The Toronto FC Sadvent Calendar: Day 5

"THE TALE OF MAXI URRUTI"

　

 

Imagine if Sadvent was six months long. Then imagine waking up on Christmas morning, unwrapping your shiny, expensive imported gift you had been teased with for so long only for your parents to let you play with it for 37 minutes before giving to that hipster kid down the street. The Chromeo-haircut that would put the nail in the Kevin Payne coffin - Maxi Urruti.

　

Check back tomorrow and open another Sadvent window!

Urruti era looking Bright! (Not what you think)

 

This is the part where we usually crack wise on the latest TFC transaction.

Today, we're dumbfounded. Well... more than usual.

After months of chasing Maximiliano Urruti through the wilds of Argentina, the boy barely had a chance to unpack his suitcase in Toronto. That's right Eff Cee fanz, after less than a month in Red, TFC have traded Maxi Urruti and simultaneously given Kevin Payne a Bon Voyage gift - a giant middle finger.

Confirmed today, Urruti - the can't miss prospect of his generation - has been dealt to Portland Timbers for the marvelously named/injury crippled Bright Dike, a draft pick and our old friend allocation money. Dike, the Oklahoman-born, Nigeria-capped forward, managed 6 MLS goals with Portland in 2011 before spending part of last season in USL Pro on loan. So you know... TFC quality.

FUN FACT: Bright Dike suffered a torn ACL back in February of 2013. For more on how that injury heals see: Danny Koevermans.

Make no mistake, this is an oddball trade. And that says a lot in TFC-land but there are reasons behind it. Kind of. Trading Urruti opens up cash and a DP slot which Tim Leiweke is very verbally trying to fill before next season. You guys fancy Italian? In addition, there are loud whispers that Urruti was not living up to the scouting reports (of 9 months!!!) and was very much Kevin Payne's man but nowhere near Ryan Nelsen's. The optics couldn't be much clearer over how the current TFC management assesses Payne's legacy.

Speaking of TFC management, the other interesting part of this deal is what it says about the incoming new GM. Does making a deal involving a big name (argue away) that was meant to be a piece for the future, illuminate just how much say in personnel the new man will have? It is looking increasingly like Ryan Nelsen will be a Diet Pop version of an old-school manager while the new GM will be Earl Cochrane MAX. All this so Leiweke can play in the Beckham sandbox.

Time will tell how "Bright" all this is.



He's not the Messiah... he's a very naughty Newell's Old Boy

Where's the specs Chromeo?

Like a Mountie who tells you to "get used to it", Kevin Payne finally got his man - Maximiliano Urruti is officially a Red. It took a couple of hundred days longer than originally expected... but who's counting?

Transfer windows? We don't need no stinkin' transfer windows - just an Argentine club that has fallen on hard times, a player who hadn't been paid and broke up with them and possibly a little help from the "Thanks for Not Touching Clint Dempsey Fund for Disabled Clubs". No proof of the latter but it makes us feel better about things. The mysterious "compensation" given to Urruti's former club, Newell's Old Boys, will go down with Chupacabra, Loch Ness and Reggie Lambe as mysteries best left alone.

Now for the fun part - is our new Argentine saviour the next Gabriel Batistuta or the following Pablo Vitti? We can probably best hope for something in between but for TFC supporters expecting the new boy to open the scoring floodgates - you may want some patience.

Despite having been brought through the NOB youth set-up since a tender age, the 22-year old Rosario (get your cheque-signing jokes out of your system) native has only had 57 senior club appearances tallying 12 goals. His goal scoring rate is currently in the area of one per every 230 minutes-or-so thus he still has more to prove before anyone accuses him of being a hitman. Throw in the challenges of a new league, a new continent and a new language and the need to suppress your excitement becomes clearer.

Unfortunately for Urruti, the circumstances of his drawn out transfer saga has done nothing to temper TFC fans' excitement to see this mysterious South American treat. His name has been tossed around Toronto footy circles since Spring causing some to likely expect much more than they may see for some while. While patience was given to countryman Matias Laba upon his arrival, the midfield position is one that is harder to quantify in basic stats whereas the striker is judged on one thing... goals.

Hopefully, time is given by the justifiably anxious Reds supporters but if Urruti does end up closer to the Pablo Vitti's of the world, the transfer drama will bite the current regime in the ass hard and more vocally - towards the player himself. Urruti is not the cure-all for this club and it is best you don't view him that way. A valuable piece - a single piece - of an eventually decent starting 11 is the best we can hope for. It just might take some time. Again. 

In the meantime, we can all enjoy Urruti in his other role as lead-singer of "Chromeo". You can "prove" to us that it’s not him… but we won’t believe you. And "Hot Mess"... (insert TFC joke of choice)



Maxi-mum Overdue: Urruti in town but no deal with TFC... yet

 Romeo

Are we witnessing the final act in the longest transfer saga in TFC history?

After nearly a full-season lapdance (no-touching) with Argentine forward/ possible lead singer of Chromeo, Maximiliano Urruti and his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys, The Reds may have just done enough to go the Champagne Room. Well Downsview at least. Still no touching... officially.

Tonight the club released a very short statement announcing that Urruti is indeed in the city and will be training with the club while a deal is negotiated to secure his employment. The sticky wicket with Newell's Old Boys (and their fantastic acronym "NOB") is over Urruti's decision to leave the club due to lack of payments and whether or not he falls into the land of Bosman free transfer or is still officially a NOB.

Obviously his former Argentine employers would want a transfer fee, and have gone as far as whimpering over potential tampering charges, but it is unfathomable that MLS Commish Don Garber would green light any deal with those dark clouds. No, IF this deal goes through, it will likely be with some mysterious "compensation" headed down to Rosario (not De Rosario - get over it haterz) which will be undisclosed due to club policy.

At this point you can't fault any TFC supporter for putting a capital "IF" around a deal that was "imminent" back in May - but it has admittedly moved onto another level. We will have more to discuss about the latest TFC "Messiah" when and IF the deal goes through - until then we just have to hope for a happy ending.

 

Chromeo

Urruti and a mystery MF sign.

Urruti & what we will refer to for now as Mysterion, as depicted by South Park

I was awaiting official word of the signing, but because of the pending brilliance, I need to post now.

To be filed under "Please don't fall through", Toronto finally capture their Argentine designated player in Maximiliano Urruti. The Newell's Old Boys striker has been the focus of a long, nearly drawn-out, courtship but will add flexibility to the front of the Robins attack. No word yet when he'll make his debut.  If his highlight reel is to be taken as law, he can poach and create, and he ain't no MF.  Wikipedia, at the time of writing, is calling this a loan for the 22 year old.

What is remarkable from the Canadian Press report is the away team with Pat Onstad has revealed a second signing.  We don't know much other than he plays in the MF.  Perhaps this MF can add some creativity in the middle of the pitch.  Toronto used to have depth (ranging from passable to mediocre) with a string of MFs.  Some MFs were converted to forwards, some stayed attacking MFs.  What I understand is that whomever this MF is, this MF better bring his game, son.

I'm tired of these MFs failing.  Look at Hall.  Is that the kind of MF that's going to spark this team?  Hell naw.  Now Dunfield, there's a MF that knows work.  He ain't creative for s---, but at least he works.  Lambe is one of those disappearing MFs, sometime's he's good, other times he's a liability.  We need consistency from our MF.  At least our MF ain't trippin'.  Nobody likes diving.

We need a bad-ass MF, and not a bad MF as in terrible.

Editor's Note : the author first understood MF to mean mother f--ker, as that's how he read it on twitter.  He now understands that it is midfielder, but we kept the report intact.

THE WORD: The "Miliano Dollar Man"?

"Everybody's got a price!" (Argentine Virgil not pictured)



"Young DP" hasn't been talked about this much since the unfounded rumours of a 'Young MC' sex tape all those years ago. Alas, "Bust A Move/Nut" turned out to be a hoax but that doesn't stop DP fever from hitting a crescendo in the TFC nether regions.
　
In the long and successful history of Toronto FC designated players, one that includes Julian de Guzman, Mista and Torsten Frings' hip - never have The Reds ventured into the fairly untested waters of MLS' "young DP" program. However, when updating the local media on possible additions to the squad recently, TFC President Kevin Payne admitted that a youthful Argentine was indeed being scouted by new head scout Pat Onstad. Since then, possible targets have been rumoured but today we may have our first glimpse at our Argie Loch Ness monstero.
　
Toronto football journalist/Brennan truther, Kristian Jack cited multiple sources on website 4-2-3-1.com that the target in question is 22-year-old Newell's Old Boys striker Maximiliano Urruti. The well-built forward saw his stock rise rapidly at our favourite-named Argentine club but has seen his minutes diminished with the return of a veteran striker to NOB. Once garnering interest from a host of Europa League-level European clubs, Urruti may be seeking a new start somewhere that will see him get mucho minuto.
　
Before we start making "Canada's Maradona" T-shirts however, there are some question marks surrounding Urruti. His scoring record is considered modest for a player of his age and position in Argentina. There is also a potentially sticky issue over claims that Urruti made disparaging remarks about the ethnicity of a Paraguayan player during a Copa Libertadores match earlier this year. Toronto's Little Asuncion neighbourhood will not be pleased.
　
This deal is definitely far from certain with TFC letting everyone know that it will be weeks and not days before we hear actual news. Also, how his contract would be structured in the MLS young DP program (long-term loan etc.) is also a mystery at the moment. The suddenly tiny amount of international roster spots on TFC would also have to be addressed to add more non-domestics (rumours of a one way ticket purchase to Bermuda not confirmed) so this is a story very much in the mixing bowl. But hey, a dynamic-looking striker (watch video here - WARNING: Screaming) with an awesome super villain name from an even greater named club! What's not to like?
　
Dropping science… Is Urruti down?