Taking Proactive Route Would Be Noble, But …
Ryan Johnston
Writes for SportsNet
Alphabet soup
The challenge in the current alphabet soup state of the newly re-formed NASL, the TOA and its dispute with the USL is to prioritize what Canadian soccer supporters stand to lose should the lofty endeavor of inaugurating a new league simply run out of time.
At the top of the potential casualties list is the NCC. (At the bottom might be faith.)
Dubious Honour, Dubious Contracts
Ryan Johnston
Writes for SportsNet
Conventional playground wisdom says that those picked last generally deserve the dubious honour. However, what does conventional wisdom say about not being picked at all?
Exactly that happened to Toronto FC when its eight unprotected players went unnoticed to the Philadelphia Union at the MLS expansion draft. The first-year Union franchise didn’t want a single one of the TFC kids with two left feet.
I am being facetious, of course, because the theory springs a leak when you consider that the MLS Cup winning Real Salt Lake were another team overlooked by the fledgling Union club. As were Kansas City, FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo.
While the disinterest in Reds players is not due to a lack of talent, it might be due to an abundance of dubious contracts.
TFC Coaching Obit #2
Ryan Johnston
Writes for SportsNet
TFC harmony
In the span of one disappointing year a pair of Toronto FC coaches flew home in a hurry while the mastermind reaped its reward.
Even if my Flashforward showed me writing a second Toronto FC coaching obit in six months I would have a hard time believing it was real.
But on Tuesday, Toronto Director of Soccer Mo Johnston made the announcement that Chris Cummins was going home to England, thus ending his brief — but tumultuous — tour of duty. It was the second time Johnston addressed the media under the same circumstances this season.
When John Carver (2009 TFC coach No. 1) abruptly left in April he was given a bad rap in the wake. The decision was absurd to most: How could a coach with the support of fans and management leave what was widely perceived as a plum gig?
Apparently Carver saw it differently, and within a week he was 8,500km from a club he wore the badge of for over a year. Since his departure, he has yet to resume working or spoken a word of what went wrong.
And by the time you finish the previous sentence, Cummins will be back in England, too.
Shame CSA Has Yet To Wake Up
Ryan Johnston
Writes for SportsNet
Yes we CanCon
After enduring the Lombardos, Pozniaks and Rosenlunds it would seem that Toronto FC now has a crop of Canadian players worthy of a recruitment flyer.
In Saturday’s win over Colorado, all three goals were scored by three Canadians while coach Chris Cummins submitted a lineup card that included six homegrown players.
