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Friday, September 11, 2009

BREAKING NEWS: De Guzman joins "Scarborough FC"

TFC (aka Scarborough FC) finally landed the international star that the team's fervent supporters have felt they deserved for a long time. The biggest surprise is that instead of splashing the cash on an aging European striker with two bad knees and former glories, the club went out and got a really good footballer. Instantly one of MLS's best midfielders, Julian De Guzman enters the league at the peak of his career at the age of 28. The local lad, better known in Spain than Scarborough has become the club's first Designated Player and pending league approval, could be on the pitch with his new team mates as early as tomorrow.

The new # 6 will bridge the gap between the defence and the offence so that opponents will no longer be able to shut down TFC's midfield by simply double-teaming Dwayne De Rosario. De Guzman's pedigree as a La Liga standout with Deportivo La Coruna can only help the young midfielders who will play around him while his stature on the national team can only improve the club's image in Canada. The signing is an inspired one as the casual "soccer" fan would have rather seen an international "big name" star as DP but with De Guzman, TFC has potential leadership and quality in the centre of the pitch for years to come.

We will not praise MLSE for paying the "big bucks" as De Guzman's contract, despite its MLS heavyweight status, is more in line with a Leafs' third-liner or Raptors' end of bench centre. However, as hard as it is to do on this site, credit has to be given to Mo Johnston and his team for landing true quality and not spending the money on the Robbie Fowler's of the world. Julian De Guzman will make a better TFC, but still far from a perfect one. Huge holes in the back, on the wings and especially up front need to be filled and his signing may actually make some issues arise that will need to be addressed in the near future. For today however, TFC supporters can dream once again and what better way than by seeing what the richest domestic footballer in Canadian history had to say… "I'm very excited. I have always imagined this moment happening and here it is," "It is a celebration for myself and my family and I think good things are going to happen for me being back home and being able to play with Toronto FC. It's a dream come true to be able to play for my hometown team."

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