - Haslii gets whistled for a jersey pull - still cheekily puts it behind Frei and earns a booking for his troubles

47:06 - We'll see if Winter can make some adjustments to generate more chances out of ball possession

Half time Substitutions: TFC IN: Makubuya OUT: Soolsma Vancouver IN: ? OUT: Chiumiento

45 + 4 - Freekick TFC - bounces around in the area, finally Lurch Peterson gets a head on it but Nolly pulls it in easily

45 + 3 - Harris bowls over Nana and goes in on goal. Harris can't even come close to hitting the net today. Nowhere near

45 + :2:17 - TFC moving slowly down the wing. Nothing doing inside the box

45 + :35 - Pretty obvious that Vancouver adapted to the TFC formation. The Reds have been bottled up since the Dero goal

45:00 - 5 minutes stoppage time

44:25 - Corner for Vancouver, safe hands by Frei as he goes up to get it

43:30 - Gargan gets yellow

41:00 - Dero can't pull in a bad pass, Midfield disappears allowing Vancouver to walk in on the TFC backline

40:00 - Great play develops in midfield for Vancouver, no finish from Harris

39:00 -Yellow card on Harris

38:30 - Another great chance for Vancouver on a good low cross

37:00 - Santos brought down, no space to turn, and no midfielders to pass to.

36:00 - Vancouvers 3rd corner to TFCs 0 - well delivered, ends up behind the goal on an unlucky deflection for Vancouver

35:00 - TFC midfield has been disappointing. All the good touches have come from Dero and the 3 forwards

32:30 - Soolsma and Dero get their signals crossed up. That could've been sweet if they were on the same page.

31:34 - Sturgis gets yellow for a late tackle

30:52 - Vancouver taking a defensive look to their 4-4-2.

30:10 - Too much of a gap forming between TFCs defenders and attackers.

27:11 - Yellow Card issued to Dunfield for excessive celebration

26:46 - Chuimiento sent that ball through. Cann and Nana not having the best of halves..

25:55 - Beautiful through ball to hometown boy Terry Dunfield 2-1 Vancouver.

22:44 - Great set-piece results in a good chance. Safe hands by Frei who was well positioned to save the open header

21:55 - Free kick Vancouver

20:59 - BIG collision at the edge of TFCs 18 yd box

20:00 - Lovely ball by Santos to spring Dero free

19:32 - DE-RO! DE-RO! 1-1

18:40 - Hideous giveaway by TFC in the back

15:20 - Not sure who was supposed to mark Hassli on that one. Lurch Peterson came back too late, both CBs were covering the short option who looked to be in an offside position anyway. TFC made a mess of that one.

14:16 - Vancouver won't have to wait as long as we did for their first MLS goal. Hassli unmarked. 1-0

13:30 - Nice ball by Gargan goes begging for a head. Goal Kick

12:20 - Maicon Santos strays offside... will Vancouver trap out the 4-3-3?

11:30 - Hassli gets away with one there...

9:43 - Quick short corner by Vancouver goes high. Nana and Cann are going to have to be stellar for this 4-3-3 to work.

7:30 - But the math works both ways; stong Vancouver attack results in a corner.

6:41 - Vancouver seems to be having difficulty trying to contain the TFC attack, it seems to be just a numbers thing. TFC always has an open option on one of the wings.

5:50 - DeRo puts a bit too much on an open cross opportunity.

5:00 - Anyone notice some odd camera work from the main camera? angle seems funny and really far away..

1:22 - Nice switch by Santos, sets up Martina who gets the ball to DeRo for the first shot on goal.

Prematch:

- Interested to see what Strugis can bring to the 11 shirt, and how the Dutch pair mesh with Santos up front. Not to mention Aron Winter's approach to the MLS game. Lots to be excited about for this season for TFC.

- TSN intro showcasing the history of the Vancouver Whitecaps. 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl Champs etc. etc. blah blah. Pretty jealous to be honest. Can't wait for TFC to have a historic highlight reel that doesn't include Andy Welsh scoring a goal.

Canada Eliminated from WC Qualifying

2008-10-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

Canada lost to Honduras today 3-1, eliminating Canada's chances of qualifying for it's first World Cup since 1986. As the finger pointing starts, I've decided to put in my $0.02.

Who's to Blame?

Football is a tactical sport. When you put an out and out moron in charge of tactics (Dale Mitchell) you will be destined to lose.

Despite having more talent than the Jamaican's, being on-par or better than the Honduran's, and having enough talent to possibly give the Mexican's a run for their money, we didn't win a SINGLE game and now are left playing out the rest for nothing. The blame has to fall squarely on the shoulders of the man in charge of TACTICS; Dale Mitchell, and to a lesser extent the people that put him in charge; the CSA.

Dale Mitchell did a similar hatchet job with the U-20s, ON HOME SOIL, in the U-20 World Cup in which we not only went 0-3, WE DIDN'T EVEN SCORE A SINGLE GOAL! So it makes sense that Mitchell be fired after such a dismal performance right?

NOT WITH THE CSA!

Instead, the most inept football manager I've ever seen, gets PROMOTED to lead the Sr. Men's National side. Should we be at all surprised?

So if you want to find blame, blame the CSA for firstly, not firing Mitchell after the U-20s, secondly, for actually PROMOTING the guy who led our U20's to the most dismal showing by a host country in the history of the U20 WC. And then blame Dale Mitchell for being absolutlely useless.

2010 should've been our year. We needed it to build momentum to build support for soccer in Canada. The CSA made the decision to put this in the incapable hands of Dale Mitchell. Even if all of those responsible are fired (which probably won't happen), we have missed a great opportunity to build on what has been established in the club ranks in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. These opportunities don't come along too often, by 2014 it will be far too late to generate interest in the part-time casual supporters who's current interest have been peaked by the club successes, and the "Beckham" effect. In short, this disaster of a WC Qualifying campaign will have FAR REACHING effects towards developing the sport in Canada.

I hope you guys are prepared for another decade of a hockey-centric sports vision in Canada. I hope you guys are prepared for another decade of playing 5th fiddle behind Baseball and Basketball and the CFL. We had a glorious chance, but Mitchell and the CSA blew it for all Canadian soccer fans.

Without a showing on the biggest stage of the world's biggest sport, we will never advance as a soccer country. We don't have the benefit of a Euro Cup to give it another crack, and with our top young players playing overseas and getting paperwork to play for other countries, why would anyone choose to play for Canada?

Blame Mitchell, and blame the CSA, but even if heads roll, it's far too late for Canada now.

On a completely different note: Sorry for the complete lack of updates, but I haven't really had the time this year. Next year WILL be better. If you are interested in contributing, please contact me at totaltfc@gmail.com!

Toronto FC sweep LA Galaxy

2008-06-01T11:14:00.001-07:00

Toronto FC dismantled the Western Conference leaders with a 2-0 score that saw the home side dominating the second half of play.

Rookie Julius James opened the scoring, glancing in a header off a well placed Rohan Ricketts free kick. Jeff Cunningham added one later, finally converting one of his many chances to score. Jarrod Smith was sent in alone late in the half, only to send a shot wide of the goal.

LA played the match without star David Beckham and Landon Donovan was held on the bench, while TFC were missing their top two offensive players, Danny Dichio and Amado Geuvara, and both sides had to deal with a dearth of players away for international duty. As a result, Brian Edwards was able to record the clean sheet in place of regular goalkeeper Greg Sutton, off to play for Canada.

Rohan Ricketts played a magnificent match, filling the void left by both Geuvara and Laurent Robert, leading the attack and creating chances.

TOTAL TFC Man of the Match: Rohan Ricketts

Notes:

Jeff Cunningham now has 98 career MLS goals. It would be nice to see him score #100 in TFC Red.
Defender Olivier Tebily was substituted for Julius James after suffering an injury
Kevin Harmes actually played a decent match.

TFC vs. LA Galaxy : Match Preview

2008-05-31T09:04:00.001-07:00

Toronto FC returns home after their 7 match unbeaten streak ended last week in DC. John Carver's side will look to improve their form that saw them struggle to a 1-0 victory over the USL's Montreal Impact in the opening match of the Canadian Championship.

It will be a new look side for Toronto FC, as regulars Carl Robinson, Amado Geuvara and Greg Sutton will all be away for international duty. Laurent Robert will serve his one-match-ban for picking up a red card at the end of the match in DC. Danny Dichio continues to nurse a groin injury, so we will have to wait and see if he gets the start. Jeff Cunningham is likely to have another opportunity to show he still belongs in the league. LA will be without Beckham, and Ante Jazic, both serving their respective countries.

Total TFC fearless prediction: TFC 2 LA 2

TFC Remains Unbeaten at Home: 1-0 over DCU

2008-05-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

Danny Dichio's 7th minute mark held up as the only goal of the match. The lumbering striker outworked DC United's Devon McTavish and was able to hook the ball around goalkeeper Zach Wells, just inside the post.

A physical match that saw both clubs struggle to mount much of anything offensively, Dichio starred again as he swept in to clear a rebound off a brilliant Greg Sutton save, undoubtedly saving, what would have been, the tying goal.

Toronto FC had great difficulty winning midfield, Amado Geuvara impressed, but Ricketts and Robert were disappointing and later subbed out for Jarrod Smith and Todd Dunivant respectively as TFC focused on protecting the lead. Mo Edu and Carl Robinson were also held ineffective. Our back line was solid, and Marco Velez continues to improve. Tyrone Marshall also played one of his stronger games of the year. Brennan and Wynne were there usual dependable selves. Sutton was not tested often, but excellent when he had to be, robbing Fred in the 64th minute.

Total TFC Man of the Match: Danny Dichio.

Toronto FC Newcomer Report Card (April/May)

2008-05-21T11:12:00.001-07:00

Amado Guevara – A – Quick, diminutive, creative player, listed as Forward but plays in more of an attacking midfield role. The player we were missing last season. Potted 2 goals vs. KC April 26.

Laurent Robert – B+ - More than adequate replacement for Ronnie O’brien. The Frenchman has provided excellent service from the wing and is a threat from free kicks. Scored on a set piece vs. RSL April 19.

Rohan Ricketts – C+ - Fast winger with good ball skills. Still seems to be looking to mesh with his teammates. Shows flashes of his ability at times in each game, but soccer is a team sport and he needs to incorporate his teammates into the play before losing the ball. Seems to tire in the 2nd half. Much better than Andy Welsh.

Jarrod Smith – C+ - Replaces Andy Boyens as the club’s token Kiwi. Has been great in limited action off the bench. Versatility seems to be the name of the game for Smith. A better version of Chris Posniak. Scored vs. LA April 13, heading home a rebound off of a free kick.

Marco Velez – C – The 2nd coming of Marco Reda? Many of us thought that at the start of the season, but has improved every match since a disastrous performance vs. LA April 13. Needs to work on his clearances; they’re too high for playable balls, tend to spiral out of control. In the wind last weekend a couple of clearances managed to end up BEHIND him. Hard worker, hope he continues to improve.

Haven’t seen enough of Kevin Harmse, or Brian Edwards to make a fair assessment.

Hopefully we’ll see Olivier Tebily, Julius James, and Pat Phelan on the list next month.

New Look TFC to Take Pitch in LA

2008-04-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

Tons of moves since the last post, as Mo finally decides to field a real squad for the next match against LA. We all got a taste of Laurent Robert last match against DC, joining him this week will be 2004 MLS MVP Amado Guevara and former Tottenham midfielder Rohan Ricketts.

Departing to make room for these new players is Colin Samuel (about time!) the absence of which already makes us a better team!

We're looking forward to seeing the new lineup take the pitch this Sunday in LA. Hopefully by then the Total TFC team will have all of our stuff together and we can finally, truly, get underway with the 2008 MLS Season!

COME ON YOU REDS!

Ronnie O'Brien Traded

2008-02-28T11:54:00.001-08:00

Toronto FC announced today that they have indeed traded Midfielder Ronnie O'Brien to San Jose for a 2009 1st round pick and allocation money.

"You're always reluctant to give up a player of Ronnie O'Brien's caliber, but for us to acquire a first-round pick as well as free up cap space that will enable us to address our club's biggest quality need - more quality depth - which makes this a good trade for Toronto FC," TFC manager Mo Johnston said.

Ronnie O on his way out?

2008-02-27T12:17:00.001-08:00

Reports have Toronto FC Midfielder Ronnie O'brien on his way to San Jose for allocation money and a draft pick.

The all-star midfielder was one of TFC's strongest players last year, but was hampered with knee injuries and was limited to playing just 13 matches for the Reds.

When asked about the rumours, manager Mo Johnston had "no comment".

Link to Footy Show story.
Link to GOL TV story.

Pinto yo-yo lives!

2008-02-23T14:18:00.001-08:00

Larry Millson at globesports.com reports that although Pinto has resigned from Braga SC, he has no intention of joining Toronto FC.

Read the article here, and let the yo-yo continue!

Pinto deal lives!

2008-02-22T15:10:00.000-08:00

The deal that would see Juao Pinto sign with Toronto FC is apparently back on.

Sportsnet.ca is reporting that Pinto has terminated his contract with FC Braga and will sign with TFC on Monday.

Read the article here.

Huckerby in town "Kicking the Tires"

2008-02-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry if this is old news, but the Footy Show reports that former Norwich City winger Darren Huckerby is in town checking out the city and the TFC facilities, including BMO Field.

The versatile 31-year old attacker has played as a striker and winger and can play from the left side. He has experience at the Premiership level and was instrumental in the Canaries Division One championship in 2004.

Pinto deal dead

2008-02-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

According to Sportsnet.ca the reported deal that would bring Portuguese star Joao Pinto to Toronto FC has fallen through. The report cites a conflict of training schedules and money to be the main reasons. TFC was reportedly offering $325,000, the MLS maximum for a non-designated player. Pinto currently makes 350,000 Euros. Pinto is rumored to have talks scheduled with other MLS clubs.

Read the article here.

Latest from camp

2008-02-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

Sportsnet.ca's Gerry Dobson brings us a report from Toronto FC's training camp, first impressions of TFC's first round pick Julius James, and more about the possible signing of Portuguese star João Pinto.

Read the article here.

We're Back!

2008-02-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

Training camp has started, and we're gearing up for another fine season of covering your Toronto FC!

Look for more regular posts starting now, on camp developments and personnel rumours.

Keep your ears ready for our first podcast of 2008!

TFC Prepares for Waiver Draft

2007-11-29T09:43:00.000-08:00

The draft order will be as follows for today's MLS waiver draft which will take place at 3:00pm ET.

1. San Jose
2. Toronto
3. Salt Lake
4. Los Angeles
5. Colorado
6. Columbus
7. New York
8. Dallas
9. Chivas USA
10. DC United
11. Kansas City
12. Chicago
13. New England
14. Houston

Toronto FC has made the following players available:
Adam Braz, Maycoll Canizalez, Srdjan Djekanovic, David Guzman, Stephen Lumley, Cristian Nunez, Marco Reda

Now, Mo must know something that we don't with regards to changes to the Canadian roster requirements as it seems as if we're parting ways with a fair number of Canadian players. It does not surprise me to see Reda and Braz on the list, but some of the younger guys, like Guzman, Lumley and Nunez, I find a little disappointing. It will certainly make it easier for Mo to field a winning team, but I still hope that TFC will still provide opportunity for young Canadian players to develop in a strong league such as MLS.

Congratulations to the Houston Dynamo

2007-11-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

2007 MLS Cup Champs!

Congratulations are also in order for Dwayne De Rosario for his second straight MLS Cup MVP! The best two players on the pitch happened to be Canadian: De Ro, and Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

Best of luck to another Canadian, Chris Pozniak, who was selected this afternoon by the expansion San Jose Earthquake. His work ethic and swiss-army knife adaptability will certainly be missed by TFC next season.

Toronto FC's Mo Edu wins Gatorade Rookie of the Year

2007-11-08T08:18:00.001-08:00

Congrats Mo!

Link

TFC to host Revs to end the season

2007-10-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

Toronto FC's inaugural season comes to a close as they host the New England Revolution at BMO Field tomorrow afternoon.

After a horrendous start to their history, TFC managed to turn things around after unveiling their brand new BMO Field and acquiring key players such as Danny Dichio and Jeff Cunningham, who both found their way to the injury list along with all-star midfielder Ronnie O'Brien, at which point their promising season came crumbling down.

One can only imagine what TFC's record would be had they not experienced such a rash of injuries which also included starting Goalkeeper Greg Sutton, and star wingback Marvell Wynne. Still, it has been shown that Mo has put together a very solid core, and with another year to add some depth to the squad, playoffs may very well be a reality next season.

Stay tuned for our year end evaluation of the Reds, and our final podcast for the 2007 MLS season.

I will be in Washington DC for the MLS Cup Final, I'll let you all know how that goes!

Where have we been?

2007-09-12T12:10:00.001-07:00

Actually, we haven't been anywhere. There just isn't anything to write about. I suppose we could have let everyone know that Dichio got hurt again, but we were too distraught at the idea of a Lombardo/Samuel combo upfront to type anything. Or we could have touched on the fact we haven't scored a goal since TOTAL TFC made the trip to Chicago on July 7, but I'm sure all TFC fans are sick of hearing about our inability to find the twine.

This weekend sees Esky's return to BMO Field with RSL. If we can't beat these guys, let alone score a goal, I will be sorely disappointed.