Beyond POV-FS – Paul Mariner Reveals the Details of his Scouting Network, Bombast at Toronto FC, and a Lack of Respect at Waking the Red

    A post over at Waking the Red yesterday, using a few loose words from Mariner on ESPN’s Press Pass as the launching point for a discussion on the culture of over-the-top rhetoric at TFC and why such throw away lines seem to resonate more than the accomplishments of the people who make them.

    Check it out.

First Person View - Will Toronto FC Regret Letting Go of Joao Plata?

    It should come as no surprise that we here at POV are big fans of the little Ecuadorean sparkplug.

    His departure from the club last season, on loan to LDU Quito following a rather bizarre series of announcements and denials, was a blow to the morale of Toronto fans who held the diminutive speedster in high regard.

    Given the way the club responded to his forcing of the move – he prematurely announced his return to his homeland on twitter – it was always evident that Plata would never again be seen in the club’s colours at BMO Field.

    The question at hand, I suppose, is did the club receive too little from Real Salt Lake - only a second-round pick in the 2015 SuperDraft - in return?

First Person View - Mariner’s Contrasting Comments

    In the space of just under a month Paul Mariner has radically changed his tune.

First Person View – What’s Going On?

    Since Toronto finally has some time off – and I can relax for a moment, if only a moment – I’ll be taking the next week or so to address some of the changes that have come about over the past month or so.

    There exists a graveyard of pieces littering my unfinished folder and desktop, thoughts on the departures of Julian de Guzman, Joao Plata, and Nick Soolsma, the transition from Aron Winter to Paul Mariner, the wonders of Terry Dunfield’s goal, a different view on the potential of a Canadian World Cup, and a few random others swirling around.

    Hopefully I will get around to them all with nearly ten full days between TFC matches.
   
    So keep an eye out.

Foresight - MLS Round 13 Weekend Preview

Four questions to be answered in this the thirteenth weekend of MLS action.

Some Miscellaneous Thoughts on the Latest Troubles Surrounding Toronto FC – Part III

The third part; a final segment addressing some of the current issues swirling around a troubled Toronto FC; parts one and two.

Some Miscellaneous Thoughts on the Latest Troubles Surrounding Toronto FC - Part II

Second part of three discussing some of the current trouble swirling around Toronto FC; for the first click here.

Some Miscellaneous Thoughts on the Latest Troubles Surrounding Toronto FC – Part I

    It’s been a long few weeks in Toronto FC circles, a lot has gone on. Swirling amongst the disappointment is a series of long-standing issues, speculations, threats, and controversies. This is an attempt to address several of them at once.

First Person View – Diagnosing and Correcting Why Toronto FC Lose in the League, but Fared Well in the Champions League, and Addressing the Calls for Change.

     I wrote this the night I got back from Montreal. Weary from the road – and the result; I thought I'd rewrite it and hope to make a more complete argument, but upon review I think the frantic search for answers is an apt reflection of the situation many found themselves in after the loss.

Rookie of the Year – The Drafting of Joao Plata

    Preposterous… ridiculous… impossible?

Keith Law - On the Trouble of Getting Players to Play in Toronto.

    Speaking on his time in Toronto under JP Ricciardi the General Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, he stated that Ricciardi believed strongly that the Blue Jays had to over pay to attract talent north of the border. Mr. Law himself believes that aside from tax consideration (an increase of 10% or so) there was very little evidence to back up that assertion. Though he admits it is something that would be impossible to quantify and thus prove.

Upon First Glance – CCL Edition: UNAM Pumas v Toronto FC

    Rather than share notes on such a depressing experience, this seemed an opportune moment to bust out the tactics hat and compare this woeful result with Toronto FC's successful trip down to Mexico a mere year plus a week ago as they drew 0-0 with Cruz Azul.

Upon First Glance – CCL Edition: Tauro FC v Toronto FC

Some initial, post-match thoughts on tonight’s meeting:

Upon First Glance – Toronto FC v. Real Salt Lake

Some quick fire thoughts on tonight’s performance:

Upon First Glance – DC United v. Toronto FC

Some quick fire thoughts on the evening’s performance:

A Farewell to Alen…

     … Stevanovic that is, as the irreparable hamstring was recalled by his Italian overlords at Torino. The 20 year-old Swiss-Serb spent 87 days on this Turin-to-Toronto work-exchange program – curiously Torino did not accept any Toronto FC players in return.

El Salvador - Sign Them up

     El Salvador has been one of the more entertaining teams at the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Granted they have yet to face the toughest of competition, but several of them could be expected to make moves out of their native league following the tournament.

What’s Up with Julian?

    Julian de Guzman was, until recently, Canada’s brightest footballing star. Following a youth career that saw him soar from Scarborough to Marseille, he began his professional career in the 2nd German Bundesliga, worked his way up to the 1st division, and earned a transfer to La Liga’s Deportivo La Coruña where after a slow start to life in Spain he adapted and was named the club’s player of the season.

    The downfall began as a dispute between himself and the Spanish club over financial matters. Monies owed to him for appearances, image rights and bonuses failed to materialize prompting difficulties as the two parties discussed a new contract. At the time rumours of interest in the solid midfielder were coming from Germany, England and within Spain.

Toronto FC - Xmas in July

     The mid-season transfer window opens on July 15th. Toronto FC is in dire need of some reinforcements, these are not rumours, just desires. Depth at two positions, striker and defender, would greatly enhance the team.

MLS Scheduling & TFC Congestion

     Toronto FC played their 7th match in 21 days this evening against the Chicago Fire. A match every 3 days, when travel to Edmonton, Seattle and Dallas is considered, it is no surprise that when the rains picked up and the field got heavy, Toronto just did not have the energy in their legs to combat the onslaught beset upon them by a Chicago team that has been finding its feet after a spell of retooling. It is a stroke of luck that most of TFC’s games have been at home; one has to wonder what schedule makers at MLS head office were thinking when they made this year’s edition.