Look Forward Not Back

By Enrico Scirocco – Sportswriter

Head coach Ryan Nelsen is organizing his squad for the upcoming season while president and general manager Kevin Payne is working hard to fill out a thin roster.

Frings came to Toronto from Bundesliga cracks Werder Bremen in 2011 with a lot of fan fare and promise.

He left with that same fan fare and promises unfilled. Frings retired due to a hip injury that was not getting better.

TFC had him visit a doctor in the organization that specializes in hip injuries, and the conclusion was that there was no predictable timetable as to when he could return.

Frings, being the team first player that he is, decided he could not let the team down by being away for an undetermined amount of time.

The German midfielder signed with TFC at the end of June 2011 and made his debut about three weeks later.

When he was on the field, his technical skill and soccer-smarts were on display, and although he was not the player he was in his Die Mannschaft days, he still showed glimpses that he was on another level to the guys around him.

Kapitän Frings will be missed, and with no heir apparent to talent and leadership that he brought to the team. Alles bestes skipper!

As part of their pre-season training, TFC participated in this year’s Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic (#MickeyMouseCup).

The Red’s first match was against their Trillium Cup competitors, the Columbus Crew, which they lost 1-0 by a goal from Brazilian center back Gláuber.

Their second game was against Orlando City of the USL Pro Division. Taylor Morgan, Terry Dunfield (PK), and Osorio scored to give the Reds a resounding 3-0 win.

The last game of the round robin portion of the tournament saw TFC lose 3-0 against the Philadelphia Union.

Their last game of the tournament was a consolation match versus Sporting Kansas City, which saw Irish defender Darren O’Dea receive two yellow cards, and TFC would go to lose this game 1-0.

The tournament was not much of a success for TFC, as they were only able to score one goal, which was not even against MLS competition.

Scoring goals may likely be one of their main issues this season. (Photo courtesy of @mps905. Give her a follow!)

To start off the recent player transactions, TFC traded forward Quincy Amarikwa to the Chicago Fire for a first round pick in the 2014 MLS Supplement Draft.

The 25-year-old played in 14 games for the Reds, scoring one goal, and was originally acquired from the New York Red Bulls last summer.

With the roster a little thin, TFC was in a bit of dire need to bring a few players in. On the night they unveiled their new primary kit for the season, TFC also announced the signing of Hogan Ephraim, Jonathan Osorio, and Taylor Morgan.

Ephraim, a 24-year-old forward, comes to TFC on loan from QPR until June 30th, where he scored eight goals for the hoops, while playing in 117 games.

A pleased Ephraim said of the deal: ”(Nelsen) just asked me what my plans were, where I was going out on loan, and whether I fancy this, and it was something that appealed to me straight away.”

Morgan was a drafted by TFC in the 2013 SuperDraft, 58th overall, and also has a QPR connection; both his father and brother have season tickets for the Rangers, and he is excited to play for the new coach he was just in the stands watching play a few months ago.

Osorio, an attacking midfielder, moves up from the TFC Academy to the senior squad, a promotion coming after impressing the coaching staff during training camp.

On the last day of the month, TFC also signed Robert Earnshaw, who tweeted the news himself.

The Welsh international had been playing with Cardiff, but wasn’t able to crack the starting lineup often.

The 31 year-old will be looking to make an impact with TFC, and was flying en route to meet the team in Vancouver, for their season opener – Earnshaw signed a permanent deal and will not be using a valuable DP spot.

TFC kick off their campaign away to the Vancouver Whitecaps in what will be Ryan Nelsen’s first professional coaching match.

In their ‘First Kick’ match, TFC will be hard pressed to put together a solid performance, given the number of new squad players they are trying to gel together.

This first game will almost be like a bounce match at your local park, with many of the squad on the field playing with each other for the first time – I’m sure ”hey, number four – pass the ball” will be overheard on a number of occasions.

TFC actually has a decent record versus the Whitecaps in MLS play, with two wins and one loss, however that will change after this game, and likely for the worse.

On 9 March 2013, TFC has its ‘home’ opener against the Sporting Kansas City. This game will be played in the indoor venue of the Rogers Center, just a hop, skip, and a jump for their actual outdoor home, BMO Field.

The last game TFC played at Rogers Center, last March, was their CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals against the LA Galaxy.

In that game, about 47000 fans, the majority of them wearing red, watched as their beloved team took a 2-0 lead in the first half, only to give up two to David Beckham and his squad later in the game.

This time around, the game is a lot less meaningful, but the crowd, no doubt, will be in full force. A crowd that will be as optimistic as most Toronto sports fans are in this city.

Let’s hope that optimism yields some fruit on the field.