That's how long Toronto FC has been a part of MLS, and how long it took before the club’s owners decided it was time to clean house in the front office and set a new course for success after years of failure.
TFC turned to two men to help the club in what can be best
described as Extreme Makeover: Toronto FC edition. Dutchman Aron
Winter, a well-respected former member of mighty Ajax, was named
head coach and Paul Mariner, the former New England assistant coach
who has fashioned a strong reputation for evaluating talent, was
given the task of handling player personnel.
Toronto's off-season of rebuilding hasn't featured flashy
names or even highly-regarded rookies. No, the club has gone the
European route via a handful of unknowns who TFC will be hoping can
provide some much needed upgrades.
At forward, Toronto has Brazilian Maicon, who has impressed
enough to go into the season as a starter. Javier Martina is a
product of the Ajax system and comes in as a highly-regarded
option, though he hasn’t quite lit it up in the pre-season.
Winger Jacob Peterson has impressed in pre-season and could wind up
starting in the 4-3-3 system.
The midfield is still a work in progress, with several
question marks about what trio will ultimately fit in there. Dwayne
DeRosario is the team’s best player and could slot into the
attacking midfield role. It would allow him to be more creative,
but would limit the freedom he has enjoyed playing on the wing over
the past few years.
Nathan Sturgis joins TFC from Seattle, where is coming off a
career year. Heading into the season he has yet to really solidify
a starting role, but given his versatility it’s tough to
imagine him not having a starting role of some kind.
The defense was a shambles in 2010, and it will take some
time before we know just how much better it will be. Adrian Cann
and Nana Attakora should man the centerback spots and both were
solid at times last season. Fullback was where Toronto had serious
problems, but newcomer Mikael Yourassowsky should provide an
upgrade at left back. Right back remains a bit of a concern, with
MLS vets Dan Gargan and Ty Harden vying for the spot.
With so much uncertainty surrounding 2011, one promising
development for Toronto FC fans is the club’s influx of
academy players. TFC signed four Homegrown Players this week and
midfield Oscar Cordon could wind up being a surprising contributor
in his first professional season.
Winter will have to focus on developing the youngsters on
the roster as he makes the transition from rebuilding in 2012, to
trying to help Toronto FC finally reach the playoffs after four
years of disappointments.
TORONTO FC
KEY LOSSES- Chad Barrett, Nick LaBrocca, Fuad
Ibrahim
NEW ARRIVALS- Nathan Sturgis, Mikael Yourassowsky,
Gianluca Zavarise, Elbekay Bouchiba, Javier Martina, Nick Soolsma,
Alan Gordon,
BIGGEST QUESTION- Who are these guys? There
isn’t much known about many of the players new head coach
Aaron Winter has brought in, but their resumes suggest we
shouldn’t expect a miraculous turnaround for TFC.
X-FACTOR- Javier Martina. The former Ajax striker
is just 24, so he still has good mileage, and he is seen as a
potential impact striker. How he adjusts to the physical play in
MLS remains to be seen.
OUTLOOK- New head coach Aaron Winter has brought
in several new faces, and while it’s too early to completely
write them all off, pre-season results suggest Toronto FC is in for
another long season. The defense remains a major question mark, and
it will be interesting to see how Winter’s preferred 4-3-3
system does in MLS, where 4-4-2 reigns. Nobody should expect
Toronto to turn things around this year, but Winter’s success
or failure will be measured by how many of these new players turn
into legitimate building blocks for the future.
Ives Galarcep is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering Major League Soccer and the U.S. national team.
