Cann'ed! Ex-MVP one of six released by TFC

A career to fall back on. Now do "Blue Steel"!



Out with the old, in with TBD. The replacements are yet to be identified but Toronto FC lowered the boom on three former starting defenders and three Academy grads today as Paul Mariner & Co. begin to make space for TFC XII. The following dirty half-dozen were the first to be deemed surplus in the magical world of "No Frills" football but are unlikely the last...
　
ADRIAN CANN: All the abs in the world couldn't save the former club MVP and nine-time Canadian international. For a stretch, Cann had become the club's most solid CB - which is of course not saying much - but a series of injuries was followed by an apparent lack of interest by the new manager. Thank God there is so much money to be made for 32-year old male models.
　
TY HARDEN: The only real surprise is that he was still here to be released. "Try Harder" was given more than enough chances to solidify a starter's role but his oak tree-esque mobility and constantly bewildered looks doomed him to petering out at TFC under a cloud of "mystery ailments". Off you go Ty. Finally.
　
DICOY WILLIAMS: Sad Tweet Alert! Sad Tweet Alert! The big Jamaican had the briefest of bright moments when he and Adrian Cann were a healthy duo but injuries and his 2km/h top speed doomed him to oblivion. That being said - he is a semi-regular with the Jamaican national team so are TFC missing something? Wrong Caribbean island maybe?
　
OSCAR CORDON: The diminutive midfielder seemed like he was the apple of Aron Winter's eye for a period but completely fell off the radar in 2012. Hopefully a useful NASL career can be carved out for the affable local lad.
　
KEITH BAKUBUYA: It all went downhill when the Academy grad told TFC TV that his last name was pronounced "MA-KOO-BE-YUH" instead of the far more entertaining "MAKKA-BOOYAH!" From that point on it was only a matter of time. A career snuffed out by boring pronunciation.
　
NICHOLAS LINDSAY: Lindsay was the first Academy grad to really turn heads at TFC. The speedy winger looked like he had the skills to play at a level similar to fellow grad Ashtone Morgan but an unfortunate (and daft) snowmobiling accident was the catalyst for the end of his TFC dream.
　
While many will bemoan the fate of three young locals, this is simply the reality of having an Academy system. It is unfortunate that a U-23 set up doesn't exist within the TFC framework but local kids are cut from clubs all over the world. As for the veteran defenders, there will be some sentiment for Cann but in all honesty none of these three were the way forward for Toronto and would be hard-pressed to make the bench on many MLS clubs. The only questions that remain are "who is next?" and more importantly "who is replacing them?" The post-season fun has begun.

Yorkies Cards 2011 - Pack 8

We are nearing the end of this elaborate gag. It's been a journey of laughs and "what the hell were we thinking" type moments. With Champs League just around the corner, we will finally be resuming our regular actual football focus shortly. Hey, what does a 'down homer', a model, and Doneil Henry have in common? They're all in this pack! You'll find Ante Jazic, Adrian Cann and, er, Doneil Henry in the latest contribution to the madness.

Download Pack 8 [PDF]

Really, really bad looking injury sees Cann gone for 2011

This is not an injury for ants



What could be the worst way to repair a defence that just saw itself ripped open for six goals this past weekend? How about losing the anchor of that already porous backline for the remainder of the season? No?
　
Thought you'd seen the last of Ty Harden? Think again, as Aron Winter and Toronto FC received terrible injury news today after Adrian Cann took a bad knock at practice. Tests on the sometime Canadian International defender / sometime fashion model came back later with the news that he had damaged his ACL, an injury which devastates any athlete. “I can confirm that Adrian has torn his ACL and will miss the rest of the season” said Winter - who likely went off to weep gently and swear in Dutch.
　
With the transfer window set to open, TFC will now have another major hole to fill in a defence that was already a jigsaw puzzle of mediocrity. In the immediate future, Cann's duties should fall to Nana Attakora who may have a chance to win back his starting role. If the young Canadian doesn't get this opportunity, Winter's decision will be scrutinized loudly. Sadly, with Dicoy Williams at the Gold Cup with Jamaica, the much-maligned Ty Harden will likely see minutes - and likely cost the club more goals.
　
Read the rest of the horror story at the Toronto FC site.

Letters from Camp: United they stood

"Aww Adrian... you didn't have to"

From a results point of view, Toronto FC's participation in this year's Carolina Challenge Cup won't go down as their most successful stop in Charleston. Winning a friendly tournament trophy is never high on the pre-season goals list but this year in particular, the tourney was obviously a training ground for The Reds and not a place for wins. Going into tonight's final match against DC United, many wondered if the performance would be closer to what is expected 7 days from now or a continuation of that training style.
　
Facing DC United was a good test as the club from the US Capitol is coming off a season even worse than the dreadful one seen in Toronto. United are rebuilding under a new coach with a new style and will be a team TFC needs to be superior to if they want to dream of playoffs. However, when DC add a guy like Charlie Davies while Toronto adds Nick Soolsma, many will see United as the better of the two clubs going into 2011. Here's briefly how the "Battle of the Titans" went down earlier tonight...
　
TFC match starters... Frei, Gargan, Attakora, Harden, Yourassowsky, Sturgis, Cordon, De Rosario, Zavarise, Peterson, Maicon
2' - Yourassowsky starts as he means to go on by "assing" up a defensive marking
7' - Literally dozens of rabid fans on hand. Some actually rabid.
12' - GOAL! Charlie Davies eats 3 TFC defenders alive and blasts it high past Frei
DC United 1 - Toronto FC 0
15'- DC's 87-year-old Canadian GK Pat Onstad a symbol of good socialized health care. DC Republicans will hate him
19' - PENALTY DC's Dax McCarty hauls down Gianluca Zavarise leading us to chant "When you're fouled from behind like a big pizza pie, Za-varise!" GOAL! De Ro takes PK
DC United 1 - Toronto FC 1
25' - Toronto energized by goal and controlling play
28' - Stefan Frei does a major Aron Winter no-no and boots a long-ball... however Maicon Santos gets on the end of it and GOAL! Past Onstad's walker!
DC United 1 - Toronto FC 2
32' - Oscar Cordon showing his youth and having his worst game
34' - Charleston advertising hoarding of the night: "RENT A PARTY TENT! 971-GOAL Oooh! I can get some Piggly Wiggly and eat it in my party tent!
37' - Two quick yellow cards for Yourassowsky leads to a RED CARD and a sending off. You sir, are an ass owsky. TFC down to 10 men.
43' - Charleston Battery president/ amateur announcer Andrew Bell wonders aloud why Nick LaBrocca didn't start tonight. Maybe he had his tax forms filled out too.
　
HALF TIME: DC UNITED 1 - TORONTO FC 2
　
45' - Overmatched Oscar Cordon off and replaced my The Prodigal Defender: Adrian Cann. Someone must have bought the team a box of Pot Of Gold chocolates
50' - DC pouring on the pressure trying to get an early equalizer. Makes us miss the show The Equalizer
58' - Pretty sure Pat Onstad just put Metamucil in his water bottle
61' - GOAL! TFC can't hold back the offensive wave and Joseph Ngwenya puts the ball past a sprawling Frei
DC United 2 - Toronto FC 2
67' - Andrew Bell informs us that the pro shop at Charleston's Blackbaud Stadium sells vuvuzelas. Precious.
71' - Matt Gold in for Maicon Santos. Bob de Klerk yells "I love Gooooold!"
75' - Reds holding their shape well and managing to counter-attack
78' - Javier Martina on for Dwayne De Rosario
82' - Two party tents successfully rented during the match. Happy Birthday Bobby
89' - Gianluca Zavarise ends a good night and is replaced by Keith "BOOYAH" Makubuya
91' - TFC close out the match with some solid defending.

FULL TIME: DC UNITED 2 - TORONTO FC 2
　
So, after a journey that started in late January in Turkey, Toronto's preseason matches are over. A solid draw tonight that was equally promising and frustrating. While the defensive lapses continue, The Reds managed to hold it together despite being a man down for nearly half of the match. Good performances by Zavarise, De Rosario and Frei were tempered by less than stellar nights for Cordon and Yourassowsky.
　
There is a sense this evening that it is upwards and onwards for TFC with a week to go before the opener in Vancouver. The sense of optimism was encapsulated by Adrian Cann's very public post-match mea culpa. "I'd like to apologize to the fans in Toronto, the organization and my fellow teammates, as well as Aron" said the remorseful Cann who with that hopefully shut the door on the only negative episode of camp. Changes are still possible but tonight's TFC may be what we can expect when the season begins in 7 short days.

Letters from Camp: Step 1 - Place tail tightly between legs...

Adrian was not happy about the BMO Field roof plan

THE CANN CAME BACK
Ding. Ding. Round one to new manager Aron Winter in a TKO. When Adrian Cann, last season's "MVP" (apparently), left camp in a contract snit last week, TFC fans were treated to something new - a hardline, no bull reaction from management. Winter made it immediately clear that Cann's new contract offers were off the table and the defender/ James Franco ass double would only be welcomed back if he apologized to the team. Well guess who's getting flowers and chocolates?!!!
　
Yes, after likely finding that the only interest outside of MLS for his services were Scandinavian 2nd divisions, Adrian Cann now says he wants to return to the club. Well, at least that's what his agent/ negotiating genius Sanford Carabin says. Carabin also dropped these absolute quotable gems:
"At the end of the day, he wants to play here. This is where he grew up" Aww. Sweet.
“He’s going to take the high road on this. He’s going to go back and show them that he’s worth the money that he wants.” Umm... we think you need a new road map.
Carabin then called a Cann's departure a “principled stand.” Uh-huh.
　
So, in the end, if Cann and TFC do indeed become BFF's again, the defender would end up having to accept a contract which is reportedly $35,000 less than one he turned down last month. He also would have used up all of the good will Toronto fans showered on him and most notably ends up looking like an ass. That is some top level agenting Mr. Carabin. Kudos. Selfishly, I enjoyed it - the whole ordeal has filled The Yorkies Twitter with so many great Zoolander references.
　
JAY AND SILENT LUKE TALK BACK
A few weeks after landing the rights to MLS in Canada, TSN has put together it's new on-air commentary team. Luke Wileman, most recently of GOL-TV and random TFC miscellany will be handling the play-by-play, while former Team Canada captain and Ipswich/Wigan legend Jason deVos will provide the colour work. It will be a challenge for the two as their first big job may be explaining to other TSN employees "what a soccer is". Footy fans are still holding their collectives in Canada to see what kind of job TSN will do with MLS coverage seeing as football's existence has usually been considered a nasty rumour at the network. It sure will cut into their regularly scheduled summer programming of "NHL Preseason Countdown".
　
EASY, PEASY ZAVARISE?
It would hardly be a major shock but the rumours floating around TFC's South Carolina camp were that Canadian midfielder/ wingback Gianluca "Nickname Pending" Zavarise would be the next trialist to sign a full deal with the club. The 24-year-old British Columbia native saw more action in Turkey than he has in the US this spring but his versatile positioning could help his cause. With a week to go and giant holes where the roster should be, few would be coloured oranje with shock if this came true.

Letters from Camp: It's not Cann, it's a Dicoy

Left: decoy; Right: Dicoy

OHH! DICOY-OH!
In a further sign that Aron Winter's hardline stance against Adrian Cann's holdout won't likely waver, TFC has invited a new trialist into camp. 24-year-old Jamaican centreback Dicoy Williams joined The Reds at their South Carolina camp with the hopes of landing a contract. The 6 foot 2 defender has proven a quick marker with good leaping ability during his career at Jamaican club Harbour View and in his 6 Caps with The Reggae Boyz. A point in his favour is his ability to also play on both the right and left wings making him a potentially valuable bench option if he can handle the physicality of MLS.
　
NOT READY de GO
It seems as if the hopes that Julian de Guzman would be ready to start the new season against Vancouver may have been a touch ambitious. Speaking to media yesterday, manager Aron Winter revealed that the DP's injury recovery has been a little slower than expected... “Julian is recovering well,” said the Dutchman “but he’s three to four weeks away from being ready to play.” That is slightly disappointing for fans who would like to see the new squad take shape but Winter's plans for the midfielder may give fans optimism that the hometown star can bounce back from a poor 2010 season - “In our system, he will be one of our key players,” Winter said. “He will get the ball at his feet and forward in attacking positions.”
　
"I LOVE... GOOOOOLD!"
No, Bob de Klerk isn't doing his Goldmember accent in an interview, just a bit of Team Canada news which will no doubt involve some Reds. The group stage of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was announced today and Canada was slotted into Group C along side arch-rivals USA, Van Halen's favourite team – Panama, and the former home of Milli Vanilli - Guadeloupe. The highlight of the round will be a cross-border showdown in Detroit, Michigan on June 7th between The Yanks and The Canucks - winner gets Windsor. Find the rest of the schedule here. Gold Cup 2011 - "Catch the Taste!"

THE STARTING 11: Shocking Adrian Cann contract issues

"It's that damn Adrian Cann - he's so hot right now!

Things at Toronto FC camp seemed to be chugging along peacefully until last week. Despite the difficulty of overhauling the squad and its style, the players in training all seemed gung-ho and positive. Even the De Ro contract woes seemed to be on the back-burner. Then, seemingly out of the blue, TFC's starting centreback and resident male model Adrian Cann, decided to pack up his designer manbags and leave the club in a contract dispute. In the days since, manager Aron Winter has taken a hardline against Cann's apparent contract breach, going as far as taking new club offers to the defender off the table. Of course, if these were the demands of the Thornhill star/ exotic beauty, you may have balked too...
　
11. Insists that all of his new kits be designed by Gucci
　
10. Demands that James Franco portrays him in "TFC: The Movie"
　
9. Wants the club to copyright and market his new look - "Red Steel"
　
8. Would like his MVP trophy replaced with "Most Valuable Abs" award
　
7. Wants team to emerge from the tunnel to Fashion Television’s theme song: “Obsession”
　
6. Requests a free transfer to Milan... for fashion week
　
5. Demands credit for inventing the "Piano-key Neck Tie"
　
4. Willing to forego DP money for D&G money
　
3. Upset because "red and grey are soooo 2008"
　
2. Wants an "International" roster spot because it looks more stylish than "Domestic"
　
1. No-trade clause to "ugly cities"

"Ladies and gentleman... welcome your Toronto FC!"

Another Cann of worms for TFC

No We Cann't

Toronto FC really needs to stop handing out "Player of the Year" awards. Mere months after team captain Dwayne De Rosario started making waves about contract renegotiations, his successor as team MVP, Adrian Cann, has decided to leave training camp due to a difference of opinion with his contract. In a spring full of optimism for The Reds, this move couldn't have come at a worse time.
　
For the 30-year-old Cann this represents a very high stakes gamble. A year ago there weren't too many clubs at the level of TFC interested in the occasional Canadian International yet he garnered, an albeit frugal, contract last spring. Cann indeed had a solid, steady year although many think his "MVP" status had more to do with the negative feelings towards De Ro last fall than Cann's play. In short, he is a capable defender - but very far from irreplaceable. As of now, Cann has turned down the club's new contract offer and has decided to play hardball in the midst of the club's most important stretch of training.
　
For TFC, and the new management team of Aron Winter and Paul Mariner, this represents an awfully tricky challenge. While Cann does deserve a payrise to bring him closer to a mid-range MLS defender‘s salary, he has yet to prove his long-term performance level in the league. In fact, Cann has looked rather out of sorts with Winter's new quick tempo passing style this spring. However, the dilemma for the club lays with the fact that the roster is dangerously thin and the defence in particular has looked shaky at best. Does the club bend out of necessity to preserve roster numbers, but risk opening the floodgates to future player petulance? Or, does the new management decide to make an example of Cann to prove who is in charge?
　
If you read between the lines of Winter's quote today it sounds closer to the latter. “We are disappointed that Adrian has decided to return home at this time,” said Winter. “Adrian is heading into the second year of a four year contract. We are currently in discussions with the League regarding the situation and are assessing the options available to us.” Winter and Mariner have not yet seemed the "pushover" types and they may choose this matter to illuminate that fact.
　
We cannot necessarily fault Adrian Cann without knowing all of the facts from the negotiations. It is true that he was making less in 2010 than he deserved but unlike De Ro, Cann doesn't have the MLS pedigree, long-term statistics and championship rings to back-up a hardline walkout. The Thornhill defender has likely squandered a great deal of goodwill that TFC supporters threw his way last year and if his holdout is seen as a deterrent to the club's early 2011 development, he may not be welcomed back at BMO Field by fans... or management.
　
Male modelling must be paying the bills…

Nice hat "Chico and The Man"

Mobama brings more change: "Yes We Cann"

------------Running for President of both Celtic and Rangers

Well, for once in recent memory Mo Johnston stayed true to his word. During the press conference last week where Jo Bronston was unveiled as Assistant to the misDirector, Mo remarked that his famous two or three signings were on their way. As of this afternoon, three have indeed arrived. Yes they are all defenders but hey, beggars can't be choosers. Will they be playing in the MLS All Star Game? Again with the beggars.

Yes, Mo has added two players who have been trialing with TFC. The first is Russian Second Division substitute Maxim Usanov. As reported earlier here, the 25 year old has bounced around the Russian and Latvian leagues but has never quite stuck with one club. Reportedly a rightback, Usanov may indeed prove useful as that is a position of weakness. As of course are most on TFC's backline.

The other signing of the day is sometime Canadian International defender/ James Franco lookalike, Adrian Cann. The 29 year old Thornhill native had his best years with Vancouver Whitecaps making 58 appearances in two seasons and garnering interest from Danish club Esbjerg fB who signed him to a 4 year deal in 2008. However, things didn't quite work out for Cann in Denmark and he was released in early 2010. He finds himself back in MLS for the first time since his rookie season with Colorado and with his 6 foot 3 frame will hopefully relegate Nick Garcia deep down the bench.

In the end, today's signings and Ray-Ray Hscanovics last week are hardly the earth shattering changes that TFC needs to really compete - but they will add depth. Mo Johnston's 5 year plan has indeed made Reds supporters beggars in every way but the signings are indeed better than nothing. The fact that they are the kind of signings we would expect from the expansion Union and not fourth year TFC is far beyond our choosing and the shame of the misDirector. There is no action, just reaction. Not change we can believe in.

-------------------------"I loved you in Spiderman!"