Soccer By Ives

Kinnear staying at Newcastle: The TFC effect

 

Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear had the interim tag removed from his title on Friday, meaning Kinnear will be the Magpies manager for the remainder of the season. The development should put to rest very real concerns in Toronto that head coach John Carver would leave Toronto to join Alan Shearer's staff if and when Shearer took over at Newcastle.

With Kinnear keeping his job, and Shearer continue to wait his turn to take over the club he starred for, Carver should be back in Toronto for the 2009 season, a season that could be a breakout year for TFC as it sits on $ 1 million in allocation money, three first-round draft picks and a Designated Player slot the team is expected to use in 2009.

What do you think of this development? Glad to know Carver will be back? Were you hoping he would go back to England? Think Toronto could be the surprise team of 2009?

Share your thoughts below.

MLS News & Notes: Cooper transfer looking inevitable, Donovan's loan done (or not) and more

   

                                                                                                 Photo by ISIphotos.com

U.S. national team fans weren't the only ones who caught a glimpse of Kenny Cooper's performance against Guatemala on Saturday. Scouts from several European clubs, including German club Eintracht Frankfurt, were also in attendance at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and the interest in Cooper should only continue to grow as it becomes increasingly unlikely that Cooper will be signing a new deal with FC Dallas.

Cooper is preparing to head into the final year of his current contract and negotations over a new deal with FC Dallas have stalled, sources with knowledge of the talks told SBI on Thursday. With Cooper seeking designated player money, and FC Dallas offering in the $325K to $375K range, look for MLS to do it's best to sell Cooper in January in order to avoid losing him for nothing after the 2009 season.

Here are some other tidbits to go over in the MLS scene:

Playoff dreams end early for four MLS teams

                                                                                Photo by ISIphotos.com

Four teams saw their MLS playoff dreams buried last weekend, leaving four groups of fans disgusted and four clubs searching for answers heading into the off-season.

San Jose, Los Angeles, Toronto FC and FC Dallas came into the season with post-season dreams, and each of them had the look of a playoff squad at varying times this season (some for more brief periods than others). Unfortunately for each of them, stretches of poor form, bad signings and costly mistakes left them chasing the pack and ultimately falling short of the playoffs.

Here's a quick look at each of the Finished Four, their seasons, and their prospects for the future:

Chicago Fire at Toronto FC: Your Running Commentary

The task for Toronto FC is simple, though difficult. TFC must win today to avoid becoming the first Eastern Conference officially eliminated from the playoffs. Win its last two games and hope that other things fall into place and Toronto could overcome an awful second half of the season to reach the playoffs.

Chicago doesn't have such worries. The Fire is in the playoffs and the only thing it is worried about at this point is securing home-field against New England in the first round of the playoffs.

Today will also offer up a Brian McBride vs. Chad Barrett match-up. Chicago traded Barrett to Toronto for the rights to McBride in a deal that has worked out for both teams. That won't stop Barrett from trying to show the Fire that it made a mistake.

If you will be watching today's match, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

Toronto FC at New York Red Bulls: Match Night

The New York Red Bulls take on Toronto FC tonight in a key match in the Eastern Conference playoff race. At least it's key for the Red Bulls. TFC is stuck in last place and a loss tonight could officially eliminate the Canadian club from playoff consideration.

Tonight is also the Red Bulls' first match since last week's 5-4 shootout loss against the Colorado Rapids. The shell-shocked defense will look to rebound after allowing eight goals in two matches.

I will be covering the match tonight and doing a running commentary throughout so be sure to check in here for updates on the action.

If you will be watching the match, please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below (leave the play-by-play to me.)

Enjoy the match:

Houston Dynamo at Toronto FC: Your Running Commentary

Toronto FC doesn't have much hope of making the playoffs, but it must still play host to the two-time defending champion Houston Dynamo. Fans will still stream into BMO Field and cheer in force (though I have a feeling we might hear some boos as well).

If you are watching today's game, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

Emptying the Notebook: On Beckham, Carver, Exantus, Anelka and more

So it's the day after the Los Angeles Galaxy's awful 3-1 loss to Chicago on Thursday and you're probably wondering where the Galaxy will go from here. I can tell you where at least one of their players is.

None other than David Beckham is in New York City today along with wife Victoria to promote their fragrance lines. I'm not sure what the name of David's cologne is but Eau De No Playoffs has a nice ring to it.

As will hopefully become a weekly or bi-weekly routine, I will look to touch on subjects at the end of the week that I haven't been able to get around to during the week. Whether they are unused quotes, tidbits of information I've stumbled on but haven't gotten around to, or just stories that didn't make it onto the site this week, I will try to throw it all in here.

So let's take a look at some information that should be of interest:

Columbus Crew at Toronto FC: Your Running Commentary

The first-place Columbus Crew is in Canada today to take on Toronto FC. If you are watching the match today, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play, in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

Toronto acquires Freeman from Red Bulls (updated)

Toronto FC has acquired right back Hunter Freeman from the New York Red Bulls for two supplemental draft picks and other considerations, sources with knowledge of the deal told SBI on Friday morning.

Here are some more detals on the trade: It includes a clause that will force TFC to give the Red Bulls a 2011 second-round MLS SuperDraft pick if Freeman re-signs with Toronto FC at any point in 2009 (Freeman's MLS contract is up on Dec. 31 and he is set to join Norwegian club IK Start on Jan. 1). If Freeman returns to MLS after 2009, his MLS rights would revert back to the Red Bulls, with no compensation being owed to Toronto.

Freeman leaves the Red Bulls after two seasons. He will join a Toronto squad desperate for some depth after recent World Cup qualifiers left the club's roster bare. TFC had been in discussion with the Red Bulls about Freeman for several weeks.

Chivas USA topples patch-work Toronto FC

When Tyler Rosenlund found the net for his first career goal, Toronto FC looked well on its way to the most improbable victory in TFC's brief history.

Then reality set in.

Playing with three players signed just for the match, Toronto couldn't overcome the absence of eight starters to international duty. Their improbably 1-0 lead disappeared just 11 minutes later as Daniel Paladani scored the first of three Chivas USA goals as the Goats left Toronto with a 3-1 win.

TFC chief scout Tim Regan, Toronto Lynx defender Ricky Titus and Diaz Kambere all stepped into the Toronto lineup and tried their best, but this edition of Pros vs. Joes always seemed destined to go in favor of Chivas USA.

What did you think of the match? Was it what you expected? Did any of the fill-ins impress you? Still scratching your head at Toronto FC having to play the match?

Share your thoughts below

Help Wanted: Have cleats? Call TFC

                                                                                Photo by ISIphotos.com

John Carver is looking for some soccer players, any soccer players.

In a story widely-reported in Canada, Carver's Toronto FC will have to take on Chivas USA on Saturday missing nine players due to international duty. Toronto petitioned MLS to have the match re-scheduled, and the Toronto Sun reported that Chivas USA was not opposed to a re-scheduling, but MLS rejected the request.

Why? An MLS spokesman stated that MLS did not want to set a precedent by re-scheduling and felt it was unfair to other teams that might be missing players.

That response is acceptable for a team missing two or three players, but forcing a team to play without nine players is ridiculous.

Evening ticker: Rapids trade Herculez to KC, Barrett signs new TFC deal and Nery goes missing

                                                              Photo by ISIphotos.com

One team is in desperate need of some offensive help while the other team might just be raising the white flag.

That's one way to look at the Colorado Rapids trading of forward Herculez Gomez to Kansas City for allocation money and draft picks (4th rounder and 1st round supplemental in '09).

The Wizards will be hoping Gomez can kick-start an offense that has produced an Eastern Conference-low 23 goals this season, including six goals in the past five matches.

Here are some other stories to round out your day:

New England Revolution at Toronto FC: Your Running Commentary

The New England Revolution faces Toronto FC in a key Eastern Conference match-up at BMO Field on Saturday.

The Revs, which just regained first place in the East after Wednesday's win against D.C. United, will look to knock off struggling TFC, which is sitting in last place in the East, having gone more than two months since their last win at BMO Field.

Newly-acquired TFC forward Carlos Ruiz will NOT be with the team in Toronto tonight but is expected to join his new team on Tuesday.

If you will be watching tonight's match, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

A closer look at the Carlos Ruiz trade

                                                                                  Photo by ISIphotos.com

The details finally emerged on the Carlos Ruiz trade from LA to Toronto FC on Thursday and they were shocking to say the least. The LA Galaxy shipped Ruiz to Toronto FC for a pair of supplemental draft picks. Now Toronto has a former MLS MVP and the current Guatemalan national team captain for the low price of two supplemental picks and the $120K in salary they will pay Ruiz.

It seems like highway robbery until you consider that LA used the cap space to sign U.S. national team midfielder Eddie Lewis. As much as adding Lewis should help Bruce Arena's squad, you can't help but feel that they gave Ruiz away too cheaply. Was the market really that weak for Ruiz? Did Toronto get the steal of the year?

Maurice Edu secures UK work permit, completes Rangers transfer

                                                                Photo by ISIphotos.com

U.S. national team midfielder Maurice Edu received his UK work permit on Friday, clearing the way for his $5 million transfer to Glasgow Rangers.

Edu will join U.S. national team teammate DaMarcus Beasley at Rangers, where he is expected to challenge for a starting central midfield role.

"I'm excited about this new chapter in my career,"  Edu said in a statement released by Toronto FC. "I will miss Toronto, and the team's amazing supporters and fans. Toronto FC will always have special meaning for me because it's the club that gave me my professional start.

The 2007 MLS rookie of the year after being drafted no. 1 overall in the 2007 MLS Draft, Edu joins Jozy Altidore and Brad Guzan as national team players to make moves from MLS to Europe this summer.

What do you think of Edu's move? Think he'll flourish at Rangers? See him making a bigger move before long? Sad to see him leave MLS?

Share your thoughts below.

Toronto FC lands Carlos Ruiz from LA

                                                                            Photo by ISIphotos.com

The Los Angeles Galaxy has traded Carlos Ruiz to Toronto FC, sources told SBI on Tuesday evening. Details of the deal were not available yet. To make room for Ruiz on the roster, TFC has waived French midfielder Laurent Robert.

The Galaxy's dealing of Ruiz now clears the way for LA to sign U.S. national team midfielder/defender Eddie Lewis.

Danny Dichio "okay" after being elbowed

                                                          Photo by ISIphotos.com

Toronto FC forward Danny Dichio looked clear-headed and alert as he walked out of Giants Stadium following TFC's 2-0 loss to the Red Bulls. The big English striker left the match after just playing two minutes when Red Bulls defender Gabriel Cichero caught Dichio with an elbow to the face. Having just missed a month of action with a concussion, Dichio was removed from the match for precautionary reasons.

“I’m okay, just got a bit of a bad headache,” Dichio said after the match. “I was scared at first because I’ve just come back from (a concussion) but we’ll keep our fingers crossed that everything’s fine.”

Dichio was replaced by Jarrod Smith in the 49th minute of Sunday's match, marking just four minutes of action a week after he played 10 minutes in TFC's 1-0 win against Colorado. Dichio says he was replaced for precautionary reasons.

After the match, Dichio stated that the way he was feeling following the Cichero elbow wasn't at all like the feeling when he suffered the concussion on July 1st against the Vancouver Whitecaps, which forced him to miss a month of action. That said, Dichio will have to wait a while to be re-evaluated ahead of Saturday's match against New England.

Toronto FC at New York Red Bulls: Matchday Commentary

Good afternoon everybody. Toronto FC is at Giants Stadium today to take on the New York Red Bulls in a key Eastern Conference clash. The winner today moves into playoff position while the loser falls into the trailing pack in the rugged East.

I will be providing running commentary for today's match so be sure to stay tuned to SBI for the latest on the action. If you will be watching the match, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

Johann Smith to make TFC debut today

                                                                                  Photo by ISIphotos.com

Former U.S. Under 20 forward/midfielder Johann Smith is set to make his debut for Toronto FC today against the New York Red Bulls after signing with TFC on Thursday.

Toronto made a trade with New England (sending allocation money to the Revs) to move up from 13th to second in the MLS allocation order to grab Smith, who has been without a club since being released by English club Bolton Wanderers last spring.

A speedy left winger who can also be used up front, Smith could challenge for the starting left midfield position held by inconsistent French winger Laurent Robert. The scouting report on Smith is that he has blazing speed but lacks finishing ability and isn't the most technically gifted player. At just 21 years of age, Smith is a a quality prospect who isn't costing Toronto much on the salary cap.

What do you think of Toronto's addition of Smith? Can he be an impact player?

Share your thoughts below.

MLS accepts $5 million Rangers bid for Edu

                                                  Photo by ISIphotos.com

Maurice Edu is on his way to Europe.

According to multiple sources within Major League Soccer, MLS and Toronto FC have accepted a $5 million transfer fee for Edu from Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers. Edu is stil finalizing personal terms with Rangers, but a deal is expected to be completed soon.

Edu joins Jozy Altidore ($10 million move to Villarreal) and Brad Guzan ($1.5 million move to Aston Villa) on the list of MLS standouts to make moves to Europe this summer. Who do you think is next to go?

Share your thought's on Edu's move, and on who you think will go next, in the comments section below.