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TFC Prep Has Team Poised For Turnaround
A run in the Carolina Challenge Cup preseason tournament revealed that Toronto FC may be set for a steller 2009 season.
Mar 15, 2009 12:58:43 AM
With their third season in the MLS fast approaching, Toronto FC
completed preparations by competing in the Carolina Challenge Cup.
Goals from De Rosario and Ricketts dispatched the Charleston Battery
2-1 in the tournament opener, whilst De Rosario registered his second
goal of the tournament in a 2-1 win over DC United on Wednesday.
Their final match of the tournament against Real Salt Lake represented TFC’s first opportunity of winning silverware of any kind in their short history. They went down 2-1 in a match that saw Kevin Harmse see red and exposed a sadly familiar defensive weakness. While TFC were unable to win this prestigious preseason tournament, they played with a confidence and belief that bodes well for the coming season.
Head coach John Carver was upbeat about the state of the team even before the tournament. He said, “We’re exactly where we want to be at this stage.”
In comparison to this stage in 2008, he felt there was far more progress this year: “Last year, all of the preseason we worked on the fitness. I did very little shape on the team; I did no set plays. This year I’ve had the team from the start.”
Carver further elaborated, “This time last year I didn’t have Ricketts, Guevara, Barrett, Vitti or Cronin. Some of the guys joined us halfway through the season. I have got them from the start now.”
The promising interchanges in Carolina between Vitti, De Rosario and Barrett point towards a successful attacking unit. On the other hand, set plays may need sorting out with Guevara’s inconsistent delivery at corners and the confusion surrounding the identity of the clubs primary dead ball specialist: Guevara and Barrett struck most of the free kicks in Carolina as De Rosario looked on.
Creating a whole host of chances and finding the back of the net in every outing in Carolina suggests the team is pretty much sorted in terms of attack. The defense, however, appears to be just as brittle as the attack is impressive.
Fortunately, Carver has already identified the need to bolster the backline and is looking for a central defender to complement Serioux. TFC fans can expect an announcement in that regard soon. Despite the apparent lack of defensive cover, Carver was confident that in Robinson, Cronin and Nana, he has the players at his disposal that could step in at centerback and “do a job”.
Failing to keep a clean sheet in Carolina means that Kevin Harmse may not be the ideal man to partner Serioux and may hasten Carver’s search for a suitable center half. Disciplinary issues may also be on Carver’s agenda as both center halves were awarded red cards during the tournament, although Harmse’s double caution against RSL was decidedly harsh. Carver does not want to tempt fate by resorting to stopgap measures after last year’s defensive shortcomings.
This seems to be the only apparent weakness on the TFC roster and should be resolved before the team plays its first home game against the Seattle Sounders. However, due to the attacking inclinations of most of the squad, there seems to be a strong case for the inclusion of Sam Cronin in midfield. The defense needs cover, the likes of which Maurice Edu supplied during his first season at TFC. In preseason action, Carl Robinson was left exposed at the heart of the midfield against RSL and a platform of two energetic ball winners in midfielders may be the answer to TFC’s defensive dilemma.
Despite the apparent drawbacks, star signings Adrian Serioux and Dwayne De Rosario were both pleased with their colleagues in training (pre-Carolina cup) and made no bones about their hopes for the coming season. De Rosario said: “Our goal is to make the playoffs. I think any cup should be a priority, at the end of the day it’s all about winning. Whether its Canada cup or any other tournament we enter”. True to form, De Rosario bulged the net in all three outings in Carolina.
“My expectations are pretty much the same as the team's expectations," said Serioux. "Our goal right now is to reach the playoffs and hopefully win the championship. We don’t expect anything less from ourselves.”
Carver, on the other hand, was not interested in speculating and was merely looking to replicate the 10-point improvement he oversaw from TFC’s inaugural season. He felt doing so “would take care of” the playoff situation. Carver was also keen to point out that the team was still developing and the defensive mantra is simple. “Stop conceding goals late on in games, stop conceding goals.”
Yet the improvement in the squad was clear in Serioux’s assessment of his new teammates. He was particularly impressed by De Rosario and also singled out new boy Pablo Vitti for praise. “We were doing one-on-one drills and I had to defend him (Vitti) a couple of times. Quick guy, quick guy, impressed me a lot today.”
Factor in the fit-again Chad Barrett and TFC are already being touted as genuine MLS Cup contenders despite a stacked Eastern Conference.
MLS has been warned.
Talha Zaheer, Goal.com
Their final match of the tournament against Real Salt Lake represented TFC’s first opportunity of winning silverware of any kind in their short history. They went down 2-1 in a match that saw Kevin Harmse see red and exposed a sadly familiar defensive weakness. While TFC were unable to win this prestigious preseason tournament, they played with a confidence and belief that bodes well for the coming season.
Head coach John Carver was upbeat about the state of the team even before the tournament. He said, “We’re exactly where we want to be at this stage.”
In comparison to this stage in 2008, he felt there was far more progress this year: “Last year, all of the preseason we worked on the fitness. I did very little shape on the team; I did no set plays. This year I’ve had the team from the start.”
Carver further elaborated, “This time last year I didn’t have Ricketts, Guevara, Barrett, Vitti or Cronin. Some of the guys joined us halfway through the season. I have got them from the start now.”
The promising interchanges in Carolina between Vitti, De Rosario and Barrett point towards a successful attacking unit. On the other hand, set plays may need sorting out with Guevara’s inconsistent delivery at corners and the confusion surrounding the identity of the clubs primary dead ball specialist: Guevara and Barrett struck most of the free kicks in Carolina as De Rosario looked on.
Creating a whole host of chances and finding the back of the net in every outing in Carolina suggests the team is pretty much sorted in terms of attack. The defense, however, appears to be just as brittle as the attack is impressive.
Fortunately, Carver has already identified the need to bolster the backline and is looking for a central defender to complement Serioux. TFC fans can expect an announcement in that regard soon. Despite the apparent lack of defensive cover, Carver was confident that in Robinson, Cronin and Nana, he has the players at his disposal that could step in at centerback and “do a job”.
Failing to keep a clean sheet in Carolina means that Kevin Harmse may not be the ideal man to partner Serioux and may hasten Carver’s search for a suitable center half. Disciplinary issues may also be on Carver’s agenda as both center halves were awarded red cards during the tournament, although Harmse’s double caution against RSL was decidedly harsh. Carver does not want to tempt fate by resorting to stopgap measures after last year’s defensive shortcomings.
This seems to be the only apparent weakness on the TFC roster and should be resolved before the team plays its first home game against the Seattle Sounders. However, due to the attacking inclinations of most of the squad, there seems to be a strong case for the inclusion of Sam Cronin in midfield. The defense needs cover, the likes of which Maurice Edu supplied during his first season at TFC. In preseason action, Carl Robinson was left exposed at the heart of the midfield against RSL and a platform of two energetic ball winners in midfielders may be the answer to TFC’s defensive dilemma.
Despite the apparent drawbacks, star signings Adrian Serioux and Dwayne De Rosario were both pleased with their colleagues in training (pre-Carolina cup) and made no bones about their hopes for the coming season. De Rosario said: “Our goal is to make the playoffs. I think any cup should be a priority, at the end of the day it’s all about winning. Whether its Canada cup or any other tournament we enter”. True to form, De Rosario bulged the net in all three outings in Carolina.
“My expectations are pretty much the same as the team's expectations," said Serioux. "Our goal right now is to reach the playoffs and hopefully win the championship. We don’t expect anything less from ourselves.”
Carver, on the other hand, was not interested in speculating and was merely looking to replicate the 10-point improvement he oversaw from TFC’s inaugural season. He felt doing so “would take care of” the playoff situation. Carver was also keen to point out that the team was still developing and the defensive mantra is simple. “Stop conceding goals late on in games, stop conceding goals.”
Yet the improvement in the squad was clear in Serioux’s assessment of his new teammates. He was particularly impressed by De Rosario and also singled out new boy Pablo Vitti for praise. “We were doing one-on-one drills and I had to defend him (Vitti) a couple of times. Quick guy, quick guy, impressed me a lot today.”
Factor in the fit-again Chad Barrett and TFC are already being touted as genuine MLS Cup contenders despite a stacked Eastern Conference.
MLS has been warned.
Talha Zaheer, Goal.com
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