Toronto FC, What To Expect In 2014 MLS Season

It’s finally that time of year for Toronto FC fans. The Walt Disney Soccer Classic is over. The Major League Soccer pre-season is over. The first games of the season were played this past weekend. And the newly renovated Toronto FC is finally ready to play it’s first game of the season this Saturday against the Seattle Sounders (4:30 pm ET on TSN/NBCSports).

After an off-season full of new signings, trades, releasing of players, and speculation about who’s in and who’s out, there is much yet to be answered about how Toronto FC will fare this year. Ryan Nelsen has three new designated players (DP) to work with. Michael Bradley and Jermaine Defoe were acquired on transfer from A.S. Roma and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, while Gilberto was signed from Brazil. Goalkeeper, Julio Cesar, though not a DP, has the international experience from playing in the Serie A and EPL, as well as starting for Brazils Mens’ National Team to make a difference as TFC’s starting GK. Matias Laba, however, was the odd DP out, as he was traded to the Vancouver Whitecaps last week (each MLS team is capped at 3 designated players). There are also many familiar faces returning in Jonathan Osorio, Alvaro Rey, Steven Caldwell, Ashtone Morgan, Andrew Wiedeman, and Joe Bendik. No one can also forget about the return of Dwyane De Rosario to Toronto, after a short spell at D.C. United.

Dwayne De Rosario makes his awaited return to Toronto FC after a spell with D.C. United. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

With the season only days away,  here’s a look at some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Reds, and what to expect from them this year.

Strengths

• A Clean Slate: It might not be considered a strength, but it’s a positive factor knowing that this season is almost like a clean slate. Toronto FC has pretty much finished it’s rebuild and there is a new sense of confidence about this team. Much of the team is either new or entering its second or third season with the club, so there are new opportunities for players to make a name for themselves. Fans and management may not be happy with the results the past seven years, but with new players and new opportunities comes a new sense of hope for Toronto FC to make the playoffs. Keep in mind for someone like Ryan Nelsen, this may be his last opportunity to keep his job, seeing that he has failed to do much with the teams he has been given thus far in his short spell here.
• Attack-Minded: With Toronto FC’s inability to score goals the past few seasons, Tim Leiweke was determined to go out and find the best attacking players he could. Defoe is the highest scoring player in European competition in Tottenham’s history. Gilberto is highly-touted as one of the next big things in Brazilian football, and he’s only 23. Bradley is widely-considered as the best American player in the world, and will be TFC’s offensive maestro in the middle of the field. And Dwayne, at 35, still has the offensive prowess, intensity, and skill to make him an attacking threat in the MLS. Let’s not forget other players like Andrew Wiedeman and Jonathan Osorio who can easily step in and provide offensive flare when needed. With these four signings, there will surely be an influx in goals for Toronto FC this year and beyond.

Michael Bradley (left), here as a member of A.S. Roma, will be counted on to initiate the attack from the heart of Toronto FC’s mid-field. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images)

Weaknesses

• It’s a New Team: Like any new team, it takes time for players to gel and mesh with each other. One key thing to note is the fact that Toronto FC has not played a game with it’s projected starting XI yet. Because of either injury, expiring contracts, or international duty, Ryan Nelsen has not been able to assess his best players all at once. We’ve seen the inability of teams with high-profile names to mesh and play well together, and the same could potentially be said about TFC. Bradley and Defoe have started to hit it off at practice lately, but what about other key mid-field players like Osorio, Rey, Bekker, and DeRo. Can they create solid chemistry with the likes of Bradley, Defoe, and Gilberto? Even at the back, can Cesar communicate and gel with his back-four. Steven Caldwell and Bradley Orr have the experience of playing in the EPL, so they should be ok. But the left-back and right-back positions may pose as a concern. Only time will tell, but it should come as no surprise if it takes a little bit of time for this team to connect well with each other.
• Suspect Defending: Like their inability to score goals, Toronto FC has had problems defending leads (especially late leads) in the past. Aside from Steven Caldwell, the rest of the back is up in the air. Bradley Orr was acquired on loan from Blackburn Rovers of the English Championship League. Bradley is close friends with Nelsen, and shouldn’t have issues meshing with Caldwell as the two centre-backs. On the flanks, Ashtone Morgan will most likely assume his regular position at LB, but his development in Toronto has been questioned and it remains to be seen whether he can keep up with power strikers like Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane. On the right, with the departure of Richard Eckersley, there is a large gap with question marks all around it. Will Ryan Richter or Jeremy Hall take charge of that position? We know Ashtone has the speed on the left side, but can Hall or Richter keep up at RB? If they can’t this will put a lot more pressure on Orr and Caldwell. Nick Hagglund was just drafted in the MLS SuperDraft, so he might not be ready to take the reigns at such a young age. Either way, many questions will be answered this year as to if Toronto can defend and hold on to those leads or steal a point.

Toronto FC finished last season with a record of 6-17-11, good for 9th in the Eastern Conference, with a goal differential of -17. With their improved roster, you can expect their goal totals to increase, with an assumed decrease in differential. The improved player quality should equal a rise in the standings. I do expect them to make the playoffs, but with the expected time to gel, but will take the 4 or 5 spot. This team needs to answer a lot of questions, and the first one should be, can they make the playoffs? Nelsen should be given the full season to work with this fairly new roster, but if Toronto doesn’t make the playoffs, Nelsen will most likely be let go. Other questions will be answered as well. Will the designated players pay dividends? Can TFC defend appropriately? Will they score enough goals? Can they hang with the big dogs of the league (i.e. Sporting Kansas, Los Angeles Galaxy, and New York Red Bulls)? Saturday should give us a decent first impression on where this team is at, and where they need to go from here.