Nick Garcia released - Earl Cochrane handed key to city

No Country for Poor Defenders

There are two possibilities of what is happening behind the scenes at Toronto FC. Either Interim-ish Director of Football Earl Cochrane is culling the wasted contracts of overpaid and undertalented players to give a new GM a clean slate; or... the Interim-ish GM isn't interim whatsoever and the now ten players who have departed and the one arrival is the beginning of Toronto FC being built in Cochrane's image. One thing is for certain, today's chopping block exercise included one name that gained Cochrane some new fans.
　
Yes, the most glaring "crony" signing of the Mo Johnston era, Nick Garcia, was dispatched from the club today alongside youngsters Fuad Ibrahim and Amadou Sanyang. The much-maligned Garcia had outstayed his welcome with TFC in the eyes of many fans by the end of his first season with The Reds but ironically had his most solid spell during 2010. Despite that, his image as an error-prone and slow defender, and more damning, the gleaming beacon of Mo Johnston/ First Wave signings, along with a hefty contract, marked the end of his Toronto spell today.
　
Garcia, unlike his two young African counterparts, can enter the new MLS re-entry draft - a result of this year's CBA negotiations, in the hopes of latching on to another MLS side. If he does, it will be at a far smaller wage and with diminished responsibility. The last couple of weeks have seen a clearing of Mo Johnston's "genius" signings leaving TFC with a decent core of seventeen players. While more could still depart all that is left to see is whether the new acquisitions (with names like Juan Pablo Angel, Jimmy Conrad and Adrian Serioux available in the re-entry draft) will be in the mould of a new GM or if Earl Cochrane is already in the midst of building "his" team.

"Too many own-goals friendo"

Has "The New Era" started yet?

The fat, yawning kid is far less likely to give away that ball than Nick Garcia

Every TFC promo since the beginning of the season has been touting the beginning of a "new era" under Preki. This fresh start is apparently the change we've been waiting for. Much like the new era that started under John Carver - but with less likeable players. Judging by tonight's 4-1 drubbing by New England, the results are similar as well.

Rather than re-hash the infuriating and schizophrenic loss in Boston, perhaps we can just take a look at the "new era" we are now living under. New manager Preki is trying to instill a tough, hard work ethic based on solid skills, that much is fine. Sadly the misDirector of Football Mo Johnston has been unable to provide him with decent talent to do so - that is not. Part of the Preki revolution was to rid the club of players who did not fit with this philosophy - reasonable idea right?

The error with this plan is of course expecting that a man who has only managed to reconstruct an expansion team after 5 years on the job could replace those players. In fact, let's take a little look at some of the "Old New Era's" players" and some of the "New New Era's" replacements.

"OLD NEW ERA STARTERS": Carl Robinson, Danny Dichio, Tyrone Marshall, Adrian Serioux, Amado Guevara, Marvell Wynne

"NEW NEW ERA REPLACEMENTS": Marco Saric, Nick LaBrocca, Nick Garcia, Ty Harden, Dan Gargan and a Latvian with too many consonants in him name for 1AM.

So, as you try to tell yourself that "everything will work out" and "we need to give it time to gel" ask yourself which team you would rather build around right now. Minus the retired (forcefully) Dichio, the old club needed a few additions to become MLS-good. It needed a top-notch striker, a speedy winger and a solid centreback. Instead, Mo "Man with No Plan" Johnston has overseen a panicked wholesale change while barely having the skills to give change for a cup of coffee.

In the spirit of Revolution... isn't it time to stop singing songs for long retired players and start continuously spewing the venom you all feel (don't deny it!!!) towards the one man responsible for this shambles? No, as much as I'd love to say Nick Garcia... you know who it is. And before you get any bright ideas, Jim Brennan (aka Jo Bronston) should not be his replacement. Time for the paying customers to yell louder and longer because with the current management in charge, we will have a "new era" every season.

Oh and... you suck Nick Garcia. Go. Leave. Now. You make baby Jesus cry.

New kit... same sh*t

---"These Canucks are mocking us in their new jerseys! Tase 'em!"

As if watching Toronto FC lose badly to "rival" Columbus 2-0 isn't bad enough, having to watch it on GOL-TV just twists the knife. When the game coverage is brought to you directly from the same boardroom that hired team "architect" Mo Johnston, you have to be regaled by MLSE-brand excuses and promotion for two hours. Having to sit through the mire that was 2010's opening match and then have to watch Dwayne De Rosario, Nick Garcia and Preki talk about "the positives" of the loss in post-match interviews is just insulting.

Yes, The Reds did hold their defensive shape for a good chunk of the first half. However, if Preki is planning to play a Bolton-esque grinding defence style all year he needs to realize two things: fans will only enjoy ugly football if you get points using it; and, like Bolton, you actually have to have talented defenders. Instead, TFC has Ty Harden who Tried Harden but looked like a Ken-doll in distress and the utter hot mess that is Nick Garcia. We semi-joked on this site for months that Garcia would start today. Our horrifying prediction was paid off with a defensive display so shockingly inept it is unworthy of a witty simile. Garcia isn't worthy of a MLS bench spot yet in Mo Johnston's 4 year plan is our main centreback. Great guy to have if you need a ball cleared directly into your keeper's back though!

Going forward has gone backward. While the 2nd half offered some spluttering sloppy opportunities at goal, the spinal combo of De Gu, De Ro and O'Brien "Montego Molasses" White is not going to bulge the onion bag too often. Makeshift wingers Gala, Cronin and sub LaBrocca did little as far as delivery into the box, so it looks as if Preki's hope is that long-range shots and messy scrambles will provide enough goals to get by. Surely he's not waiting on Chad Barret to change things. Yes Preki is a defensive minded coach but some ideas going forward need to arrive quickly.

At the final whistle, the scoreline was fair. Columbus was way under-par today and if they had capitalized on a number of goalmouth chances the score could have been worse. It is indeed the first match and due to Mo Johnston's ineptitude, new players are still coming into the system. There is time to get better for TFC but it cannot be with a display too much like today's. The post-match interviews are fine and dandy corporate talk on a corporate network but if there really are positives, they need to be built upon in a hurry. Otherwise, much like the misDirector of Football - it's all hot air. TFC 2010 looked a hell of a lot like TFC 2007 and there is no plus side to that.