With De Guzman comes De Questions...

For once there is a Toronto FC story that has no negative spin attached to it nor the nagging suspicion that there must be something evil lurking behind it. The Designated Player signing of Canada's most talented national team member, Julian De Guzman, is truly great news for the team and supporters alike in a year where good times have been rare. The only negatives being directed towards the signing have been from elements of support who would have liked to see TFC sign an aged star from Europe a la Luis Figo or Christian Vieri. Frankly, these views are entirely ignorant and show a lack of knowledge about football and usually come from casual "soccer" fans who only watch the World Cup or might watch The Reds for one half when they play against Beckham. However, despite all of the positives, a major signing does not come without repercussions and De Guzman's arrival will indeed create some questions that will need to be addressed in the near future.

WHO COULD BE ON THE WAY OUT?
The other shoe has to fall in the wages department. While it is true that only a share of De Guzman's salary goes against the cap, it is still Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment signing the cheques and they will want to trim some fat. With four midfielders making a healthy MLS wage, one of the two veterans Carl Robinson or Amado Guevara seem to be endangered species. With the emergence of Sam Cronin as a useful, and much cheaper, holding midfielder, the hard-working Welshman Robinson could be headed out of town. There would be a lot of steel if TFC played both Robinson and De Guzman together but Robbo's age and large wage seems to work against him.

WHERE DOES DE GUZMAN PLAY?
This question could directly influence or be the result of the above question. If one of the other pricey midfield pieces is moved out then De Guzman will fall into that spot. The Canadian national midfielder has terrific versatility and can play anywhere in the middle of the park. In his years with Deportivo La Coruna, De Guzman was the stalwart holding midfielder responsible for shunting the attacks of such juggernauts as Barcelona and Real Madrid while with the national team he has been an effective attacking midfielder capable of spraying pinpoint passes and getting open in channels. His positioning will likely be a product of someone else's departure but it would be a very strong midfield if all the pieces were kept for at least one more season.

CAN DE GUZMAN LEAD TFC TO THE 2009 PLAYOFFS?
De Guzman alone does not possess the skills to single-handedly transform TFC, but few players in the world do. Toronto is in a logjam of other very capable squads vying for the last playoff spot and The Reds have been inconsistent to say the least. De Guzman will be a great presence in the middle but five games is a short time to integrate into a new system, mesh with teammates' styles and take on the leadership role that his stature demands. His familiarity with Dwayne De Rosario and the other Canadian nationals will accelerate the process but he alone can't solve the often porous defence and the unreliable strikers. Making the playoffs will have more to do with a combined team effort as opposed to De Guzman doing it alone.

HOW DOES A DP CHANGE THE DRESSING ROOM?
For the first time in the club's history, one of the players on the squad is making a lot more money than anyone else. Other DP situations in MLS haven't seemed to be an issue with the rank and file but who knows what happens behind closed doors? It can’t be the easiest situation for De Rosario who arrived in the off-season as the all-conquering hometown boy making good, only to be trumped in the same season as the big star. The truth is De Ro will score more goals than De Guzman which will cement his stardom amongst the supporters but hopefully the chasm between their wages, and the wages of other veterans on the team, won’t make the green-eyed monster raise its ugly head.

WHAT DOES THIS SIGNING HERALD FOR THE OFF-SEASON?
Anyone who watches TFC faithfully realizes there are a few more holes to fill than just a star midfielder. As mentioned previously, there is a need for talent in the back four and the desperate need for a clinical finisher. It will be interesting to see if Mo Johnston rests on his laurels of this signing or if the sudden star power of TFC attracts a few more quality signings. Additional players arriving also depends on the appetite of the MLSE Board to spend further, but not adding to the puzzle would almost negate De Guzman’s worth.

DOES THIS START A CANADIAN MLS ARMS RACE?
With Vancouver set to join MLS and Montreal likely close behind, the pool for quality Canadian talent will shrink in a hurry. It will be very interesting to see if Whitecaps or Olympique du Montreal (we can hope, no?) will go out and immediately try to snap up other top Canucks. There are a couple more players out there worthy of big bucks but De Guzman may be the only one who could demand DP money. Toronto could very well try to corner the market on hosers before Vancouver starts signing.

No matter how you slice the De Guzman signing, it is good for TFC and good for Canadian football. Questions will always arise from such a massive shift in football culture so Toronto supporters can only enjoy the ride with De Gu and hope that one good step leads to another. Oh… and work on growing a Scarbo-Fro for next season.