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If there was one thing that Toronto FC needed this year, more than anything else, more than wins, more than a pair of defenders, more than playoffs, more than winning the double and picking up the MLS Cup and the CONCACAF Champions League and the Canadian Champion title for the fourth time, it’s Eric Hassli.
There. I said it.
He’s three games in. He’s scored once, and notched an assist. For all intents and purposes, he is nowhere near Danny Koevermans in terms of tangible numbers; he still has a ways to go in that regard. However, Eric Hassli’s arrival at Toronto FC doesn’t just mark a signing that Toronto FC needed, it shows a whole new side to the club.
Call me crazy, I know, but Eric Hassli just works. With Hassli up front and Ryan Johnson right beside him, Toronto FC have a real threat up front. Play Luis Silva right behind the pair, in the hole, and you’ve got an offensive line right there.
But who cares? None of that is important. Toronto FC are really, really in the dumps this season. Bottom of the barrel. Basically out of playoffs before the race even started. A new coach, a new vision, the rotating door in full swing once again. None of that is important either.
What’s important is Eric Hassli. All of 2012 will be summed up as the year that Toronto FC signed Eric Hassli. That’s all that matters. Though his contract may be up next year, it must surely, surely be renewed. Trading a first round draft pick for what is essentially a lease is unacceptable. We need Eric Hassli next season. Here’s why:
Next season, Torsten Frings will have to hit the benches, and Danny Koevermans will need to be cut. The reliance on the latter and the battering of the former will leave Toronto FC looking for options halfway through the season. Should Koevermans return, he will never be the same. Relying on Frings the way Toronto FC does now will only cripple the squad come the season after. It’s time to wean Toronto FC off the two, and build a squad capable of becoming self-sustaining.
Eric Hassli is the answer. Give him the captain’s band, immediately, because this is the guy. Forget Julian de Guzman and his wishy-washy attitude on the field (and off it). Forget Dwayne De Rosario, who poured his soul into the red shirt and sold it for a paycheque. Eric Hassli IS Toronto FC.
He’s everything that Toronto is, and then some. He’s big, he’s strong, and he’s smart. His footwork rivals his ability to control the ball from the air. Finding him is easy, and marking him is a nightmare. He can create goals from thin air and turn the tide of a match by himself. How many times was Toronto FC burned by Eric Hassli (lightning storms notwithstanding)?
So you take a guy who can lead a team from the front and absolutely devastate defenders, and, if you’re Martin Rennie, you bench him. Now, why in the world would you do such a thing? You don’t bench a player like Eric Hassli. You give him freedom, you give him chances, you give him the reigns of the club.
It’s Eric Hassli time. Sit back, relax and enjoy.
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