TFC sign trio of Dutchmen

[Nuvinho]

http://a2.twimg.com/profile_images/846302631/Luke_twitter2_normal.jpg (http://twitter.com/LukeWileman) LukeWileman (http://twitter.com/LukeWileman)

Three signings for #torontofc (http://twitter.com/search?q=%23torontofc). As expected, Bouchiba, Soolsma and Martina all join the Reds: http://bit.ly/eiPczy (http://bit.ly/eiPczy)

[Whoop]

Finally.

So now TFC is up to what? 17 players?

[Nuvinho]

Toronto FC announced Wednesday that the club has signed Javier Martina, Nick Soolsma and Elbekay Bouchiba. The three players all joined the team on trial at training camp in Antalya, Turkey last month and are currently with the squad in Charleston, South Carolina.

“It is very important for us to bring in players who fit into the system that we want to play,” said Toronto FC Head Coach and Technical Director Aron Winter. “The three players were with us in Turkey and their performance was very good. We have signed them because we are convinced they will make a difference for us during the season.”

Martina, 24, is reunited with Winter and First Assistant Coach Bob de Klerk who both coached at Ajax during the Dutch forward’s time with the Amsterdam based club. Martina joined the Ajax youth system in 2005 and was promoted to the First Team in 2008. He made his Eredivise debut in a 2-0 win over FC Twente during the 2008 season. In 2010 he spent time on loan with HFC Haarlem.

Soolsma, 23, began his soccer career in the youth system of FC Volendam. He signed for HFC Haarlem in 2007 and made seven appearances in the Dutch Eerste Divisie (second highest division in Netherlands). Soolsma left Haarlem in 2008 and spent a year with FC Chabab. Prior to his move across the Atlantic, he played with amateur team VV Young Boys and helped the side gain promotion to the Hoofdklasse (fourth tier of soccer in Netherlands). He started the 2010/2011 season scoring six goals in the team’s first 11 matches.

Bouchiba, 32, started his career in his native Netherlands with Willem II and made his professional debut in 1998 with Alkmaar Zaanstreek (AZ) in the Dutch top division. After three seasons with AZ, the midfielder moved to Sparta Rotterdam in 2001, FC Twente in 2004 and Roda JC in 2006. After making over 100 league appearances in the Eredivise, Bouchiba decided to leave the Netherlands and head to play in Qatar where he spent two years with Al-Wakrah and Al-Shamal in the Qatar Stars League before joining Toronto FC.

All three players will be added to Toronto FC’s roster pending receipt of their International Transfer Certificates and work permits.

As Toronto FC’s preseason continues, the team will play their latest match in the Carolina Challenge Cup tonight at 7:15 p.m. against Charleston Battery. The game will be broadcast live online on the club’s official website, TorontoFC.ca.

Elbekay Bouchiba
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’10
Weight: 164
Birthdate: November 1, 1978
Hometown: Weert, Netherlands
Nationality: Dutch
Last Club: Al-Wakrah
How Acquired: Signed on March 2, 2011
Pronunciation: EL—BEE-KAY-BOO-CHEE-BA

Nick Soolsma
Position: Forward
Height: 5’10
Weight: 175
Birthdate: January 17, 1988
Hometown: Andijk, Netherlands
Nationality: Dutch
Last Club: VV Young Boys
How Acquired: Signed on March 2, 2011
Pronunciation: SOOLS-MA

Javier Martina
Position: Forward
Height: 5’9
Weight: 156
Birthdate: February 1, 1987
Hometown: Willemstad, Curacao
Nationality: Dutch
Last Club: Ajax
How Acquired: Signed on March 2, 2011
Pronunciation: HAVE-EE-AY MAR-TEEN-AH

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

I might have struggled with Bouchiba (although it's spelled fairly phonetically) and Soolsma, but did they need to include a pronunciation key for Javier Martina?

[Darlofletch]

so soolsma was playing in the 5th tier of dutch football?

well, it's warm bodies, let's hope they work out.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

I'd venture that semi amateur dutch league is on par or better than ncaa, plus he's got better training

[Whoop]

Good point.

22 is the age most guys come out of the NCAA.

[Suds]

Don't read too much into what division a guy played in. Many things can factor into where a player ends up. Lot's of athletes careers veer off path for any number of reasons.

Let's just hope all three of these guys can help the team this year.

[TFCDP]

FIE-NA-LEE...... Just what, ten more to go.

[ArmenJBX]

Zavarise close to signing as well

[rocker]

but did they need to include a pronunciation key for Javier Martina?

I actually kept pronouncing his first name in my head "hav-eee-air" from my experience with baseball players with similar names.

Now I know.

[Joe Kool]

Winter says in the latest interview that Soolsma is having trouble getting used to the physical play of the North American game...where have we heard that before... Hopefully everything will work out better for him than it has for other players.

[Fort York Redcoat]

This team is gonna be younger and Dutcher than most in the league.

Hup TFC, Hup!

[Globetrotter]

just reading the little blurbs about players history, soolsma looks like a bust. martinez is no savior up top, and the other guy might do ok, probably better than peterson, hopefully better than labrocca.

nothing to get excited about though.

[algieb]

hope we get these experienced players coming in or it will be a long hard season for us,nothing in new players to get enthused abt, still weak all over the pitch

[rocker]

just reading the little blurbs about players history, soolsma looks like a bust. martinez is no savior up top, and the other guy might do ok, probably better than peterson, hopefully better than labrocca.

nothing to get excited about though.

from what Winter said in a recent interview, I don't think he's trying to excite anyone with these signings. these are meat and potatoes depth signings (i mean, they'll be depth when he has the starting players he wants).
These are the glue in the system he's trying to create, not the stars. Preki did the same thing when he started, bring in guys like Saric.

My guess is he's trying to fill out the depth positions first at a cheaper price before targeting stars that will excite. If he can fill a position with someone who's relatively inexpensive, then they can use remaining money to fill remaining holes with stars.

At least that's what I hope.

[P-NUTZ]

hey as long as we have peterson and i have money and time to burn!!!
thank the dear lord for beer.