For many Toronto FC fans it probably seems like a lifetime ago, but one of Aron Winter’s first moves when he took over at the helm of TFC was to bring in three Dutch players to help with his new squad’s transition to a Dutch 4-3-3 system. Both Nick Soolsma and Javier Martina have played reasonably significant roles in a transitional season for Major League Soccer’s original Canadian franchise, the most experienced of that initial Dutch trio, Elbekay Bouchiba, has yet to play a minute for Toronto due to an ACL knee injury.
While he is still far from full fitness, the 32 year old Dutch midfielder is finally back on the practice pitch and taking his first steps toward resuming his playing career.
“Actually I feel good now. I'm starting to do some stuff on the pitch, so it's getting better day by day. I'm training every day and we are now at six months from my surgery. I'm happy to be back on the pitch,” says the former Sparta Rotterdam and FC Twente veteran.
While he is back training, Bouchiba is also blunt when asked if TFC supporters might see him take to the pitch in one of Toronto’s final matches of the 2011 campaign.
“No, I don't think so. There is very little chance of that.”
And with a return to total fitness being his main concern, the native of Weert, Netherlands is not even sure if he will be back with Toronto FC in 2012.
“I don't know yet (if I will be back next season). We have to talk about that. Of course, you want to play, because I came here to do something and I have not played in a game yet. So I think that for me, of course I would love to play and show people what I can do.”
With Toronto stumbling out of the gate in 2011 and Aron Winter often pinpointing a lack of on the pitch leadership as one of the main reasons for TFC’s early season struggles, it would be mere speculation to try and ascertain if the loss of Bouchiba to injury was an early season blow that the Reds did not recover from until the signing of Torsten Frings. While the Dutchman figures his experience would have been a plus for a young team, he is also not about to theorize as to how he might have contributed had he not been injured.
“I think you guys have to see me on the pitch and then judge about it. I'm just always doing my best and, of course, I think I can help.”
Ask Bouchiba to assess the way that Toronto FC has performed this season without him and he is quick to repeat the oft stated theory that TFC’s season needs to be judged in two parts – before and after the summer transfer window.
“It was a little bit difficult at the beginning of the season, but it was a new system and it was a little bit difficult for the players. If I compare the beginning of the season with the last 2-3 months after they have made the player changes, when they brought in Koevermans, Frings, Johnson and the other guys, it's getting better. You have leaders now and De Guzman is playing better too. It's for sure getting better.”
The veteran Dutchman believes unequivocally that you cannot attach a dollar value to what the team’s two most recent Designated Players signings – Torsten Frings and Danny Koevermans – have brought to the club and sees them both as players that make the other players on the squad better.
“It was very important to add Torsten and Danny. We needed two guys like that. Danny - because I played with him in Holland and I know him very well - I knew that he would score goals. And Frings is a strong leader and it helps Julian playing in the midfield as well. So they were very good moves.”
While Bouchiba believes that the addition of a number of veteran players in the second half of the season played a key role in reversing Toronto’s fortunes in the latter stages of the campaign, he is also quick to admit that the play of the team’s young players is equally important in terms of continuing the momentum the team has built up both next year and in the following years.
“I'm really happy to see the young kids playing well. Ashtone Morgan, Matt Stinson, Doneil Henry - all of them are doing really well. Plata is still young too. We have a lot of good young players, so it can be something nice in the future for sure.”
As for the future of Bouchiba himself, especially given that he is currently returning from the second ACL injury of a successful playing career, it’s also a positive to hear that the Dutchman is confident that is going to be back on the pitch at greater than 100% fitness.
“I'm going to be back 300%,” says Bouchiba.
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