THE STARTING 11: Advantages to holding training camp at Walt Disney World

The striker crisis is solved!



Why were Toronto FC so horrible last year? Ask some returning players (and some ex-members of staff) and the answer is simple: a terrible 2012 pre-season. Yes that was obviously the issue. Obviously. Well nothing to fear - the new TFC hierarchy has answered the call by er... returning to Disney World for the Mickey Mouse Cup and um... scheduling fewer matches. Ok
　
11. Stefan Frei's broken nose protection to be adorable cartoon mouse nose from gift shop
　
10. The "Hall of Presidents" display is nearly as long as Toronto FC's "Hall of Managers"
　
9. The staff at "It's a Small World" attraction provided strong competition to Real Salt Lake during the Joao Plata trade negotiations
　
8. There's a good chance that Never Land and the Modern Era are the same thing
　
7. The Teacups makes for a convenient treadmill replacement
　
6. "The Pirates of the Caribbean" ride is full of potential Bermudian and Trinidadian trialists
　
5. The handy betting syndicate at Epcot's Singapore Pavilion
　
4. "The Country Bear Jamboree" does a really hot dubstep version of "The Dichio Song"
　
3. Sport Goofy does not take up an international roster spot
　
2. It's comforting to spend time at a place where "Mickey Mouse organization" is not used as an insult
　
1. Bitchy The Hawk and Daffy Duck are totally doing it

LETTERS FROM CAMP: "It's just a friendly after all..."

Forza Violas!

Toronto FC started their official preseason friendly schedule tonight in the group stage of the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic. The opponents were none other than the local club and USL Pro Division Champions Orlando City. Since, like TFC, we are shaking off preseason rust, here are some shoddy highlights instead of a post-match report from tonight's action...

　

- Orlando City's nifty purple kits solidify their claim to fame as "The Fiorentina of Central Florida"

- TFC's new Ecuadorian defender Geovanny Caicedo looks like a complete beast... and that was just in the pre-match waiting line

- Sadly the national anthem of Disney World was ignored. Racists.

- The aforementioned Ecuadorian beast looks a little shaky on the defensive communication and gets caught crashing and banging giving Orlando a PK. John "You May Have Heard of My Brother" Rooney converts giving The Lions a lead

- No word if John Rooney can afford hairplugs on his USL salary

- After having his left foot prowess questioned by the "top-notch" MLS commentators, TFC's Miguel Aceval curls a free kick home via a deflection making it level

- Danny Koevermans taken off in precaution after a seemingly minor injury. Soolsma comes on to please fans of non-racist cats while highlighting The Reds' apparent lack of depth at striker

- Former Wolves manager Mick McCarthy in attendance at Orlando... or it's possibly The Muppets' Sam The Eagle

- Richard Eckersley is like every Englishman visiting Florida - he's sweaty, red and wearing a football shirt

- After some TFC defensive laziness, some dude on Orlando (sue me) slots it home to give The Lions the surprise lead

- Quick in reply, Das Kapitan Torsten Frings does what he has yet to do in regular season with TFC... score a goal. Level at two.

- Aron Winter celebrates the Frings goal with 7 subs at once, bringing most of TFC Academy into the match

- Stefan Frei making big save after big save. Stop wearing # 24 Stefan - you're a # 1

- "C" grades down the TFC roster apart from The Goalblerone tonight

- They may yet have been given an MLS expansion place but I'd take Orlando City over New York Cosmos II any day

　

TORONTO FC 2 - ORLANDO CITY 2

Letters from Camp: "Toronto Meet-ros Croatia"

C'mon you Reds... and Blues... and Checkerboards!

What can we say - we'll take any pun too far just to have an excuse to put an old NASL shield up. However, Toronto did indeed meet a Croatian side today - and not just any Croatian side - THE Croatian side in the form of UEFA stalwarts Dinamo Zagreb. Today's friendly marked the end of TFC's Turkish triumvirate versus Balkan opponents and hopes were high after good results against two Serb sides.
　
As with all of the match reports from Turkey, we rely on text info coming down the wire like an Old West morse code operator so details are often few and far between. But, since you're here we thought we'd sprinkle some fun (or not) facts about Croatia into the mix. Enjoy Dinamo Zagreb vs. Toronto FC... and learning about the "Jewel of the Adriatic". If this site is anything - it’s an educational resource! For instance... did you know part of Croatia's Adriatic peninsula is called the "Dalmatian Coast"? Woof!
　
TORONTO FC 1st Half Line-up: Stefan Frei, Demetrius Omphroy, Doneil Henry, Ty Harden, Kevin Westmaas, King Osei Gyan, Elbekay Bouchiba, Oscar Cordon, Javier Martina, Nick Soolsma, Maicon Santos
DINAMO ZAGREB 1st Half Line-up: Sadly, not a Dalmatian in sight
　
1' - Dinamo Zagreb kick-off, wonder if Croat Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor is watching?
2' - GOAL: Who's not watching? TFC's defence. The Harden-Henry connection bumble badly allowing Dinamo to punch home an early goal. DINAMO ZAGREB 1 - TORONTO FC 0
5' - Dinamo joining together passes like when Croatia joined the Hapsburg Empire in 1527 AD!
8' - GOAL: Collapsing much like the aforementioned Empire is TFC's defence. The hard-luck duo in the middle fail to clear and the Dalmatianless Dinamo strike force find their spots... and the net. DINAMO ZAGREB 2 - TORONTO FC 0
10' - Preki leftover/ immobility aficionado Ty Harden being eaten up by Dinamo attackers
15' - Toronto defence covering less of Dinamo than water does over the entire Croatian landscape... 1.09% to be exact
21' - Only signs of offensive output for TFC coming from trialists Soolsma and Martina who are switching wings much like when Croatia switched to a kingdom under King Tomislav in 925 AD
28' - Soolsma making a nuisance of himself and sets up Maicon Santos but the finish is weak
35' - Soolsma is playing hard for a contract and forces a good save with a blast from a distance shorter than Croatia's 56,594 square kilometre land mass
41' - RED CARD: Dinamo gets a bit snappy, like an angry Dalmatian, and gets a random Croat sent-off. Due to friendly rules, they are allowed to replace him and keep 101... we mean 11 men on the pitch
44' - Half ends quietly, not unlike the 9th Century Christianization of the Croats
　
HALF TIME: DINAMO ZABGREB 2 - TORONTO FC 0
　
TORONTO FC 2nd Half Line-up: Stefan Frei, Eddy Sidra, Nana Attakora, Chris Hunter, Kevin Westmaas, Nick LaBrocca, Matt Stinson, Nathan Sturgis, Jacob Peterson, Joao Plata, Gianluca Zavarise
DINAMO ZAGREB 2nd Half Line-up: Still no Dalmatians... nor Hapsburgs
　
46' - TFC try to crowd players in the Dinamo box, similar to Croatia's population density of 81 persons per square km
47' - GOAL: It works! Jacob Peterson zips down the wing and drives in a low cross which Gianluca Zavarise holds and spins on, banging it into the net. Zavarisian Spin-O-Rama! DINAMO ZAGREB 2 - TORONTO FC 1
55' - Dinamo playing a counter attacking game much like they had to counter threats to their language from the Austro-Hungarian 18th Century influence
56' - Zavarise passes nicely to Plata who almost chips one over the Dinamo keeper
59' - RED CARD: Once Dinamo realized that they can't lose a man with red cards they have been throwing around tackles with abandon. Should be down to 9 men. Still at 11
61' - Zavarise free kick blocked, Nick LaBrocca hits rebound over the net... learns something about Croatian tax reforms in the post-Yugoslav era
65' - LaBrocca feeds Peterson who also chips the ball high over the Dinamo cross bar. Rumours of the pair missing Chad Barrett's striking style unproven
70' - Stefan Frei standing strong in goal like the maritime ramparts of Dubrovnik's Old Town
75' - TFC controlling the play but failing to find a through ball. Dinamo holding on like they are defending a draw. Or tie. Croats claim to have invented the necktie via the modern cravat
77' - RED CARD: Toronto's Gianluca Zavarise makes it 2-1 in red cards with a high kung-fu style challenge. He's off and replaced by TFC Academy prospect Keith "Booyah" Makubuya
81' - PENALTY: Matt Stinson brings down a Dinamo attacker like Tito's partisans brought down Nazi occupiers during World War II. GOAL on penalty kick. DINAMO ZAGREB 3 - TORONTO FC 1
89' - Game quietly petering out like the last days of the Croatian-Hungarian Union of the 14th Century.
　
FULL TIME: DINAMO ZAGREB 3 - TORONTO FC 1
　
So there you have it, the end of Toronto's Turkish-based friendlies against their Balkan cousins (not Cousin Balki from Perfect Strangers). TFC will head home Cold Turkey on Saturday with a respectable 1-1-1 record and some quality trialist performances to boot. With many holes still to fill, the next stage of camp may be even more interesting. Much like Croatian history and geography.

Balki opposition.

Letters from Camp: "Of Men and Mice"

Times are tough for Preki & Mo... er... Lennie and George

With a couple of good preseason results against quality Belgrade sides Partizan and Red Star out of the way, Toronto FC started to look ahead to the next few chapters of training camp. With announcements both on and off the pitch today, Aron Winter and Paul Mariner (or Team WinNer!) and the gang are moving forward.
　
· The club will embark on its first "gruelling" away fixture against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday as they have to travel to the Croatian side's practice ground. Okay, by gruelling we actually mean a 10 minute ride on a luxury air conditioned coach. Almost like having an away match at Lamport and travelling from BMO. Just less hot dog stands... and no GO Train tunnel.
　
· Two names will no longer be seen in preseason line-ups as TFC cut loose Dutch winger Bas Ent and young Uruguayan forward Santiago Gonzalez Acero. For Ent, this marks the end of a 7 month flirtation with The Reds which sees his career highlight with Toronto a halftime sub appearance in last summer's Bolton Wanderers friendly. Unfortunately for the not-so-quick, blind-cross happy Ent, TFC wasn't in the market for the next Dutch Andy Welsh. For the young Gonzalez Acero it seems as if his frail physicality and lack of ball control when faced with strong defenders (which MLS has a few) caught up with him - and with Joao Plata filling the "little man" quota, he was a long-shot at best.
　
· A new face was added to the trialist list as Team WinNer invited 23-year-old Dutch leftback Kevin Westmaas to camp. The sturdy defender doesn't have much of a professional record to his name but has had a history with Jong Ajax (Ajax Academy) and was no doubt familiar to Aron Winter. Westmaas won't have too long to impress the coaching staff and will have to be big in training to garner an invite back to Toronto at the end of the week.
　
· The club firmed up their travel schedule for the next few weeks, announcing that the next phase will see them return to the GTA with practices all of next week at their Oakville indoor facility. Anything to avoid the (minus-whatever-the-F-it-is) weather and also a chance to integrate the supplemental players who didn't make the trek to Turkey. After their Toronto stop, The Reds head to Orlando, Florida on the 21st where they will take part in the lengthy named Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic with matches against Houston on the 24th and either FC Dallas or the USL's Orlando City on the 26th. Aron Winter no doubt covets that famous mouse-eared trophy at a tourney that is rated as one of the Top 10 "Theme Park/ Cartoon-related Pro Soccer Tournaments in Central Florida". Goofy.

Letters From Camp: "Lights, webcams... little action"

Head Counsellor at "Camp Wannafooty"

Dispatches from camp always have to be taken with a grain of salt. The campers often have a wide variety of emotions from good to bad and send the strangest messages to their loved ones waiting for news. TFC camp isn't all that different - lots of wide-eyed youngsters, surly camp veterans and wily counsellors make for an adventurous few weeks where anything seems possible.
　
Our very own "Letters from Camp" section will try to capture some of that madness over the next few weeks as we try to keep you up to date with the wacky stories, both real and imagined, that emerge from Camp Wannafooty. Think of it as a home version of training camp as you figure out what's real and what's italicized not-so-real fireside chatter! For example: "The club announced that they are set to leave for Turkey"... or… "The club announced their former Director was a turkey" See! Fun! Catch "Letters from Camp" until early March... or until those wacky draft picks steal a canoe and row across to the girl's training camp!
　
To kick off camp, the players and staff met up with local media for some hasty interviews featuring the finest in puffball questions, cliché answers, terrible audio and shaky internet connections. Some of the highlighted points from the 2011 Reds included:
　
· ARON WINTER: A possibility of adding a second DP before the season; 6 trialists will join the club in Turkey; Tuesdays will feature an all-you-can-eat pancake and shmoke buffet; He did not like the "old British" style played here previously; Supplemental picks won't go to Turkey; Really sick of "Winter" puns already
· PAUL MARINER: The club is actively dealing with De Ro and his contract woes; He is not the 5th Beatle as rumoured online nor an actual mariner
· JULIAN DE GUZMAN: Has trimmed the afro buy at least 34%; His knee is getting better and he should play in the Carolina Challenge Cup; Enjoys the bible and long walks on the beach
· DEMETRIUS OMPHROY: Very excited about being club's top pick; Loves the city; Wants to be known as "Little Lord Omphroy"
· MATT GOLD: Eloquent and well spoken; Relishes the defensive midfield support role over offensive glory; Wants to lead MLS in freckles and ginger hair
· STEFAN FREI: Excited to play attacking football; Will get to use feet in Dutch style; Still thinks Swiss cheese beats Dutch any day
· NICK LABROCCA: Everyone got to meet the coaches and it should be "exciting" soccer; Really excited about upcoming tax season - offered to prepare teammates returns
· TY HARDEN: Has to prove self to club; Had to show ID to enter stadium
· NICK GARCIA: Came in and announced "someone order a taxi?"
· JACOB PETERSON: The attitude is positive; Turkish food is frightening - will bring own powdered milk;
· JIMMY BRENNAN: Wanted to know if you take your coffee with cream and sugar
· MAICON SANTOS: Was clueless as who would line-up next to him in striker position; Having hard time with Toronto's winter that renders his lambada moves useless
· DAN GARGAN: Biggest change was not signing with team 2 hours before kick-off; Has trademarked the phrase "Soccer's Wendel Clark";
· COLLIN SAMUEL: Wanted to see if any sandwiches were left over
· DWAYNE DE ROSARIO: Celtic was a "great experience"; Winter is direct and straight forward - a refreshing start; Just turned down a controversial trial with Queen Of The South; "Some people like you, some people don't"; Wants to play in upcoming Canada v Greece friendly; Plans to run for Mayor of Scarborough in 2015; Replied to journalist question about trials with "If the New York Times asks you to write for their paper - would you go?"; Announced trial with the New York Times Sunday league co-ed squad
· MO JOHNSTON: Twittered that his birdhouse was coming along nicely and he had 6 or 7 Brazilian birds interested in moving into it
　
So there you have your campsite fun for now. To see the official, and fully factual (what fun is that?) interviews, check out the official site. But again, why? It's so... factual. Boring!

THE WORD: First day back Maltesers

Red with a honeycomb centre. Like TFC's 2010 defence!

The stories out of TFC training camp's first day started leaking before the ink was dry on the medical needles. At least that's my understanding of needles. Might explain my scurvy. Anyhoo... with roster spots galore and a plane warming up on the tarmac for a flight to Turkey, names have begun to pop up on the potential passenger list aboard AeroWinter - direct flight, non-stop to Antalya... On-board meal: butty; In-flight film: "How Not to Play Football: TFC 2010 Season Highlights".
　
Apart from the expected inclusion of The Reds' eight recent draft picks, word is that TFC will give a fair shake to four current TFC Academy products: Ashtone "Loc" Morgan, Oscar "Meyer" Cordon, Keith "Booyah" Makubuya and Matt "Don't Call me Matthew" Stinson. The homegrown youngsters will by all accounts get as much opportunity, if not more, than their NCAA-bred counterparts. TFC's recent announcement of creating even younger Academy teams shows that the homeslice plan is the route they will follow in future. The new U-1 TFC Toddler team will really pay dividends in the 2029 season.
　
Rumours from outside of the club include whispers that Andrew Ornoch may no longer be in The BMO Field mix while Canadian international Eddy Sidra (in town to show off the national team's new "Ode to Man United" kit") could be interested in joining the team. Sidra has been without a club since his contract with Germany's Energie Cottbus (so fun to say!) ended in 2010.
　
The wackiest rumour floating around came out of footballing hotbed Malta where media reports linked 22 year old Brazilian striker Camilo da Silva Sanvezzo (aka Camilo) with TFC. The 5 foot 7 forward scored a massive 22 goals in 24 Maltese Premier League matches with the great Qormi team (apparently the Aston Villa of Malta) before venturing off to a less than inspiring stretch with South Korea's Gyeongnam (apparently South Korea’s Blackburn Rovers) where he failed to score. Before getting too excited about 22 goals in 24 matches, remember... it's the Maltese League. Word is that the reigning champs played a mule in net for half the season.
　
One day in and it's already fun! Welcome back footballs!
　
WORD FACTOR (TFC Academy call-ups): 9 / 10
WORD FACTOR (Ornoch & Sidra): 5 / 10
WORD FACTOR (Camilo): 3 / 10

THE STARTING 11: Toronto FC preseason vaccinations

"You are safe to play The Crew now"

The first photo-op of any preseason is of eager (well, mostly eager) players arriving at their club and getting ready for their annual medical. Down at BMO Field, Toronto FC's crack medical team will be putting the Reds, both old a new, through their paces to make sure they are up to scratch. Of course, it's not all jumping jacks and 1930's style fat-shaking machinery - Doctor Dichio and staff also has to get the roster ready for the rigours of an MLS season and its inherent dangers with a series of vaccinations against some potentially odd ailments...
　
11. Bitchy Rabies
　
10. (Aron) Winter Blahs
　
9. Strained Afro (Julian de Guzman only)
　
8. DP Envy
　
7. Mo Withdrawal
　
6. Buttygut
　
5. Dan-Gargantuism
　
4. Cann-cussion
　
3. Columbus, Ohio
　
2. Celtic Fever
　
1. Nicked LaBroccas

"Whooo! Spring Break!" TFC releases preseason plans

Cann, LaBrocca, Gargan and Harden get ready...

Yes, it's a bit of a slow news day when you are discussing your club's travel plans but things are a little more interesting than in years past. From 2007 through 2010, Mo Johnston's Reds usually dilly-dallied around Florida for a few weeks while testing their "strengths" against far from formidable opponents such as out of season NCAA squads and Sunday League ex-pros before winding up with a mediocre display at the annual Carolina Challenge in Charleston, SC. Of course, it's was always hard to train considering Mo didn't start signing players until 24 hours before the season started.
　
This year marks a decidedly improved and far more challenging springtime for Toronto FC. After a brief get-together in Toronto, the club, along with some trialists and invitees, embarks on their first ever sojourn to Europe - specifically Antalya, Turkey. During their two week stay in the Turkish city, The Reds will play friendlies against UEFA middleweights Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia and Serbian legends Partizan Belgrade with another match TBA. Despite both Dinamo and Partizan trying out some new and young bodies themselves, it still marks a vast improvement in pre-season challenges.
　
The club returns to North America on February 12th and will split their time between Toronto and the US South with appearances at both the Disney Tournament and once again at the Carolina Challenge Cup where they will test their strengths against MLS rivals.
　
With rumoured trialists, including Bas Ent, Evan Schwartz, Andrew Ornoch and David Monsalve, joining the eight recent draft picks, the TFC camps should be an open affair with a lot of competition for many available spots. Hopefully the club will help out their eager fanbase with far more open reporting, which would contrast the former regime's "information lockdown" agenda.
　
View the full TFC Preseason schedule here...