Today's News,Friday,Dec.11

[denime]

Mornin'


No TFC News for now.



CSA can't let inmates run the asylum (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/james-on-soccer/csa-cant-let-inmates-run-the-asylum/article1395936/)


Should Canada Heart Stephen Hart? (http://www.torontosun.com/sports/soccer/2009/12/10/12111941.html)



SUNSHINE (http://www.torontosun.com/sunshinegirl/)

[scooter]

mornin d

[CoachGT]

Article from the Sounders about scouting. Interesting to note that they are the only MLS team to have a full time scout on the roster (if true)

http://www.sounderatheart.com/2009/12/10/1195589/scouting-matters

[mlsintoronto]

not true. we have 3.

4 if you count Mo.

We have two guys on the ground in West Africa (covering different regions), as well as Tim Regan who covers North American college, and MLS advance scouting. He also did some CONCACAF scouting for us in advance of the CCL tourney last summer.

[tfc2007]

just out of curiosity,

where are these scouts based?

[mlsintoronto]

just out of curiosity,

where are these scouts based?

oops - I went back and edited the original entry as you were typing. see above.

[prizby]

not true. we have 3.

4 if you count Mo.

We have two guys on the ground in West Africa (covering different regions), as well as Tim Regan who covers North American college, and MLS advance scouting. He also did some CONCACAF scouting for us in advance of the CCL tourney last summer.

and they are full time?

[tfc2007]

not true. we have 3.

4 if you count Mo.

We have two guys on the ground in West Africa (covering different regions), as well as Tim Regan who covers North American college, and MLS advance scouting. He also did some CONCACAF scouting for us in advance of the CCL tourney last summer.

thats pretty cool.

do these scouts stay in Africa all the time, or are you guys able to put them in other places to such as South America?
Sorry if this is out of line to ask, the scouting business just seems intresting to me.

[mlsintoronto]

they generally stay in Africa. Its a big world, and the football world is still 75% networking. Its not like basketball or hockey...so our guys are tuned into the MLS "sweetspot" of level of skill, game sense, price, etc. But it is important that they are dialled-in to the soccer world in their region. They need to know the players, the coaches, and build trust.

in South America the chances of finding a "diamond" are pretty slim. Every kid is represented by someone, and the network there is extremely difficult to penetrate. It can happen, but we feel our investment is better spent in Africa. And it has paid off already with Amadou and Emmanuel. The flipside is immigration from Africa is difficult, but we're learning to deal with it.

[Carts]

they generally stay in Africa. Its a big world, and the football world is still 75% networking. Its not like basketball or hockey...so our guys are tuned into the MLS "sweetspot" of level of skill, game sense, price, etc. But it is important that they are dialled-in to the soccer world in their region. They need to know the players, the coaches, and build trust.

in South America the chances of finding a "diamond" are pretty slim. Every kid is represented by someone, and the network there is extremely difficult to penetrate. It can happen, but we feel our investment is better spent in Africa. And it has paid off already with Amadou and Emmanuel. The flipside is immigration from Africa is difficult, but we're learning to deal with it.

That's very interesting, thanks for the info Paul...

Interesting about the South American / African comparison in regards to finding talent in Africa compared to South America where they have agents probably when they first kick a ball...

Carts...

[C.Ronaldo]

do we scout the CSL aswell?

or are those guys too old to invest in?

[Roogsy]

not true. we have 3.

4 if you count Mo.

We have two guys on the ground in West Africa (covering different regions), as well as Tim Regan who covers North American college, and MLS advance scouting. He also did some CONCACAF scouting for us in advance of the CCL tourney last summer.


Nice to hear.

Africa is definitely a good place to go to find cheap talent full of potential.

Not to tell you how you guys should run things but shouldn't Tim Regan be doing scouting for MLS AND CONCACAF? I don't see why you'd have two guys covering the same region especially with it being such a small world compared to Europe.

And really...you know me to be direct so I will just come out and say it...Mo has no business being the scout for CONMEBOL. First of all, you definitely need a full-time scout there and second, it needs to be someone who knows what to look for down there. That's not Mo.

Guess where all the European teams get their international talent? Africa and South America. We have one covered...we should be working on the other.

[Roogsy]

in South America the chances of finding a "diamond" are pretty slim. Every kid is represented by someone, and the network there is extremely difficult to penetrate. It can happen, but we feel our investment is better spent in Africa. And it has paid off already with Amadou and Emmanuel. The flipside is immigration from Africa is difficult, but we're learning to deal with it.

Finding them is slim if you're the wrong guy doing the job Paul. We are missing out on huge opportunities in a region producing the most talented players in the world because we can't get connected? Believe me it's not that hard you just need the right guy.

[CoachGT]

not true. we have 3.

4 if you count Mo.

We have two guys on the ground in West Africa (covering different regions), as well as Tim Regan who covers North American college, and MLS advance scouting. He also did some CONCACAF scouting for us in advance of the CCL tourney last summer.

Glad to see this, and I suspected it, but strange that the other clubs haven't figured this out. Do we also have some part-time scouts?

[mlsintoronto]

Finding them is slim if you're the wrong guy doing the job Paul. We are missing out on huge opportunities in a region producing the most talented players in the world because we can't get connected? Believe me it's not that hard you just need the right guy.

Roogsy - bite me. :D

[mlsintoronto]

Not to tell you how you guys should run things but ...

"...but I shall now proceed to tell you guys how to run things."

[mlsintoronto]

shouldn't Tim Regan be doing scouting for MLS AND CONCACAF? I don't see why you'd have two guys covering the same region especially with it being such a small world compared to Europe.


huh? two guys? when did I say that? Tim covers both.

[mlsintoronto]

Roogsy. forgive me. I've gone through a roller coaster of emotion in the last 90 seconds. I'm over it now.

[Parkdale]

^ 3 posts in row? (make that 4)


so it's not just me wasting time on a Friday afternoon.

[JonO]

huh? two guys? when did I say that? Tim covers both.
Not nice, Paul. Roogsy is mathematically challenged...

[Parkdale]

Roogsy. forgive me. I've gone through a roller coaster of emotion in the last 90 seconds. I'm over it now.


everyone fights with roogsy, all of the time.

[dupont]

Roogsy. forgive me. I've gone through a roller coaster of emotion in the last 90 seconds. I'm over it now.

Admit it. You are posting to the forum from your cellphone in line at Tim Hortons.

[MartinUtd]

You know, there is an "edit" feature for those regretful posts ;)

[werewolf]

West Africa will be a tough place to find a diamond in the rough with all the competition from European clubs. Though at the same time there are better programs there, and more development, not sure if it evens out in our benefit.

[mlsintoronto]

now Parkdale: "Engaging the supporters in fruitful dialogue" is part of my job decription.

telling Roogsy to "bite me" is a playful way of engaging not only Roogsy, who can take a joke, but also the rest of RPB who are tired of Roosy and his opinions.

Everybody wins, no?

[reggie]

what happend to the 3 guys from the ivory coast,that were here at the end of the season??

[DOMIN8R]

Roogsy is our Agent Provocateur. Nuff said.

[mlsintoronto]

what happend to the 3 guys from the ivory coast,that were here at the end of the season??

aside from the guy who cracked Robbo's skull, there were no memorable performances, I think. Not 100% sure to be honest.

[Parkdale]

now Parkdale: "Engaging the supporters in fruitful dialogue" is part of my job decription.

telling Roogsy to "bite me" is a playful way of engaging not only Roogsy, who can take a joke, but also the rest of RPB who are tired of Roosy and his opinions.

Everybody wins, no?

yes, everyone wins except roogsy.


It's kind of like that old game we used to play at summer camp "Hide Bob's Pants".
Everyone loved that game, well except for Bob, but that was kind of the point.

[reggie]

aside from the guy who cracked Robbo's skull, there were no memorable performances, I think. Not 100% sure to be honest.
thx paul.....your a bundle of info today...slow day at the office....lol

[bee dubya]

Excuse my ignorance mlsintoronto, but is there any scouting done for the TFC Academy in Canada or does the Academy rely on kids enrolling in the system?

[Roogsy]

huh? two guys? when did I say that? Tim covers both.

Whoops...misread the Tim Reagan part. I read it as Tim does one and someone else does the other.

[Roogsy]

Roogsy is our Agent Provocateur. Nuff said.

:lol:

Damn...my cover is blown.

Slow day at the office... :D

[Roogsy]

yes, everyone wins except roogsy.


It's kind of like that old game we used to play at summer camp "Hide Bob's Pants".
Everyone loved that game, well except for Bob, but that was kind of the point.

Except you weren't laughing if Bob was a 250lbs motherfucker who wedgied you in your tighty whiteys for your troubles. :taz:

[Roogsy]

Not nice, Paul. Roogsy is mathematically challenged...

That's an awful thing to say to a money manager! LOL!

[werewolf]

Are these scouts going to be at the Cup of Nations next month in Angola?

[mlsintoronto]

Excuse my ignorance mlsintoronto, but is there any scouting done for the TFC Academy in Canada or does the Academy rely on kids enrolling in the system?

Yes - by our Academy staff.

[Beach_Red]

Finding them is slim if you're the wrong guy doing the job Paul. We are missing out on huge opportunities in a region producing the most talented players in the world because we can't get connected? Believe me it's not that hard you just need the right guy.


When you say finding, "them," do you mean the "diamond in the rough," or the players in the, "MLS sweet spot of level of skill," (which is a great way to put it, by the way)? Because it isn't really the same thing, is it, especially to an agent.

[Bluenose13]

everyone fights with roogsy, all of the time.Fact!

[JDG]

JohnMolinaro (http://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro)

Paul Winsper parts ways with Toronto FC. story to follow. 4 minutes ago (http://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/6579230421)from web

[Redpunkfiddle]

JohnMolinaro (http://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro)

Paul Winsper parts ways with Toronto FC. story to follow. 4 minutes ago (http://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/6579230421)from web
Unsuprising, if disappointing. Who is in charge of Gerba's meal plan now?

[Rudi]

JohnMolinaro (http://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro)

Paul Winsper parts ways with Toronto FC. story to follow. 4 minutes ago (http://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/6579230421)from web
Oh FFS.

And with Preki's teams always suffering from injuries, I hoped Winsper's presence would balance things out.

[rocker]

that sucks.... and Winsper was just about to get grass....

[denime]

JohnMolinaro (http://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro)

Paul Winsper parts ways with Toronto FC. story to follow. 4 minutes ago (http://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/6579230421)from web


And another interesting season is coming.Let's hope for the best.

[billyfly]

Didn't we (as in me) question the apperance of TFC's lack of fitness in the last 15 mins?

[menefreghista]

Didn't we (as in me) question the apperance of TFC's lack of fitness in the last 15 mins?

Shhhhhh!!!! No one is allowed to talk bad about Winsper or question how well he did his job.

[billyfly]

I have no evidence to suggest that Paul did not do his job. All I can say is that the team gave up a lot of goals in the last 15 mins of games and it appeared to be tactic and fitness related.

[denime]

Didn't we (as in me) question the apperance of TFC's lack of fitness in the last 15 mins?
If you remember the interview with him few month ago,his workouts where cut down for 40% because of turf.
So with grass we would see 40% fitter team.

[billyfly]

If you remember the interview with him few month ago,his workouts where cut down for 40% because of turf.
So with grass we would see 40% fitter team.


Could have been. If Fieldturf was a limiting factor to his program's effectiveness, I wonder why TFC FO (assuming TFC let him go) did not keep him for 1 year on grass.

Either FO lost confidence in him or other issues.

[johnmolinaro]

He quit. wasn't fired. moving to Oregon to work for Nike. was offered a contract extension by TFC but turned it down. no bad feelings, he says.

full story to follow

[billyfly]

^And there's my answer. Thanks John.

[rocker]

from my view, it seemed like TFC had fewer injuries than other teams since Winsper came along. Other teams, like DC, had loads of injuries. Whether that's just luck or good training, I dunno. But I would have liked to see him train this team on grass.

[billyfly]

http://www.redpatchboys.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=19036

[DOMIN8R]

He quit. wasn't fired. moving to Oregon to work for Nike. was offered a contract extension by TFC but turned it down. no bad feelings, he says.

full story to follow

Makes sense with his Nike connections/consulting and US Soccer Association consulting work for him to grow his business in the US. I'm sure that there is more to motivate him to leave - but we will probably never know about it.

[DOMIN8R]

On a side note - I find it interesting to note who drops in and posts frequently when big news just breaks or is about to break regarding the team and management.

Just saying.

[JDG]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2009/12/11/sp-tfc-winper.html

[rocker]

wow that's a big job for him. sports performance director for Nike.

[Kevvv]

...as well as Tim Regan who covers North American college, MLS advance scouting, and defence.

^ fixed



now Parkdale: "Engaging the supporters in fruitful dialogue" is part of my job decription.

telling Roogsy to "bite me" is a playful way of engaging not only Roogsy, who can take a joke, but also the rest of RPB who are tired of Roosy and his opinions.

Everybody wins, no?

and ending with ", no?" is your playful way of engaging King Dave, without resorting to the largest available font size.



I have no evidence to suggest that Paul did not do his job. All I can say is that the team gave up a lot of goals in the last 15 mins of games and it appeared to be tactic and fitness related.

We were definitely better with Winsper than without, surely another fitness coach could come in and maintain or improve fitness levels. I would hope it's been established that not having one is not a viable option.

[jloome]

aside from the guy who cracked Robbo's skull, there were no memorable performances, I think. Not 100% sure to be honest.

Born and raised in Africa, spent most of my youth in Angola. Believe me people, it's a smart region to have scouts in.

I assume you guys have networking elsewhere though, such as the Asian states that broke away from the Soviet Union (very underdeveloped outside of Ukraine and Russia and Southeast Asia (North Korea, for example, is advancing leaps and bounds in the sport, albeit obviously somewhat difficult to deal with.)

[Gixmo]

24thminute (http://twitter.com/24thminute)
Canadian - Macedonia game was fixed. It's Called Football reporting on it now. Comment from Csa and from europe

PB: If you can divulge, has TFC ever looked at the Oceanic region, Japan/Korea or is that something where logistics hamper the issue. Judging from recent performances, the Pacific Rim is picking up pace in world football (See Koreas, Japan etc...Well, see above.. Nice posting time)

[werewolf]

Born and raised in Africa, spent most of my youth in Angola. Believe me people, it's a smart region to have scouts in.

I assume you guys have networking elsewhere though, such as the Asian states that broke away from the Soviet Union (very underdeveloped outside of Ukraine and Russia and Southeast Asia (North Korea, for example, is advancing leaps and bounds in the sport, albeit obviously somewhat difficult to deal with.)

It would be especially smart to have a scout or two in that specific region next month, but I guess thats not going to happen. :rolleyes5:

North Korea just had their first International player (from domestically based players) transfer to a Swiss club, slowly but surely they are opening for business.

Those other small former Soviet countries are growing as well.

[Roogsy]

Small countries is where we can pick up deals and overlooked players. If I hear of one more scouting trip to Brazil I may send Mo a flaming bag of poo.

[Gixmo]

Small countries is where we can pick up deals and overlooked players. If I hear of one more scouting trip to Brazil I may send Mo a flaming bag of poo.

Can you get the pile that some jackass left on my front lawn this am.. geez, someone has an elephant around here somewhere..

[prizby]

based on my football manager 07 techniques, i would say I'm a pretty good scout for South America

with that said, i think TFC should pursue Sherman Cardenas and Nicolas Millian

nuff said :)

[ag futbol]

Article from the Sounders about scouting. Interesting to note that they are the only MLS team to have a full time scout on the roster (if true)

http://www.sounderatheart.com/2009/12/10/1195589/scouting-matters
I dunno who wrote that one up but it's definately not true. However, prior to TFC hitting the league DC United was the only team with a dedicated scout. He only covered South America. Just shows you a lot of other teams have mightly slim back offices.

Personally i still think there is tons of talent to be found in central & south america. I don't doubt what PB is saying about networking, but it's definately one that TFC should try cracking. there is a huge bredth of what is out there. Needless to say the reports coming out of Brazil previously didn't exactly fill me with confidence.

The place that REALLY needs scouting is right here in Canada (at the youth level). I assume TFCA knows you don't only cherry pick the OSA prov team, because it's half politics. The person who gets out there on the ground first and really digs in is going to be vastly rewarded.

[TFCRegina]

We should be scouting Canada like crazy.

And really, we should forget about territorial divisions too. Scout, steal, beg, borrow, do whatever you can to get the best players. This is a game of talent and we need the talent to stay here and make our club better.