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We’re a few weeks from Christmas, and this is the perfect time to take a moment to reflect on Toronto FC’s movements thus far in the offseason (and, boy, there have been plenty of moves). Here’s RedNation’s offseason roundup.
First, Toronto FC said adios! to a handful of players, declining to pick up their options and effectively releasing them from the roster. These players include Canadian defender Adrian Cann, as well as Dicoy Williams and Ty Harden. It also includes TFC Academy grads Oscar Cordon and Keith Makubuya (who saw very little playing time in 2012) as well as Nicolas Lindsay, whose snowmobiling accident ruled him out for two seasons and stunted his development completely.
Rumours also began swirling as to Toronto FC’s offseason movements. Toronto FC appointed a new president, Kevin Payne, who basically built DC United. Payne promised to make big moves in the offseason, and Earl Cochrane hinted at a possibility for Marvell Wynne’s return. He was left exposed in the Re-Entry Draft, but on draft day, Wynne’s name was gone – shame!
Oh, Toronto FC’s centerback woes continue still. Michael Parkhurst was linked to Toronto FC, and reports emerged that U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra was shopped to Toronto FC and Vancouver, but the deal didn’t come through.
With six players released, Toronto FC entered the Re-Entry Draft with the top seed, and a few more interesting revelations were made. Both Andrew Wiedeman and Jeremy Hall were released, and Eric Avila’s contract was left unsigned, so the trio were up for grabs. Toronto FC also traded first round draft pick Aaron Maund in exchange for journeyman forward Justin Braun from Real Salt Lake.
Unfortunately for Braun, who was born and raised in Utah, and has moved clubs three times in the last three years: before RSL, Braun was selected by the Montreal Impact in their expansion draft, and before that, Braun was a member of Chivas USA, and one of the hottest young forwards.
Toronto FC picks up a forward that has some speed to him, but also a good goalscoring touch when he’s in form! During his time in Chivas USA, Braun scored 24 goals in 96 games, but didn’t score at all in 2012. If Toronto FC can somehow spark a fire in Braun, he can be a very useful contributor, especially if he links up with either Eric Hassli or Danny Koevermans.
I remain unconvinced that the pair could function together, and so Braun could possibly be the second forward in a 4-1-2-1-2, with Luis Silva playing in the hole, and Hassli feeding Braun with the flick header. Putting that responsibility on Braun’s shoulders, however, is risky, since he hasn’t been in form for quite a while.
With big moves supposedly on the way, rumour has it Ryan Johnson is on the way out, too – his name was not in the locker room, according to those who attended the TFC relocation event. There’s still plenty of work to be done with the roster, but rumours have also popped up that a coaching change may be in the works. Jesse Marsch, former manager of Montreal Impact, has been linked to Toronto FC, but almost every party involved has denied the story.
It’s too soon to make a definitive statement, but Marsch would certainly be a step in the right direction, if his performance in Montreal is any indication. That’s about it for TFC land up till now. Keep an eye out, though – with Toronto FC, news breaks quicker than Neymar with a sight on goal.
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