Coming home after a long absence isn't always easy. Tougher still when the weight of thousands of supporters' expectations are riding on your shoulders. When Dwayne De Rosario signed with Toronto FC this past off-season, the club could claim that it had its first true star - no offence Andrea Lombardo. The perennial MLS All-Star and Scarborough native had found his way home for the first time since playing with Toronto Lynx all those years ago. This time was different though, a real pro club in a real stadium with a real big fan-base. The signing was meant to herald the dawn of a new TFC, which would see the club move from strength to strength.
Since De Ro first appeared on the pitch with TFC it has been evident that he is a class above most of his teammates. His skills and determination are ever-present and his hometown pride seems to propel him. Yet, despite good numbers, he does not seem to control the play like he has in past years. What has been the difference? Not De Ro himself, but the very squad that was poorly assembled around him. Toronto as they stand as a squad right now is a team built in reaction and not with action. Mo Johnston and the "brain trust" (make your own joke) pick up bits and pieces around the world that become available from their extraordinarily limited scouting network rather than find the right pieces that fit around their stars. The problem you see, is in order to get the right players, you must spend money. TFC (see MLSE) has yet to actually obtain a player that cost the corporation any fee other than player exchange or draft picks and salary is a curse word. This however is an examination for another day - the pressing issue is how this team and it's future was sold to De Ro when they were courting the midfielder this past winter.
Was De Rosario promised a squad would be built around him that would mimic the solid make-up he was used to at Houston Dynamo? Was he guaranteed that real grass rather than green concrete was a matter of months away? Was the future painted as rosy or was the reality of MLSE's corporate structure made obvious. Did De Ro realize that the only goal at BMO Field is winning Major League Soccer's profit league and not the MLS Cup? In the club’s defence you must also wonder how a player with such strong connections to the city wasn't aware of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment's reputation as a money-first, success-second corporation. No matter how De Rosario came to the decision to join TFC, the shine is apparently coming off the homecoming.
In interviews this past week, quotes were attributed to De Ro that heavily hinted at his need to consider his future as a Red due to the ridiculous state of the pitch at BMO Field. The green concrete is without a doubt the most embarrassing turf in MLS apart from Giants' Stadium's NFL marked pitch and surely awful on the knees and back. De Rosario is more than justified in expressing his concerns over the turf's toll on his career, the only surprise is that it took this long for a player to grow a pair of Guevaras and tell MLSE like it is. MLSE will turtle into victim mode and blame mean old rich City of Toronto for not letting them put in real grass but it seems like the Torontonian in De Ro can't help but see the horse-Peddie that the Bay Street boys shovel.
It is that hometown boy realization though which is alarming. De Ro like most of us who live in Toronto and support TFC know very well that grass isn't coming anytime soon. Blame what you want - MLSE's penny-pinching, community use issues, preserving turf for an Argos move to BMO (yeah I said it) - but this story isn't even close to a conclusion. Maybe De Ro sees this and also sees the issue as an escape hatch from a team that has no intention of building a perennial champion - just one with an owner happy to manage expectations like they do with their other "sports and entertainment" products. If he can threaten to leave on an issue that has no chance of quick resolution, he could have a way to jump off of a sinking ship. Every MLS club and a score of smaller European clubs would snatch him up in a second and not one TFC supporter could blame him. If you worked in a place where success was job # 2 and your livelihood was being put at risk, what would you do? Every TFC supporter knows De Ro wants to lift Toronto FC's first MLS Cup in Scarborough, but not more than he simply wants to lift the cup again - anywhere.
Since De Ro first appeared on the pitch with TFC it has been evident that he is a class above most of his teammates. His skills and determination are ever-present and his hometown pride seems to propel him. Yet, despite good numbers, he does not seem to control the play like he has in past years. What has been the difference? Not De Ro himself, but the very squad that was poorly assembled around him. Toronto as they stand as a squad right now is a team built in reaction and not with action. Mo Johnston and the "brain trust" (make your own joke) pick up bits and pieces around the world that become available from their extraordinarily limited scouting network rather than find the right pieces that fit around their stars. The problem you see, is in order to get the right players, you must spend money. TFC (see MLSE) has yet to actually obtain a player that cost the corporation any fee other than player exchange or draft picks and salary is a curse word. This however is an examination for another day - the pressing issue is how this team and it's future was sold to De Ro when they were courting the midfielder this past winter.
Was De Rosario promised a squad would be built around him that would mimic the solid make-up he was used to at Houston Dynamo? Was he guaranteed that real grass rather than green concrete was a matter of months away? Was the future painted as rosy or was the reality of MLSE's corporate structure made obvious. Did De Ro realize that the only goal at BMO Field is winning Major League Soccer's profit league and not the MLS Cup? In the club’s defence you must also wonder how a player with such strong connections to the city wasn't aware of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment's reputation as a money-first, success-second corporation. No matter how De Rosario came to the decision to join TFC, the shine is apparently coming off the homecoming.
In interviews this past week, quotes were attributed to De Ro that heavily hinted at his need to consider his future as a Red due to the ridiculous state of the pitch at BMO Field. The green concrete is without a doubt the most embarrassing turf in MLS apart from Giants' Stadium's NFL marked pitch and surely awful on the knees and back. De Rosario is more than justified in expressing his concerns over the turf's toll on his career, the only surprise is that it took this long for a player to grow a pair of Guevaras and tell MLSE like it is. MLSE will turtle into victim mode and blame mean old rich City of Toronto for not letting them put in real grass but it seems like the Torontonian in De Ro can't help but see the horse-Peddie that the Bay Street boys shovel.
It is that hometown boy realization though which is alarming. De Ro like most of us who live in Toronto and support TFC know very well that grass isn't coming anytime soon. Blame what you want - MLSE's penny-pinching, community use issues, preserving turf for an Argos move to BMO (yeah I said it) - but this story isn't even close to a conclusion. Maybe De Ro sees this and also sees the issue as an escape hatch from a team that has no intention of building a perennial champion - just one with an owner happy to manage expectations like they do with their other "sports and entertainment" products. If he can threaten to leave on an issue that has no chance of quick resolution, he could have a way to jump off of a sinking ship. Every MLS club and a score of smaller European clubs would snatch him up in a second and not one TFC supporter could blame him. If you worked in a place where success was job # 2 and your livelihood was being put at risk, what would you do? Every TFC supporter knows De Ro wants to lift Toronto FC's first MLS Cup in Scarborough, but not more than he simply wants to lift the cup again - anywhere.
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I've been saying in the match reports that "DeRo wins championships". I wholeheartedly believe this.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right. Money is the highest priority. I believe you'll only see a DP if it can be spun into more money from merchandise/promotions. Otherwise, it's a pipe dream.
DeRo is the closest we'll see to a DP.
Mind you, it would be funny if he went to Villa and they won the league...