Christmas Comes Early

For Toronto FC fans, Santa Claus came down the chimney on Friday afternoon, around five o'clock. Mo Johnston has acquired Canadian international, and local boy, Dwayne De Rosario.

I don't know about you, but I was bouncing off the walls of my cubicle when the news broke. You know how I do.

De Rosario's a winner: a four-time MLS Cup champion. He's a goal scorer, an all-star, and easily becomes TFC's best, and most dangerous, player. If there's a guy to lead TFC to the playoffs!, it's the Scarborough native.

Mo Johnston's taken a lot of heat in Toronto for not delivering on his promise to bring a big name to The Big Smoke, but De Rosario's about as big as it gets in MLS. So, let's all give Mo a J.P. Ricciardi-like general manager's reprieve. You know, good for one more year.

For those of you not too familiar with DeRo's MLS exploits, check out the following video. I saw it over at The 24th Minute, where Duane Rollins is your host, and, well, I must share (remember, sharing is caring). The clip is a small window into the incredible talent that is Dwayne De Rosario and, like Rollins says, only the final replay gives it justice. Enjoy:

Filthy goal, wasn't it? Needless to say, it's going to be a lot of fun watching DeRo at BMO Field next summer.

Thank you Mo Johnston Santa Claus, and Merry Christmas TFC fans.

And, welcome home, DeRo.

Bidding Maurice Adieu...

It's a sad day for Toronto FC. It's official, Maurice Edu is leaving us. He's on his way to greener pastures after signing a 5-year deal with the Glasgow Rangers of the Scottish Premier League.

I don't really have anything witty or even slightly humourous to say about this. It's honestly a bit depressing. I wasn't ready for this. I mean, I knew Edu would leave us one day. I just didn't think it would be so soon.

Oh, Maurice. It's only been a year and a half since you got here. We were just getting to know each other. But, I know, you have to go. It's a great opportunity, and hopefully a springboard to bigger and brighter things, like a spot on a club in the English Premier League, or in Italy, or Spain. It hurts, but I understand. I ain't mad at cha.

For those of you not quite up to speed on all things TFC, Edu was the team's first ever draft pick, first overall in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. He had a solid rookie campaign, and was named MLS Rookie Of The Year last season.

Edu was over in Beijing at the Olympics for team USA and it's looking more and more likely that he'll be a mainstay on the American international squad for years to come. Look for him at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The guy's a gamer. Actually, he's a rudey. He represented TFC well in his short stint here in the city, and he will be missed. But I wish him well as he takes the next step in what will hopefully be a long and successful career.

Cheers, Maurice Edu. Don't forget where it all began.

Where's Marvell?

I don't know who, but somebody fucked up. Toronto FC's Marvell Wynne has been left off Major League Soccer's all-star team, and I'm not happy about it. Like Jackie Chiles would say, "it's outrageous, egregious, preposterous!"

It's bad enough that next week's MLS all-star game against West Ham United is being played in Toronto and there are no TFC players in the starting 11, but Wynne won't even be coming off the bench.

Toronto will only be represented by captain Jim Brennan. I've got mad love for Brennan, but if anyone from TFC deserves to be on the all-star team, it's Wynne. Hell, both of them should be on the team. Call me crazy, but I thought MLS would want to name two or three TFC players to the team since the game, you know, is being played in Toronto, arguably the league's most successful franchise and only in its second year of existence. Wild idea, I know, eh?

I'll be honest, I don't know much about the other players that make up MLS outside of Toronto. Sure, David Beckham and Landon Donovan of the LA Galaxy made the all-star team, and deservedly so, but who gives a fuck about those two? I'd rather be cheering on Amado Guevara, Greg Sutton, and Danny Dichio as they take on West Ham. I think most of the die-hard TFC fans who fill BMO Field every game would agree that they'd rather see some of their own boys on the pitch.

But, seriously, how did Wynne not make this team? It's an incredible oversight. I've been to three games so far this season and have had the pleasure of watching Wynne shutdown the opposition each time. There's nobody faster on the pitch than Marvell. The kid can straight fly.

Here's a little writeup on Wynne from an article on ESPN in regards to the all-star game:

"When Wynne entered the league as the No. 1 pick in 2006, he was a raw prospect with unmatched speed and athleticism. While he is still growing as a player, Wynne has enjoyed a breakout 2008. He still has the speed to catch anybody, but he has gotten smarter with his decision-making, has improved his once-awful touch and has shut down some of the league's best."

He doesn't put up numbers, but Wynne's an all-star. Somebody fucked up.

This Is Our House, and Yes Man U!

What a difference a year makes for the boys down at BMO Field. After last night's 1-0 victory over DC United, the local football heroes are undefeated in six games and making their way up the Major League Soccer standings.

I took in the action yesterday and it was a wet and chilly night. Not exactly end of May weather, but nothing really surprises me anymore when it comes to the temperature around these parts. As a Torontonian my toque is always ready, eh. And I forgot all about the rain and nippy-ness after a few beers.

So, how about Toronto FC? Things have certainly changed since they were bitch slapped 4-1 by DC United back on April 5th. They haven't lost since. The team is winning games, scoring goals, and, much like the "This Is Our House!" chant that filled the air last night, dominating at home.

With a 4-2-2 record TFC sits in fourth place in the Eastern Division. More impressive is the fact that they opened up the season with back-to-back losses. They wrapped up a beauty of a homestand last night with a 3-0-2 record, outscoring the opposition five-to-one in the five games.

Rewind to last year when TFC couldn't score - 25 goals in 30 games - and won only six games all season. It's like night and fucking day. Eight games into this campaign and TFC already has four victories and nine goals. Needless to say, the addition of cats like Amado Guevara and Laurent Robert have been huge.

And how about that Danny Dichio fellow? He's fun to watch on the tube but you really come to appreciate him after you watch him play live. He's all over the pitch. He scored the lone goal last night in the seventh minute, made a wonderful defensive play to save a goal in the 64th minute, and was throwing elbows all game long. To say he's "physical" out there is an obese understatement. It's no wonder Dichio is already a Toronto folk legend and revered by TFC fans. He's a blue collar guy and this city quickly falls in love with his type.

If you haven't been down to BMO Field to check out some hot, steamy TFC action, what the hell are you waiting for? The atmosphere is great. Passionate fans, colourful chants, flying streamers, and, as the cherry on top, an improved product on the field.

My only complaint? The MLSE standard $9.25 can of Carlsberg. That's robbery. Grab a few pints before the game or be smart in life and sneak in a mickey.

Before I go, I've got to show some love to my other boys, the Red Devils of Manchester United. European champions once again, please! Thankfully I was able to catch the game at work, and it was a beauty. For the record, I hate penalty kicks. My heart skipped a beat when John Terry's attempt to seal the deal for Chelsea nicked the post and went wide. I wonder how many drinks it took the poor guy to get some sleep last night. The woodwork was certainly not kind to the Blues yesterday.

And does it get much dumber than Didier Drogba's antics? While his little slap to the face of Vidic wasn't Zidane-like crazy, it was enough to get him red carded. And if Drogba's still in the game he's definitely one of Chelsea's five penalty takers, likely keeping Terry out of the box. What a shame!

The "double" is complete. "Glory, glory Man United." Indeed.