Imagine children at school congregating at the field for a neighbourhood pick-up game. Then, the new kid arrives with his shiny boots and bright, fitted uniform, and then the game starts and new kid on the field is absolutely woeful in his skills. All the kids laugh and new kid is the laughing stock for the foreseeable future.
That new kid trying to overcome his inferiority complex of being an awful athlete by overspending, in our scenario, is Toronto FC.
Toronto FC still trying to earn respect in MLS
When it comes to league wide respect, Toronto FC has been one of the league’s greatest laughing stock. After a pitiful start to the franchise’s history about a decade ago, Toronto tried to bolster their roster by going foreign and adding shiny new parts to a dysfunctional and rusty old machine. The likes of Mista, an aging Torsten Frings, Jermain Defoe, and former head coach Ryan Nelsen left this organization exactly where it was; except this time they were terrible even though they thought they were good. This rhythm continued last season when Toronto ‘bolstered’ their defense by adding Ligue 1 defenders with no MLS experience to inflated contracts. How did that work out? Toronto finished 2015 as the worst defensive team in the league.
Respect isn’t really given to teams who have a habit of trying to fit square pegs into round holes. It’s just sad that New York City FC still haven’t learned that yet.
Take this story back to September 19th, Toronto were in the midst of a playoff race and had just beat the league worst side Colorado Rapids 3-1. Damien Perquis probably had one of his best performances in a red jersey; the only problem is he maybe had two or three more of those all season. Feeling strong and powerful after his rare but positive performance, he decided to abuse a Toronto columnist in the dressing room for comments in the media. Greg Vanney’s press conference took a similar tone as he accused the media of fabricating stories that questioned the commitment of his team. “Anyone who questions the belief of this team- guys get pissed off. It’s people who don’t know our team. A lot of people are saying a lot of things…we proved we are competitors,” Vanney said post-game.
Toronto were talking a big game after beating the worst team in the league. The Rapids have struggled and had a league worst offense, and Toronto could not even hold a clean sheet. Their $300,000 defender made his first positive contribution and there was less than three games left in the season. Vanney’s side had one of the strongest attacks in the league, and the team was struggling to hold on to the final playoff spot. It just felt like Toronto FC were demanding respect and wanted to be taken seriously.
Problem is, when Toronto played competitive opponents such as Columbus Crew, New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, or Sporting Kansas City, they laid an egg. Against the minnows in the league, they looked strong. After making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Toronto were absolutely demolished by the Montreal Impact. Other than Michael Bradley, the entire team had already escaped to the team bus before reporters could reach the dressing room. The lack of accountability definitely doesn’t bode well for a team that has had questions surrounding them for almost a decade.
That won’t earn an organization respect.
On the bright side, the culture surrounding the team has shifted and Toronto are starting to learn from their mistakes. This off-season, the organization has added proven MLS players instead of foreign unproven players. Steven Beitashour, Drew Moor, and Will Johnson have proven to be good players in this league. Moor, Beitashour, and Justin Morrow will form a potentially solid back line. This season’s success in getting into the playoffs also rewarded loyal fans with something to cheer for. Sebastian Giovinco’s talent and Michael Bradley’s leadership was also something to be proud of. A balanced team, such as the one GM Tim Bezbatchenko is constructing, will definitely earn respect if they’re able to concede less goals. This year’s additions will definitely add to the dynamic group added last off-season, creating a team with almost no weaknesses. On paper, Toronto looks poised to be a team that will go deep into the playoffs next season.
That’ll definitely turn some heads.
