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Posted by
Ian Clarke,
November 3, 2011 |
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Five questions to look back on, and towards the future of TFC
As another year passes by the unfortunate tradition in Toronto has become looking back on the season, the club and it's players, while 8-10 other teams continue on into the playoffs. For the last half decade, TFC own the distinction of being the only MLS club to miss out of the post-season five years in a row. However, it is not like 2007-2011 has been boring, and quite the contrary there has rarely been a dull moment, well, outside of the playing field at least.
We're looking back on those last five years with five questions: what's been the biggest disappointment, the best memory, the best players, but also looking to the future asking what approach or initiative will be most important over the next five years to ensure success and finally the last question being for Season 10, asking if there was one milestone to talk about or look back on, what would that be?
The discussion takes place in a new episode of The Royal Westminster, with Duncan Fletcher of SB Nation's Waking the Red, some RedNation Online writers, and supporters who've followed the team over the last five seasons. My thoughts on Season I through V, are below.
5 years, 5 questions on TFC. The Royal Westminster is back and we're looking back on the last five seasons of Toronto FC - the lows, the highs, the players who've stood out and also looking towards the next five years.
Biggest disappointment from the last five years?
This has been a tough one to articulate as I don't want to dig myself into a hole of negativity that can't be climbed out of. To keep it short and sweet, the biggest disappointment from the last five years was the extension given to Mo Johnston in 2009. Up to that point he had done nothing to warrant it in terms of the only thing that should have mattered - results. To me it signaled that performance within the organization wasn't being judged by quality play or results on the pitch, and it also raised serious questions about anyone towards the top being held to any accountability for continued failure.
The other side to this that was equally disappointing was when he was actually fired. The optics of it was that it wasn't based on how poor the team was, but because interest in the team was at an all-time low and season ticket renewals completely tanked - essentially the club didn't act to improve the team because losing would no longer be tolerated, they acted because the bottom line was affected.
Best memory from last five years
Two moments/events stand out, and I'm sure I'm missing a few, but being at BMO for Danny Dichio's first goal for the club, and their first win was pretty amazing. The atmosphere was completely insane and I'll never forget looking up and seeing hundreds, if not thousands of seat cushions flying over my head onto the pitch for not one, not two but all three goals.
The other fond memory was the home leg against Motagua in 2010. Where I sit it is a pretty good vantage point to see all the supporters groups and this is the only game I can think of where the entire south end was clapping in unison and it was the best unified support I've ever seen at BMO. Even North End Elite were able to get almost the next two sections on their feet and cheering for the club.
If you could pick a D/M/F from the last five years, who would they be?
With over 100 to choose from you'd think this would be easy but truthfully there really is only a small handful that stand apart from the last five seasons. If I had to pick a defender I think I'd actually go with Adrian Cann. Aside from an out of position Frings, I think he's the best centre-back we've had. He looked out of sorts early in the season, but to be fair so did everyone else. We know under a defence first approach he can get the job done, and often look good doing it. In the midfield I'd have to go with Torsten Frings who clearly is the best player to ever don a TFC kit. By this I mean quality/pedigree as to truly become our best player he will need a larger body of work, but if the small sample we've gotten these last three months are anything to gague him by, he will earn this title. For an attacker, without a doubt it is Dwayne De Rosario. Many will point to Koevermans for his fine ratio, however, to me De Ro's goals have been the kind that make you jump out of your seat and had the potential to really be something special.
What initiative over the next five years will help ensure success?
I still can't wrap my head around how TFC have never tried to make any kind of inroads into exploiting the cheap available talent in Central and South America. Never mind Central or South America, how about just Columbia? There are enough MLS calibre starters from Columbia that they could probably put together their own All-Star Team. I really think if Toronto dug deeper (or at all) in these regions, we could find ourselves our own Fredy Montero, Marvin Chavez or Mauro Rosales.
If you could look back on one milestone or success at year 10?
An MLS Cup or Champions League Cup is obvious, but as we approach 20 teams the odds will become stacked against us. It would be great after five years of no playoffs to at least look back and say we then went on to make the playoffs five years in a row. That would be a great starting point, and amongst the playoffs, or Champions League, one deep run, hopefully to a finals and lifting a cup, that would be the one thing to look back on at year 10.
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