Training Notes - December 31, 2008

2009 is only 12 hours away now, and there is a growing buzz in the world of Toronto FC. With the recent acquisition of Dwayne De Rosario, as well as the growing talk of signing a designated player, many supporters are getting pretty excited in anticipation for the 2009 season.

No one really knows what's in store for Toronto FC supporters in 2009, but here are a few things I would like to see this year...

- MLS Cup: The goal of every team in every league is to win the championship, and that's what we all want. Pretty simple.

- NCC: We have to win the Nutrilite Canadian Championships this year. Last year's loss to the Impact was our darkest day.

- Designated Player: John Carver wants one, Mo Johnston wants one, and we want one. Enough said.

- Grass: No need to explain this one. We've lost players to turf and this really shouldn't be an issue for a professional soccer club.

- A commanding CB: This is an issue that needs to be resolved. At times, our defense has been plain ugly, mainly because we lack that force in the middle of our defense.

- A breakout year for RR: I'm hoping Rohan can get on the scoresheet more often this year. I think he has the ability to, and to become an elite winger in MLS, he'll have to score in more than two games.

- Success on the Road: We have won just four away matches in two seasons, and generally play much worse away from BMO Field. Consistency on the road will be key to success in 2009.

And now, onto some news and notes...

Marvell Wynne has been called up to the USMNT by Bob Bradley for a training camp that will run from January 4-25.

Carl Robinson's latest column is up. He talks about the signing of DeRo and pre-season training in his post.

The 24th Minute has a series of annual awards up today. Check them out - it's pretty well done.

The "soccerization" of Qwest Field in Seattle has begun. There are now tarps on the upper decks of the stadium in preparation for Seattle Sounders FC's inaugural season.

Bermudan midfielder Stephen De Graff has been invited to join the Kansas City Wizards on trial.

Bobby Boswell could be joining Antalyaspor in Turkey.

That's all for today. Have a safe and fun New Years and we'll see you in 2009!

DP would be a good fit with TFC

All the DP talk over the past few weeks has got me a little excited. After all, the designated player rule was made to attract world class stars to Major League Soccer, and I think every Toronto FC supporter has been waiting for this to happen since the rule was put in effect.

Obviously, the league looks at designated players as potential seat sellers. David Beckham sells out stadiums league-wide, and players like Juan Pablo Angel and Cuauhtémoc Blanco provide good entertainment for their local fans. These three do a pretty good job both on and off the field.

When you look at our club, though, you know that we don't need to sell seats. Supporters just want TFC to win. Everyone involved at the club just wants TFC to win. We need a designated player who will contribute game in and game out on the field, from whatever position he plays.

If you were to give me the option of a 22 year-old striker from South Africa, who nobody has heard of, but will score 25 goals a year, and a player like Filippo Inzaghi, who will play for maybe a year or two, I'd take the 22 year-old. I'd take the player who would be here for many years to come, and would only get better and better. Granted, he could find his way over to Europe, but if that were to happen, we can always sign another DP (I know, easier said than done).

In signing a designated player, Mo doesn't need to necessitate to the soccer fans in the GTA. He needs to necessitate to the Toronto FC fans. For us, signing a DP isn't about attracting more fans, though this may come as result of a DP signing. It's about bringing in a player who will play well with our team, and lead us to success on the pitch.

Training Notes - Tuesday, December 30, 2008

No Toronto FC news right now. Like many of you, I'm waiting for January 5, a day when the supposed "big splash" could be taking place. While remaining cautiously optimistic about it, I really cannot wait or a potential DP to be announced and unveiled.

As much as I hope the DP is a striker, I am not forgetting that we need to bring in a big and commanding centre half to control our defense. I'm talking about a Jimmy Conrad-like figure - a true leader in the backline.

Onto new and notes, here is what's going on today...

DeRo or DeGuz - who gets your vote for your favourite Canadian soccer player?

Duane Rollins at The 24th Minute talks about how Justin Thompson re-signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps hoping to play in the CONCACAF Champions League through the Nutrilite Canadian Championships.

The New England Revolution have signed Michael Videira. The 22 year-old was selected 18th overall in the second round of the 2008 Super Draft, and had an unsuccessful spell with Hamilton Academicals in Scotland before signing with the Revs.

Another piece of the Seattle Sounders FC puzzle was filled today. Tom Dutra was named their goalkeeping coach.

Andrea Canales at SI.com thinks that MLS lacks old-fashioned feuds. She says that our very own John Carver will likely shake up things between coaches and referees in this league. In Carver we trust!

Mexican forward Luis Angel Landin looks to be headed to Cruz Azul, rather than the Houston Dynamo.

Soccer by Ives is wondering what you think about crowning the champions. Should it be the MLS Cup winners or the Supporters Shield winners?

Sounder at Heart mentions that West Ham defender Calum Davenport could be a potential MLS target. He has recently fallen out of favour with Gianfranco Zola, and after a bust-up this weekend, looks to be on his way out of Upton Park.

Training Notes - Monday, December 29, 2008

Now that Christmas is over, it's back to the grind, for a day or two at least. With the transfer window just around the corner, I'm expecting things to pick up in the next few weeks.

I had a pretty weird dream about our 2009 season opener in Kansas City. Claudio Lopez and Robin van Persie (wtf?) scored for the Wizards, while Jeff Cunningham scored for us. Thank god it was a dream. I don't know what would be worse right now - having to defend RVP, or having Cunningham back.

Anyhow, here are some notes for today...

According to Kyle McCarthy, our New Years Resolution should be to "discover the world of player acquisition outside of the Championship."

Gareth Wheeler at the Sun gives his wish list for soccer in 2009.

Defender of the year Chad Marshall has re-signed with the Crew for 2009. He was recently on trial with Mainz in Germany.

David Beckham can play until he's 40, says the doctor who did his medical. Apparently the Galaxy midfielder is in such good condition, he will be able to play at a high level for another 6 years.

Bruce Arena has rubbished talk that having one or two DP's is a handicap for a club. This article also mentions that we have released Ruiz.

Canadian defender David Edgar scored against Liverpool on Sunday. There wasn't much to celebrate though, as his Magpies lost 5-1 to the Premiership leaders. From defense, he's scored against Manchester United and now Liverpool - not bad for the Kitchener native.

Clint Dempsey, an American midfielder, scored twice on Sunday against Chelsea to give Fulham a share of the spoils.

According to MLSR, Bobby Boswell could be headed to a mystery club in Turkey. Boswell will forever be remembered for his infamous Bachelor of the Year contest video.

Also from MLSR, DC United centre half Gonzalo Peralta could be going back to Argentina. Peralta was one of 4 or 5 South Americans signed by United before the 2008 season, each of whom were more or less a bust.

Nothing New

I hope you guys all had awesome Christmases. I certainly did.

There is literally nothing going on right now in the world of TFC, but that's understandable. I think it will be pretty quiet until the "big splash" happens (which could be January 6).

If you remember, last week someone noticed that Carlos Ruiz has apparently been released. His wiki also says this. Today, I stumbled upon this article (translated via Google) that says that Ruiz is currently in Los Angeles training for next season with us. Hopefully I can clear this up soon.

That's all for now, cheers!

Merry Christmas!

Season's greetings everyone!

Unless something big happens, I probably won't be updating the blog for a few days. I hope you have an awesome holiday!

For now, here are a few notes for today...

The Los Angeles Galaxy have finally found a goalkeeper. Donovan Ricketts, the starting goalkeeper for the Jamaican national team, will likely slide right into the Galaxy's starting eleven. It looks like the Bruce Arena Revolution has begun in LA.

The New York Red Bulls and Chivas USA have emerged as the frontrunners for Korean midfielder Ahn Jung-Hwan.

The Vancouver Whitecaps have signed Marlon James. The striker from St. Vincent and the Grenadines has scored 8 goals in 17 appearances for his national side.

Real Madrid's Fabio Cannavaro believes David Beckham will prove his worth at AC Milan.

Training Notes - Monday, December 22, 2008

Sick and snowed in, I still got to work this morning. It's lunch now and I'm sitting here in Coffee Culture, too broke to buy a coffee, and blogging. Priorities, eh? Anyhow, you may have noticed that my daily "training notes" have been few and far between as of late. This is just because of a lack of news. The fact that a "big splash" is coming soon almost makes me wish the holidays were over, because I just want to know what's going on. Only time will tell, though.

Here are some notes for today...

Canadian national team captain Paul Stalteri was released by Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend, and I was hoping he would wind his way up in our lineup one way or another. It looks like that isn't happening anytime soon, as he signed with German club Borussia Monchengladbach today. Stalteri joins fellow Canadian, Rob Friend.

David Beckham was unveiled by AC Milan on Saturday. He will be wearing number 32 for the Italian giants. What do you think - will Becks' loan deal to Milan bring an end to his MLS career?

Steve Goff at Soccer Insider is reporting that DC United may have passed up the opportunity to sign Ghanaian midfielder Stephen Appiah. At only 28, he would be an ideal candidate for a DP in MLS.

The Columbus Crew will be unveiling their new head coach today at 2 PM. Who cares?

The Kansas City Wizards are being linked with Honduran striker Carlo Costly. Mike at Down the Byline offers his thoughts here. Some of you may remember that we failed in a bid for Costly in August.

Chivas USA midfielder Francisco Mendoza will train with Mexican giants Chivas de Guadelajara.

Fish sent swimming

Hat-tip to Razcle on the Red Patch Boys forum for this one.

It looks like when we traded for DeRo, Carlos Ruiz was released at the same time. I didn't catch this until today, and if it's true, this is very good news for our team.

Here is an excerpt from an article by the Canadian Press:

"Toronto helped clear some of financial obligations by releasing high-priced Guatemalan forward Carlos Ruiz, acquired in an August deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy. In five games for Toronto, Ruiz did not add to his 82 career MLS goals. His salary for last season was a hefty $460,000."

Ruiz still appears on our roster at TorontoFC.ca, but I'm sure that's just a formality.

In his time with us, Ruiz made five appearances, starting in three of those, scoring no goals. A knee injury in September kept him out of action for a few weeks, though he still played and scored for the Guatemalan national team.

Here is an amazing video in memory of Ruiz...

Designated Player: Cristiano Lucarelli?

According to MLS Rumors, Cristiano Lucarelli could be set to join us as our first designated player.

The 33 year-old Italian has been to Toronto before. In fact, he scored Italy's lone goal in a 1-1 draw with Serbia and Montenegro at the Rogers Centre.

Throughout his career, he has been capped 6 times by the Azzurri, and has scored over 100 Serie A goals.

Reed: DP announcement "early in January"

Over the last week or so, there has been growing speculation that we are hot on the trail of a designated player. Tonight on the Fan 590's soccer show, Nigel Reed mentioned that a little birdy told him there will likely be a DP announcement in a couple weeks.

Click here to download the podcast. Nigel's statement comes right around minute 38.

I think there is very little doubt now that we are in fact getting a DP, and the club has been fantastic in keeping the names of candidates under wraps.

Stay tuned...

DP from Italy or Brazil

So, I realize this is from MLS Rumors, but last friday they reported that we were getting DeRo, and a few ours later, we had DeRo.

Now, according two MLSR, our DP will be one of two targets - from Brazil or Italy.

Here is what their "source" said...

I can tell you the following about Toronto FC's DP search. Someone privy to the information is close to me. You should know that Toronto has its eyes set on two DP targets. One is a Brazilian currently playing in Europe who for family reasons wants a change. The other is an Italian currently playing in Italy for a team relegated to Serie-B last year. Please do not use my name. Cheers.

Who knows if this has any legitimacy.

And is there more?

Something is up. If you've read Gerry Dobson's blog post today, you'll know this too. As always, Dobson left lot's of hints as to what could be happening and apparently, after the holidays, we are in for a big splash. Some people can't wait for the holidays, but right now, I can't wait until after the holidays.

So, as of right now, the coaches are gone, the boss is gone, and DeRo is still in Houston. It looks like he won't be presented publicly as a TFC player until January at the earliest. January, of course, is after the holidays, when a supposed big splash is going to happen. As well, January marks the opening of the European transfer window. Do you see what I'm getting at?

It is definitely possible that Mo already has a designated player ready to join us in January.

The holidays might be over in January, but Christmas could come very early in 2009.

DeRo and Guevara

Since we traded for Dwayne De Rosario, questions have been raised about Amado Guevara's spot on the field. In all fairness, this comes from our bias toward our Canadian hero. So, can the two work together on the pitch for Toronto FC?

My answer is a definite yes. I see Guevara as a player that can hold the ball up brilliantly and start attacks, playing deep in the midfield. De Rosario plays with a bit more flare than Guevara. Both can make plays, and both can score goals, and with Carl Robinson acting as our midfield anchor, I think we are set in the middle of the pitch.

The thought of brilliant one-touch passes and quick forward moves between DeRo, Guevara and our forwards is exciting, to say the least.

When you look at our team from a year ago, we were still in desperate search of a playmaker. Now, we have two of the best in the league's 13 year history.

Training Notes - Tuesday, December 16, 2008

De Guz is a no go, though, this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. He was indeed approached by TFC to be our designated player but declined, opting to stay in Europe.

Since our acquisition of Dwayne De Rosario, young American midfielder Stuart Holden looks to be jumping at the opportunity to prove himself in the Dynamo's midfield.

Houston supporters will feel that a "thank you" is owed to DeRo for the great memories he gave them.

It's all but official now. After leaving the Columbus Crew just a week or two ago, Sigi Schmid is set to become the first head coach of Seattle Sounders FC. The announcement will be made at 11:00 AM Pacific Time, and there will be a live stream on the club's website. Schmid is one of the best coaches in the history of American soccer, so this is definitely a good pick up by SSFC. Click here to read what Sounder at Heart has to say about it.

Celtic, among other clubs, are keeping tabs on Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljesten. The young American impressed at the Olympics with the USA U23 squad.

According to MLSR, Dax McCarty is attracting interest from the LA Galaxy. Bruce Arena certainly has his hands full in reshaping his Galaxy squad for 2009. Could McCarty be a step in the right direction?

Also from MLSR, could Preki be leaving the Goats? He's emerged as a pretty good coach over his two seasons in charge of Chivas, and I'd be surprised if he left the club so soon.

De Rosario's Homecoming

When you think about the history of major Canadian players in Major League Soccer, only one name comes up. That is the name of Dwayne De Rosario.

He's won three MLS Cups, and has scored the winning goals in two of those finals. He scored the lone goal in 2006 when the MLS All-Stars beat Chelsea 1-0, and it was a cracker of a shot, and we all witnessed his penalty that gave the All-Stars a 3-2 win over West Ham United in July. Throughout his career, he has never played on a team that missed the playoffs.

In relative terms, you could compare Dwayne De Rosario's homecoming to Toronto to that of Alan Shearer returning to Newcastle. Obviously we don't have the history Newcastle has, and DeRo isn't the player Shearer was (or is). I think you know what I mean, though.

Since we joined the league in 2006, the number one name on just about every supporter's list of targets was Dwayne De Rosario, and until today, that name remained on our lists.

Today's trade is by far and large the most significant trade in our short history. We got our city's soccer hero at a significantly low cost, as well. In sending a relatively-unproven defender in Julius James and some allocation money (which is apparently around $125,000-$150,000) to Houston, this trade could end up being the steal of the off-season.

When you look at how Houston gave DeRo up for so little, I can't help but think that he told Dominic Kinnear he wanted to come to Toronto. At only 30 years of age, he still has many years left in him, and we know he will be passionate about bringing success to our club.

Let's not forget Mo Johnston in all of this as well. With this trade, he's shown that he is serious about getting things done this winter. He has been under a lot of scrutiny over the last year or so, and I think this trade will alleviate a lot of the pressure.

I'd also like to acknowledge my amazing future-predicting abilities. Here is a quote from my post-match report from our 1-1 draw with Houston: "Speaking of De Rosario, I had an interesting conversation with one of his uncles before kick off. I talked with him about the potential of DeRo coming here and whether he wants to come or not. I'm not going to write what his responses were, but I'll tell you, there is something going on."

I think Toronto FC just got a new franchise face, and I'd expect to see hundreds of "De Rosario" jerseys around BMO Field next summer.

Speaking of next summer, hopefully we will be able to see a lot more of this...

OFFICIAL: Dwayne De Rosario to Toronto FC

This just in: DeRo is coming home. We got him in exchange for Julius James and allocation money. I'll post my thoughts later, but for now, I'll say that today is a fantastic and historic day in Toronto FC history.

Training Notes - Thursday, December 11, 2008

Training notes are obviously a little late today. Sorry for the delay; here we go:

Ibee Ibrahim played 54 minutes as the Generation Adidas team lost 4-0 to the Chelsea reserves. Scott Sinclair scored a hat-trick for the Blues.

Season Tickets are sold out for 2009.

Marvell Wynne recently did an interview with Andrea Canales from Goal.com.

Don Garber was at BC Place today to check out Vancouver's MLS bid. According to Garber, "[MLS] were impressed with BC Place Stadium...and believe that the downtown location of Vancouver's sports and entertainment district could provide a world-class environment for an MLS expansion team."

English goalkeeper Ian Walker has been linked with a move to MLS. Walker, 37, won 4 caps for England earlier in his career.

The Telegraph is saying Landycakes could be headed to Everton. The Toffees are in dire straights for attacking options with both Yakubu and Louis Saha out with injury.

Quarterfinals draw for the CONCACAF Champions League

Today was the quarterfinals draw for the CONCACAF Champions League. Of the eight remaining teams, only one, the Houston Dynamo, is from MLS, and two, the Montréal Impact and the Puerto Rico Islanders, are from the USL. The remaining five clubs are Atlante FC, Cruz Azul, Pumas UNAM, and Santos Laguna of Mexico, and CD Marathon of Honduras.

Here is how the draw went:

Houston Dynamo v. Atlante FC
Montréal Impact v. Santos Laguna
CD Marathon v. Puerto Rico Islanders
Pumas UNAM v. Cruz Azul

Of the four, the pairing of Pumas and Cruz Azul looks like it should be a good one. All eyes in Canada will be on the Montréal Impact as they look to continue their fairytale run.

Toronto FC targeting Keon Daniel

Thanks to Kristian Jack for clearing this up. A couple weeks ago on MLS Rumors, it was reported that Trinidad and Tobago national team midfielder Keon Daniel was being looked at by several MLS Clubs. According to this, Mo Johnston has in fact been in contact with the 21 year-old

According to his wiki, Daniel already has 15 caps for the Soca Warriors, scoring 5 goals in those appearances.

All of his credentials make him look like he'd be an asset for us. I haven't seen him play, but 5 goals in 15 caps from midfield is a pretty good international stat. At 21, his best years are still ahead of him. I would definitely be happy if we signed him.

Training Notes - Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Chad Barrett is hoping his time at the US National Team training camp will help him earn more call ups in the future.

Crew head coach Sigi Schmid will NOT be renewing his contract with the club. He's likely headed to Seattle to become the first head coach of Seattle Sounders FC. This is a pretty significant pick up for SSFC, as Schmid is one of the most successful coaches in the history of American soccer.

Ronaldo, the Brazilian one, is close to signing a deal with Corinthians. The 32 year-old had been linked to MLS in the past few years, and I was kind of hoping he'd wind his way up with an MLS club.

Don Garber was recently in Portland to check out their potential stadium plans for their expansion bid. According to this article, Don Garber said that he wants the city to be one of the league's next clubs. Could it be Portland and Miami for 2011?

The Vancouver Whitecaps are closing in on signing St. Vincent-born striker Marlon James. He recently won the golden boot in the Maylasian Super-League, scoring 23 goals in 24 appearances.

The Houston Dynamo's proposed SSS deal is still under review. From what I've heard, it is all but passed.

Training Notes - Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Ibee Ibrahim and the Generation Adidas team lost the first match of its trip to England. They fell 1-0 to the Reading Reserves.

Marvell Wynne is one of ten MLS players that European clubs could come asking for. Hopefully he's not going anywhere for now.

Maurice Edu has struggled to adapt to the physical aspect of the Scottish Premier League

The Footy Blog has found an article from the Daily Mail stating that Iain Hume is targeting a return to training in two months. This would be fantastic for Hume, and I'd like to wish him all the best in his recovery.

Michael Parkhurst, the 2007 Defender of the Year, has left the New England Revolution and signed with FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark. As much as I like the development of players in MLS, it sucks to always see the best ones leaving.

Speaking of Defenders of the Year, 2008's winner, Chad Marshall, is currently training with Mainz '05 in the German Second Division. Is it the appeal of European football or the appeal of more money that sends our league's best across the pond?

According to MLS en Espanol, Argentine Dario Conca could be coming to MLS for next season. I know nothing about the guy, so if you have anything let me know!

Jaime Moreno just underwent surgery in Germany for a hernia. He is expected to be fit again in time for next season.

The Vancouver Whitecaps have opted to not renew the contracts of Jeff Clarke, Steve Kindel, and Alfredo Valente. Click here to read Whitecapsfan's thoughts.

I found a blog gender analyzer. It's 57% sure I'm a guy. Awesome.

TFC Connected joins theScore.com Sports Federation

So, according to the press release below, TFC Connected is now part of theScore.com Sports Federation. This is, in fact, true. When I relaunched the blog on Friday night, I mentioned a couple big changes would be happening. This is one of them.

So, what does this mean? TheScore.com Sports Federation is a network of blogs run by Canadian sports fans. It is the first blog network of its kind, and the Score is hoping it will revolutionize the way we see sports media.

You'll notice a new header at the top of the page, linking my blog to all the other blogs in the network. I definitely recommend checking those blogs out. It's a great way to hear what the fans are saying, as opposed to the media.

As well, if you go to theScore.com, there is a section for the blog network right in the middle of the homepage. This will ideally drive traffic to the different blogs involved.

Also, there are some ads coming. They might not be showing up yet, but hopefully by tomorrow you'll be able to see them.

This is definitely a move forward for my blog, and I hope you guys will keep coming back.

Score Media Inc. Launches theScore.com Sports Federation

Launch of network directs fans to the most influential blogs in sports

TORONTO, Nov. 20, 2008 – Score Media Inc. (TSX: SCR) today announced the launch of theScore.com Sports Federation, a network of independent sports websites that empowers fans with a compelling voice to reach a larger audience with the support of a national multi-platform sports network. The Score has selected some of the most influential blogs in sports to be a part of this initiative that puts the hardcore fan front and centre. Score Media is also pleased to announce Bacardi Canada as the official launch partner of the blog network.

Member sites include:

• Down Goes Brown (Toronto Maple Leafs blog) – http://www.downgoesbrown.com
• Canucks Hockey Blog (Vancouver Canucks blog) – http://www.canuckshockeyblog.com
• Five Hole Fanatics (Calgary Flames blog) – http://www.fiveholefanatics.ca
• Sens Chirp (Ottawa Senators blog) – http://www.senschirp.ca
• Black Dog Hates Skunks (Edmonton Oilers blog) – http://www.blackdoghatesskunks.com
• Lions in Winter (Montreal Canadiens blog) – http://www.lionsinwinter.ca
• Fantasy Hockey Scouts (fantasy hockey blog) – http://www.fantasyhockeyscouts.com
• Drunk Jays Fans (Toronto Blue Jays blog) – http://www.drunkjaysfans.com
• Ghostrunner on First (Toronto Blue Jays blog) – http://www.ghostrunneronfirst.com
• RaptorBlog.com (Toronto Raptors blog) – http://www.raptorblog.com
• Dino Nation Blog (Toronto Raptors blog) – http://www.dinonationblog.com
• The CIS Blog (Canadian Interuniversity Sports blog) – http://www.cisblog.ca
• TFC Connected (Toronto FC blog) - http://www.tfcconnected.com
• The Arsenalist (Arsenal FC blog) - http://www.arsenalist.com

Managed by RaptorBlog.com publisher Scott Carefoot, theScore.com Sports Federation gives readers an in-depth look at sports from the true experts themselves, hardcore fans. With a goal of empowering bloggers with the opportunity to have their voice heard by a national audience, the Federation is the first sports-focused network in Canada.

“When I started RaptorBlog.com in 2002, most people didn’t know what a blog was,” says Scott Carefoot, Business Development Manager, Digital Media, Score Media Inc. “With theScore.com Sports Federation, we’re acknowledging the growing influence sports blogs have in reaching people who want an unfiltered medium to express their views and interact with other diehard fans.”

Now taking the lead at bringing a network of blogs to hardcore fans, The Score is helping to generate increased awareness of these influential blogs.

“Our goal with this network is to empower the most compelling, well-informed and entertaining independent voices in sports commentary,” says Jonathan Savage, Vice President, Digital Media, Score Media Inc. “In leading this charge, we are maintaining our focus on being the destination for the hardcore sports fan while giving the sports community a broader medium in which to be heard.”

ABOUT SCORE MEDIA INC.

Score Media is a media company committed to delivering interactive and authentic sports entertainment. Created in 1997 in response to the growing desire for increased participation in the consumption of sports, the Company has now established itself as the home for hardcore sports fans. Score Media’s primary asset, The Score Television Network ("The Score"), is a national specialty television service providing sports news, information, highlights and live event programming in more than 6.4 million homes across Canada. Score Media also operates Hardcore Sports Radio, a satellite radio network available across North America on SIRIUS Satellite Radio, and other interactive assets including theScore.com, Score Mobile, and Score Poker. Growing from a team of 60 in 1997 to over 220 employees in 2008, Score Media is a revolutionizing interactive media company.

For more information, please contact:

Scott Carefoot
Business Development Manager, Digital Media
Score Media Inc.
scott.carefoot@thescore.com

Dichio and Becks

This paragraph is taken straight from David Beckham's autobiography (don't sue me Becks)...

"We'd go out every day with Barca's youth teams and reserve players. The training was amazing. The only catch was that Ridgeways [Beckham's youth team] had a Cup Final against a team called Forest United, at White Hart Lane, at the weekend. I was devastated at the prospect of missing that game; there was also my grandad, who was such a big Spurs fan and wanted to see me play there. He ended up paying for me to fly home for the game and then back to Barcelona again. There wasn't a happy ending though. Forest United had a young Daniele Dichio playing for them, aged twelve, and already seven foot tall and growing a beard. They beat us 2-1 that afternoon."

Hmm, who knew?

Ben the Intern

About a month ago I had to close down my blog pretty quickly. The reason being? I got a brief internship with Toronto FC. A regular internship with MLSE usually runs full-time for four months, but since it was the off-season, they were able to offer a shorter one. It fit my current college program's requirements perfectly. So, I applied, went for an interview, and soon enough found myself with a desk at BMO Field.

The hardest part of it all? I had to go from supporter to employee. Going into it, I was pretty excited. About as excited as a giddy little schoolgirl. From meeting all the staff and players to seeing how things are run behind the scenes at TFC was a very exciting prospect for me. In the end, once I was able to adjust to being an employee, this experience was as rewarding as anything I've ever had the opportunity to do.

I spent the majority of my days at TFC working for Bree Carr-Harris, who is one of the nicest people I've worked with. In fact, everyone on staff there were pretty cool. From the minute I walked in the office they took to me, or, acted like they did anyways. They also allowed me to take in some pretty intense foosball games.

One thing I had to take care of was donation requests. Lots of organizations, all with good causes, send in requests for signed merchandise for auctions, raffles, or fundraisers. This meant sorting through all the letters and deciding which ones Toronto FC would donate to. Everyone who requests a donation gets a card from TFC, and the ones we donate to gets some pretty sweet merchandise, usually a signed jersey or a signed ball.

Along with that, I was able to attend a team/staff lunch at the Rogers Club, I was the main scorekeeper at the annual Supporters' Cup, and I made it out to the final Pub Crawl. Also, thanks to Naveed, I also got my daily fix of Britney Spears and Nickelback.

The main highlight from my internship was the Kit Party. I was involved in the preparation and set-up stages of that event. For those of you who received confirmation emails on your jersey orders from "Ben Van Weelden - Intern," that was me! I also helped put together the final guest list, and helped run the registration table at the event itself. For those of you who came, I was the strapping young gentleman who was lucky to be between Kim and Kelli right at the entrance of the bar.

Having experienced the inner workings of Toronto FC first hand, I can testify that the "All for One" motto lives true, not only in the team's locker room, but in our front office as well. Everyone is working hard and working together to make our club one of the league's elite. Getting to know the folks behind the scenes at our club was a lot of fun, and I hope to keep in touch with all of them.

Thank you Toronto FC for everything and we'll see you guys in 09!

Training Notes - Monday, December 8, 2008

Joe Ross at The Score offers his thoughts on Nuno Gomes' recent contract decline.

Barcelona star Rafa Marquez could be coming to MLS if Miami is joins the league.

Glenn Davis is reporting that Taylor Twellman could be headed to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Twellman is a great player, but I'm not so sure that LA needs to focus on its scoring right now. I also enjoyed his little dig at the Kraft's in regards to an SSS in New England.

According to Shep Messing and Greg Lalas on Extra Time, the Columbus Crew supporters (all 7 of them) were the best supporters in 2008. LOL @ that. Coming from Messing and Lalas though, I'm sure even Crew supporters will realize this means nothing.

AC Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani is hoping David Beckham "falls in love" with his side and decides to extend his stay in Italy.

According to this article, the LA Galaxy are MLS powerhouses. I think even the most passionate of Galaxy supporters would laugh at that. Anyhow, the Galaxy beat the Oceania All-Stars 3-0 over the weekend.

The Toronto Sun has an article about the lack of action from the CSA following our terrible World Cup Qualifying campaign. Looks like a goalless U20 World Cup and an ugly World Cup Qualifying campaign makes a pretty good resume in Canada.

How much sweeter does the Seattle Sounders home kit look with a DP wearing it?

Here's today's gossip column from BBC Sport. Chelsea appear to be keen on Michael Owen, Spurs could be set to give Robbie Keane a return to White Hart Lane, and Xabi Alonso is being watched by Arsene Wenger.

Training Notes - Saturday, December 6, 2008

It looks like Kristian Jack was right with his link to Nuno Gomes. Unfortunately, according to this Portuguese source, Nuno Gomes turned down Mo's offer. The offer was apparently more than twice his current salary at Benfica.

As one rumour is seemingly killed, another arises. MLS Rumors has us linked to 30 year-old Croatian striker Bosko Balaban. I don't know much about the guy, but over on the Red Patch Boys forum he's getting some pretty good reviews. Anyone else notice a certain Canadian defender behind him in the picture above?

The same article from MLSR has Marvell Wynne linked with a move to FC Groningen in Holland or Torino in Italy. Mo's said Marvell isn't going anywhere this winter, so let's hope this proves true.

Rumours that Amado Guevara was headed back to Honduras were killed off by Ives Galarcep. Here's his article.

This article talks about how Tom Anselmi is pushing for grass at BMO Field, and a new training facility. As well, he mentions stadium expansion is not out of the question.

At the Kit Party, Danny Dichio confirmed that he has agreed "in principle" to return next season as a player. Here is an article from the National Post.

Greg Sutton has echoed the sentiments of Jim Brennan and Dwayne De Rosario with regards to Canadian soccer. Yes folks, it's that bad.

Mexican defender Duilio Davino has ended his contract with FC Dallas. Both Mo and Carver have expressed the need for a big, commanding centre half. Is Davino a candidate?

The Asian Beckham is being linked with a move to one of MLS' Eastern Conference clubs. Ahn Jung-Hwan, 32, could be quite the pick up for an MLS side.

Speaking of Becks, he has been praised by his Los Angeles Galaxy teammates for what he's brought to the organization. Why win trophies when you have a great leader?

Seattle Sounders FC unveiled their inaugural kits this week.

TFC Connected is Back

After a month off, TFC Connected is back! You can also expect some pretty significant changes to my blog in the next few weeks, so please keep checking back.

I kind of shut things down pretty quickly back in November...the reason? Yours truly was a Toronto FC intern. There is more to come on that soon. For now, here is a brief rundown on my thoughts regarding the big things going on with Toronto FC and Major League Soccer in the last month or so...

The New Kits

I think they're pretty sweet. I was a little skeptical when I saw the images, but they are both a large improvement. The long-sleeve home shirt is very nice. The grey shirt is very nice as well, and with black shorts, the entire away kit looks a lot better this year. I was also involved in preparation of the Kit Party, which I'll talk about in my write-up about the internship.

Dichio and Robbo Re-sign

I'm happy about both of these guys re-signing for next season. With Robbo, we're bringing back arguably the best defensive midfielder in MLS, and a player who deservedly won our team MVP award. With Dichio, we're bringing back the closest thing we have to a cult here - the man who really got things started for us. He mentioned at the Kit Party that he was feeling fit and in good shape for next season, which is very exciting.

Seattle Sounders FC pick Jarrod Smith

I still think this was a typo. Maybe their list just said "J. Smith" so they thought it was Jarrod. Either way, I think we lucked out with this one. Aside from a really sweet accent, I think the Kiwi had offered us everything he could. To be honest, I didn't really see him as a player who'll emerge as a star in MLS. That said, I wish Jarrod the best of luck with the Sounders.

The Score's Nuno Gomes Rumour

Let's sign him. We tried and failed in the summer, but with the green-light from the board, I think Mo will be able to bring a pretty good offer to the table - regardless of who the DP in question is. Being inside TFC for the last little while, I can confirm that the DP is indeed...okay - that's a lie. I have no clue. If Nuno Gomes is signed, though, I will be a satisfied supporter.

MLS Cup 08

Ideally, two completely different teams would have been in the final. Columbus were the deserving victors though, beating the Red Bulls who snuck their through to the final. Lot's of supporters were talking about how MLS is a joke because the Red Bulls made it to the cup final. I suppose you all think European football is a joke because of Greece and EURO 2004? Right...

That's all for now. It's back to my regular routine of daily news and notes and on Monday. As well, a significant addition is coming to the blog. Stay tuned!