Standing on the touchline Saturday night, under the banner of a 2011 MLS Cup victory, Bruce Arena engaged Juninho and five other players in a celebration hug that confirmed everything that had been built since he took over four years ago. Paul Mariner would have looked over, likely with envy, thinking how will we ever get to that point – how can we ever get to this? It seems impossible at this stage of Toronto FC’s failed existence that there is anything that can be done to get them going in the right direction. However, if Bruce Arena could have replied to Mariner’s question, he might have started off with “Not that long ago, I wasn’t much better off than you are now.”
Like Mariner, Bruce Arena took over from a failed ‘Dutch experiment’. In 2007 a short-list of potential managers was given to the club to be picked by none other than David Beckham, and Ruud Gullit was the chosen one. Gullit would be the third head coach over three years that saw the team fail to reach the playoffs between 2006-2008. For a team of the LA Galaxy’s history and reputation, this run was their lowest point. Gullit would be sent packing in the summer of 2008 and Bruce Arena convinced to take over one of the league’s flagship clubs.
Paul Mariner came into Toronto FC after another former Dutch international, Aron Winter, went on an abysmal 0-9 run to start the 2012 season. If rumours are to be true that he will be given 2013 to make his mark, despite showing little improvement over Winter’s results, he will need to begin building this team to at the very least be competitive and emerge out of the basement of MLS.
After taking over the Galaxy in 2008, by the end of the following season, Arena had lead the Galaxy to second place overall and a MLS Cup appearance. While there is little to indicate yet that Paul Mariner is anywhere on the level of Bruce Arena, right down to his wardrobe selection, there are some similarities of where the Galaxy was in 2008 and Toronto FC now in 2012. Bruce Arena took a team that had lost its direction and through an offseason took the right steps to built a foundation and culture that has lasted to this day.
Certainly it is not as simple as following a template or someone else’s path, as beyond some similarities, the league has evolved quickly over the last few years, and there are vast difference between the organizations leadership as well as current players available. However, Arena made some pointed moves in his first year with the Galaxy that set the foundation for the club moving forward that Paul Mariner and Toronto FC would be wise to look at and consider following through the end of 2012 and into 2013.
Call in favors
Reputation goes a long way, and there is no debating Toronto FC likely has the worst in MLS, but now is the time for Paul Mariner to use his name not only as a former high profile player, but find out if his time with the New England Revolution can be a benefit in turning TFC around.
Bruce Arena’s background is unparalleled. From his time in the NCAA to coaching DC United and the USMNT, his results speak for themselves. This no doubt played a factor in recruiting players onto a team who might otherwise have had no interest in coming on board. Eddie Lewis, while in the twilight of his career, had the experience with Preston North End, Leeds United, Derby County and the U.S. Men’s National Team that was essential in adding character Arena knew first hand to count on and help transition the team into a competitive side.
Mariner’s claim to fame is his time under Steve Nichol and three-consecutive MLS Cup appearances (2005-2007) will need to be taken advantage of. The arrival of Darren O’Dea is a good start, but there is still a long ways to go. Looking through the New England Revolution side from 2004-2009 there are few names still in their prime Mariner could reach out to, and even fewer assets on TFC to acquire them with. However, a player such as Jeff Larentowicz could be a target for a reunion to help bolster a struggling midfield. It would be a tall order considering he extended his contract earlier this year, but this is the test to see if the front office are up to the task of making Toronto a contender. Even someone like Shalrie Joseph, used to stop the bleeding, would be an improvement over what is currently available.
Another former player Mariner could reach out to is one that is not even available to play with the Reds. Taylor Twellman in his prime was the best striker in the league with New England. While Paul Mariner has been trying to focus on his own roster, Twellman has been an analyst with ESPN watching every team across the league. Perhaps a friendly phone call to catch up on old times is in order, and in between asking how the kids are, maybe a few suggestions on who Twellman has seen this year that are emerging talents or players with enough quality currently flying under the radar.
Build from the back
Bruce Arena made two moves through the 2008 off-season that was pivotal in setting the tone for the LA Galaxy over the next four years. The 2009 draft saw the Galaxy pick two defenders that are still to this day a cornerstone of their back line. Omar Gonzalez (#3 overall) and A.J. DeLaGarza (#19 overall) were slotted in with 2008 Rookie of the Year Sean Franklin (although injured for much of 2009) and are still part of one of the league’s stingiest back fours.
But it was one last piece that kept that group of youngsters together, and it follows point number one, and that was the arrival of a pedigreed veteran in Greg Berhalter. Berhalter had spent years in Germany playing most recently for Energie Cottbus and 1860 Munich, a hard-nosed league with high technical requirements. Berharlter might have been on his last legs, and had some tough outings against pacey strikers, but his experience settled and organized what would have been a group of youngsters in over their heads.
Toronto are in a similar position, with some good defensive prospects, but no one with enough experience or high enough pedigree to truly lead from the back. Darren O’Dea, although has quality clubs on his CV, at only 25 still could use a few more seasons to truly establish himself. The rumours of Kevin McKenna, coincidentally a teammate of Berhalter with Cottbus, coming to TFC should be restoked, as his background is just what they need to get things right in front of goal.
With it looking like Toronto having the first overall draft pick, a defender might be redundant if they can secure a veteran along with the current crop, but again, building from the back would then point to the players in front of the back four. Right now it is sorely lacking. A defensive midfielder in the mold of Perry Kitchen would go a long way to fortifying what has been an atrocious defensive record in 2012.
A veteran MLS presence
While bringing in experienced, character players from overseas is a good start, and making it a priority to stop leaking goals a sound priority, one must not forget MLS and North American football is a beast unto itself. As it stands right now, there is maybe one player on Toronto FC that has significant MLS experience, and that is Ryan Johnson, who has only been in the league for just over four years.
Arena immediately brought in a handful of MLS-vets in 2009. Players who knew the league and knew what it took to compete in a very unique environment. While most were used as depth, such as Chris Klien, Dema Kovalenko and Jovan Kirovski, they balanced out an inexperienced side and gave Arena a balance in team selection. Todd Dunivant was also another MLS-experienced player who would slot into the back four and add required experience.
As noted, a player such as Larentowicz would go a long way in remedying the current situation with the squad, but that might be wishful thinking landing someone of his quality. Finding players who are not just MLS experienced, but MLS level starters has to start becoming a major piece to the puzzle. Toronto FC have bafflingly been on the bad end of transactions anywhere from half a dozen, to a dozen players over the years who are still starters in the league. They will need to find ways to get the better end of the stick over the next six months.
It is important to note none of these suggestions will necessarily take Toronto from worst to first, and doesn't factor in all the intangibles associated with acquiring players, but some of the immediate changes Arena brought to the Galaxy are not so far out of reach that they cannot be attempted with TFC. Toronto are in a hole so deep right now, that almost any move that shows signs of mid-to-long term thinking would be a massive positive. However, what is most important for Toronto to see is that there was no mention of Designated Players or high salaried additions.
One of the most impressive improvements to this Galaxy team in 2009 was they played without David Beckham for most of the season, and were without Landon Donovan at times. Toronto FC supporters will remember well the Galaxy arriving to ‘Fortress BMO’ without either player and walking away with all three points. The key to this point is Bruce Arena built a team that was able to compete without their most high profile players, while as it stands right now, Toronto FC are a side that has struggled to compete even with them.
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