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Danny Califf was picked today, possibly answering this Christmas wish early – until he officially signs, however, this Christmas dream still burns bright!
It feels like we’ve said the same thing every single year, as if our articles were somehow put on repeat like an iPod: Toronto FC, get a pair of centerbacks. Like a good pair of shoes, the centerback positions will only work if they come in a pair. Darren O’Dea is as good as a starter for Toronto FC, we’ve established as much.
If Toronto FC is to function, however, they will need to look at both feet, because right now, they have a fine leather boot on one foot, and a pair of socks on the other. It doesn’t help that the club threw out every other pair of shoes they owned, figuratively speaking – Adrian Cann, Dicoy Williams, and Ty Harden were those old Adidas kicks, those out-of-date Nike Jordan’s and the Hollister flip-flops that simply aren’t practical anymore.
Meanwhile, Doneil Henry is a brand spanking new pair of kicks that still need some breaking into. Logan Emory is the pair you were iffy about but bought anyway. What Toronto FC needs now, more than ever, is a player to compliment O’Dea, and that’s not Richard Eckersley.
See, Richard Eckersley is not a centerback, no matter how well he performs in the position. It’s like wearing snowshoes to the mall – technically, they protect your feet, but is it practical? Not in the slightest.
Toronto FC would do well to scour the MLS for a centerback or two, but in order to give O’Dea the perfect counterpart, they would need to do a couple things: first, the player would have to speak English. Head coach Paul Mariner said as much during the end-of-season press conference, and it does make sense, to a certain extent, though it is not the be-all, end-all of requirements; a backline that can communicate with each other effortlessly is an advantage over a four-man mix of languages.
This centerback would also have to be rather capable by himself, not relying on those around him tremendously. We’ve had many players who tried to act as a leader but were hopeless on their own, Nick Garcia coming to mind. What we need is the kind of player who can lead the backline by example.
Finally, this player would need to adjust well to Major League Soccer’s standard. We’ve had numerous players who looked like they could make it, but simply couldn’t play up to the unique standard of MLS. Miguel Aceval, for example, came to Toronto, did poorly, and went back to Chile where he went ahead and won a trophy soon after.
Mariner has offered four contracts in Scandinavia. One of them has to be a centerback. If Toronto FC don’t solidify their backline a starter and, perhaps, a substitute defender, then they’ve given their fans the worst gift of all:
A pair of socks!
Related:
On the 1st day of Christmas, Payne gave to TFC: A Winterized BMO Field
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