First Person View - MLS All-Star Game: The Future Looks Bright (All Youth Teams for Each Conference)

    With everyone suitably aflutter for this evening’s All-Star Game between MLS and AS Roma, I figured I’d kill an hour or so in the process of updating my club roster database – yes, that is something I do (for posterity) – by looking at what the teams may look like if restricted to young players.

    Some have wasted time fretting over the highly-publicized, commercial exercise that is the MLS All-Star Game – did they pick the right players? Who will win? What does a win or loss mean for the league? – But relax; it’s just a bit of fun.

    So - with the caveat that this is a very unscientific process based solely on my own observations and that I will not be investing the time to produce actual stats - what would the game look like if East played West and players had to be 24 year of age or younger.

Toronto FC Draft Day - Allocation, Allocation, Allocation

    While watching the draft unfold yesterday, one could be forgiven for getting agitated at the peculiar – if brilliant – moves made by the TFC front office.

    Allowing the more high-profile potential to pass on by while collecting nebulous amounts of allocation money and grabbing the top two Canadian talents can be viewed as a missed opportunity, a waste of such a vaulted starting position – having initially held the first and third-overall picks, or as a small victory in the uphill battle that will see the club finally become relevant in the league.

So You've Graduated; Now What?

    With the end of season roster cull due and yet another rebuilding project on the cards, the next month will be an important time for several of the Toronto FC Academy Graduates waiting to discover their fate.

First Person View - TFC Academy v Montreal Impact Academy

    Wednesday night, on a lark, I hopped on the TTC and made my way up to Downsview Park to take in the rescheduled match between the TFC Academy and the Montreal Impact Academy.

Suit Up! –Ashtone Morgan and Matt Stinson on the National Team

    Should Ashtone Morgan take the field for Canada in these next two qualifying matches, he will not just be carrying the banner for his nation, but also for the Toronto FC Academy.

From a Different Point of View - 1st Week of November Edition

Some Things You May Have Missed From the Last Week

In Defence of MoJo

    Today marks the one-year anniversary of the firing of Mo Johnston as Director of Soccer at Toronto FC. While others will revel in the demise of the man, his tenure deserves a closer examination.

Thoughts? – Changes to the DP Rules

     MLS announced age-ranged designated player cap hit reductions designed to encourage more youthful signings. Designated players between the ages of 21 and 23 will see their cap hit fall from the standard $335,000 to $200,000, while those 20 and under will be further reduced to $150,000.

     While this should help combat the stereotype of an older player coming over to North America for one last payday and could potentially garner the league some transfer money in the future, there are a few questions that must be asked, namely which players will the cash be splashed upon and will they grow in MLS?

An Interesting Development

     The first wave of MLS players who grew up as fans of their club have started cropping up around the league.  They include Seattle’s Lamar Neagle, Columbus’ Aaron Horton, Chicago’s Pari Pantazopoulos, and Steven Emory in Colorado.