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It has certainly been interesting to watch the reaction on the Internet and in the media to the news that Toronto FC captain Torsten Frings is out for 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury. You would think that TFC were now in danger of being relegated. That said, first off I need to state for the record that the German stalwart is a damn fine player and I am going to miss watching him for the next several weeks. However, outside of that fact and being an eternal optimist, I’m going to look at Frings injury as a much needed test for the club.
First off, while it was a bit shocking that it happened in the first MLS match of the year, it should not have come as a huge surprise that a 35 year old player was injured playing on FieldTurf. Secondly, in following Toronto FC at the tail end of last season and this month, it has become apparent that the team is becoming a little too dependent on the German International, especially defensively.
And while the players on TFC are undoubtedly happy to have him as a teammate, it’s not a huge stretch to figure that proud professionals might not be overjoyed every time it is mentioned that things are only working under Winter’s system due to the presence of the former Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen star.
Now the players have a chance to prove that notion wrong and, as they say, one player’s misfortune is another’s opportunity. With Frings out, Terry Dunfield is likely going to get the steady stream of starting assignments that have eluded him in his tenure with the Reds thus far. He’s fully fit - which wasn’t the case in 2011 – and now has the chance to get into a consistent rhythm and show TFC fans the best that Terry Dunfield has to offer
Furthermore, with the German out of action, Julian de Guzman has an opportunity to lead Toronto and to shine playing in the type of role which suits his strengths: playing a defensive position and using his experience and passing ability to move the ball within the Aron Winter’s tactical guidelines.
In fact, De Guzman has not only thrived playing in similar role to the one that Torsten Frings has played in the first three matches of the season, he has stated on previous occasions that playing as a “point back” - functioning as a deep central midfielder in the slot above the centre backs – is a role that he thrives in. Furthermore, the veteran Canadian International is finally back at full fitness after struggling with a knee injury for much of his time with his hometown club.
If Winter wants to build up the confidence of one of his Designated Players and get the most out of him, he would do well to put his full trust in the Canadian International and tell him that he is going to be TFC’s captain until Frings returns to the lineup. On top of that, let him take the set pieces that the German has been taking since his arrival in Hogtown. De Guzman will more than likely respond to the added responsibility, especially given how positive his mindset has been since Dutchman took over at the club and transformed the organizational culture and brought a European style to the team.
Both Dunfield and De Guzman are experienced and fully capable of thriving in the absence of Frings. Thus, the positive that could come from having Frings out for a few weeks is the very real possibility that he will return to a situation in which his team as a whole has learned that it can win without him and won’t defer to him quite so much. You then hopefully add the sublime contributions of Torsten Frings to a squad that is already performing well and the team can then take things to an even higher level.
That would be a best case scenario. It’s also likely that Toronto could suffer a few more losses than they would have with the German in the lineup. If that comes to pass, it is better to get that learning curve out of the way now, early in the season, rather than being shocked by a Frings absence during the stretch run or in a final playoff push. It’s possible that he will be out against at some point, so the team had better get used to performing without him. Even if Toronto endures growing pains over the next several weeks, Sporting Kansas City proved last year that a team can struggle in the early going and still make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
Remember, Aron Winter came to Toronto with the philosophy of building a system and organizational approach that could function regardless of whether or not a single player was missing and that will be successful even if the Dutchman himself leaves the organization at some point in the future. That was one of the reasons that Winter showed no hesitation in trading the team’s former cornerstone and scoring star in Dwayne De Rosario.
While there were growing pains early on with players adapting to the Dutch approach and a real need to bring in players who would thrive in the 4-3-3, there has now been enough time and the addition of enough technically adaptable players that Toronto FC should be able to do just fine without the German for several weeks.
Speaking of De Rosario, it is interesting to note that Toronto now has nothing to show for the 2011 MLS MVP. With that in mind, the Toronto FC brass should resist any calls to hastily trade a Stefan Frei or a Milos Kocic for a centre back. Back line injuries caused Toronto to trade for Andy Iro, who performed poorly last year and who is no longer with the team. Meanwhile, the athleticism of Tony Tchani would look pretty good in the Toronto midfield right now.
Furthermore, Toronto did not rush last year in bringing in two key Designated Players in Frings and Danny Koevermans. The TFC brass waited until the right players were available in the summer and the result was something pretty special. If Winter and company still believe the team needs a new centre back to be the player that Geovanny Caicedo did not pan out to be, Toronto is probably better off waiting until the summer rather than acquiring an MLS centre back that another team does not want.
Ultimately, if TFC play their cards right over the next 4-6 weeks, the injury to Torsten Frings could result in a team that is better off in 2012 and beyond. Yes, it’s going to be a very tall order for Toronto FC to defeat Santos Laguna in the Champions League, but in reality, it was always going to be an uphill battle regardless of whether or not Frings was in the lineup. Any further success TFC have in the Champions League will be gravy. From here on out, the main goal and focus is to make the MLS Playoffs for the first time in club history - and learning to live without Frings will be important towards that. It’s never a great thing when one of your key players is out injured, but there can be some positives that come out of the type of situation that TFC now find themselves in.
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