This has been quite the week in the land of Toronto FC, and hopefully we can straighten out some of the finer details and clarify where things stand going into Wednesday’s long-awaited event… the MLS Expansion Draft.
MLS Expansion Draft
There are two new clubs entering play next season if you haven’t already heard, New York City FC and Orlando City SC. The sister club of both Manchester City FC and Melbourne City FC, New York City FC also play in baby-blue kits and happen to have the very same wealthy owners. Orlando City SC meanwhile have been the dominant USL Pro club for the past several years, a league soon to be diluted of credibility with all of the feeder MLS clubs participating in it when league play commences in the spring.
These two new MLS expansion clubs have made waves internationally since signing several players between them in Frank Lampard, David Villa and Kaka. Ok, obviously these are legends of the modern era, but you need eleven players to play – this is where the Expansion Draft enters the fold.
The Draft will take place on Wednesday, with both clubs alternating in the selection of ten players from other clubs around the league.
Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong.
All currently active MLS clubs get to protect eleven players each for starters. TFC’s are: Luke Moore, Jonathan Osorio, Collen Warner, Justin Morrow, Nick Hagglund, Joe Bendik, Kyle Bekker, Warren Creavalle besides the prized Designated Player trio of Jermain Defoe, Gilberto and Michael Bradley.
Teams that have had players come through the system have the benefit of them also being immune to the draft. Toronto has six “homegrown players”, in Quillan Roberts, Jordan Hamilton, Ashtone Morgan, Chris Mannella, Marco Delgado and Manny Aparicio.
If you are MLS savvy, you might be keen to point out that Delgado is not local talent. As he was claimed by Toronto in the recent Chivas USA dispersal draft, he cannot be claimed by other teams hence he is considered part of this list.
Thus, that leaves six players up for grabs – Jackson, Dominic Oduro, Mark Bloom, Steven Caldwell, Chris Konopka and Daniel Lovitz.
Creavalle is a useful utility player, but picking him as a protected player over Mark Bloom raises a few eyebrows – Bloom will most likely be selected by another club knowing the fortunes of Toronto FC. He is due for a salary hike, similar to Bendik’s last year which is why TFC may be wary and as a result he lands on the unprotected list – and why TFC feel confident another club may shy away from signing him. It could be that Marco Delgado is seen as the first-choice for the flanks come next season.
The captain of Toronto, Steven Caldwell, is on this list but it is doubtful that he will be selected by other clubs as age is not on his side, combined with a kindly salary that may be a gamble not worth taking for an expansion club.
Another surprise on the unprotected list is Lovitz who performed admirably when called upon by the first team following a brief loan in Wilmington. He does not have the experience to be considered a lock to be selected but has significant upside at a low wage which could potentially attract a suitor.
Seeing Double
There will be another professional side in the Toronto area in time to field a side in the USL Pro league next summer. What has traditionally been deemed as the third highest division of professional soccer in North America has now expanded drastically to accommodate for MLS feeder clubs. Toronto will have a team, this is certain. We do not know what it will be called, where they will play, who will play for them but we do know they will be coached by long time Toronto FC assistant and former Canadian international Jason Bent. It is expected that projected fringe players like Jordan Hamilton, Chris Mannella and Ashtone Morgan will be sent down to this USL Pro side in order to progress their development, earning playing experience.
Henry the Cypriot
The transfer of Doneil Henry to Apollon Limassol earlier in the season was a mystery to nearly everyone, but it has been finally confirmed, his loan having expired with him headed to Cyprus. For many, it will be an emotional departure. Henry is a local kid, raised in the Greater Toronto Area and one of the few homegrown gems in Toronto FC’s history. He’s broken into the Canadian national team as a valuable contributor, using his physical assets to great effectiveness. He truly shone in their recent fixture against Colombia, sliding over to right back in what was a very experienced Canadian side. For Henry, it is safe to be said that he already has the physical assets to succeed at a higher level, it is simply the mental side that requires a little tuning – this transfer will reap dividends for him.
“I’m very proud of him … I’ve got so much confidence in him and know the player he can be,” Steven Caldwell was quoted as saying.
Keep in mind Henry may return on loan as a Europa League calibre squad like Apollon Limassol may be presently out of his reach; he could end up being shipped out to Toronto on a short-term loan until July. If this transaction were to be completed, Henry would almost certainly have the ability to build upon his 93 matches for the Reds and better his standing amongst the all-time club leaders; he is level in fourth with Jim Brennan behind Ashtone Morgan (94), Dwayne De Rosario (98) and Stefan Frei (99). Note that Morgan will probably play for the USL Pro affiliate as he fell out of favour this season, De Ro will likely not return (if he does it would be a reduced salary) leaving Toronto in another failed attempt to ignite his hometown ablaze as he has elsewhere, while Frei fell victim to a regime change.
Exorcism
It also happens to be the pleasant time of the year in which we find out which players are deemed excess around the league. It is the opportunity to exercise contract options on squad members, or decline them to put it bluntly.
On December 3rd, our Reds decided to decline options on basically the most popular squad members amongst supporters. Regulars who had performed numerous community initiatives, Jeremy Hall and Andrew Wiedeman (who has a massive Twitter following for a player of his stature) were let go, as well as the most popular player of all time to don the Toronto jersey, Dwayne De Rosario. Ryan Richter, who had made several appearances in the 2013 season couldn’t quite make it into the first team in 2014 and was thus loaned to the NASL expansion side Ottawa Fury; his comes as no surprise unlike the others.
“As per club and league policies terms of the deal were not disclosed.”
That now eerily yet somehow hauntingly familiar line was uttered once more as the Vancouver Whitecaps finally confirmed what the general consensus was in regards to the former Toronto FC midfielder Matias Laba. In case you have forgotten who he is what with the “Bloody Big Deal” fiasco that was last season, Laba was supposed to be our future captain/midfield stalwart for years to come, circa 2013 – in January 2014 that all changed when he was shipped out on loan to Vancouver to accommodate for the triumvirate of incoming Designated Players.
Essentially, Vancouver took Laba for a test drive and liked him enough, having now decided he is worth the investment following an initial down payment, this case in undisclosed sums as MLS is famous for.
As Toronto FC General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko put it, “This could be used to help the financing of current or future Designated Players as well as other initiatives to improve our club.”
As Things Stand
So far, the roster for the 2015 season has something that previous seasons perhaps lacked – a central core. It is certainly evident here anyhow in that the consistency in regards to the young core group is a central focus for Bez going forward. Note that Jordan Hamilton has returned on loan from his stint in Portugal and could figure prominently late into matches as a substitute. In addition, it has been decided that the injury-prone striker Bright Dike’s contract will be not be renewed come the end of the season, and it is just as likely that he will not return into the fold with the Nigerian national team.
Below is a list of players who currently are slotted into next year’s roster, subject to change.
2015 Roster
Goalkeepers (3): Joe Bendik, Chris Konopka, Quillan Roberts
Defenders (7): Steven Caldwell, Mark Bloom, Justin Morrow, Nick Hagglund, Warren Creavalle, Ashtone Morgan, Chris Mannella
Midfielders (9): Michael Bradley, Jonathan Osorio, Dominic Oduro, Jackson, Kyle Bekker, Collen Warner, Daniel Lovitz, Manny Aparicio, Marco Delgado
Forwards (4): Jermain Defoe, Gilberto, Luke Moore, Jordan Hamilton
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