Today's News, Saturday, Feb.08

[denime]

Mornin'




TFC TV




(http://www.torontofc.ca/video)
(http://www.torontofc.ca/video)Sources: Brazilian goalkeeper Cesar to join TFC (http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/sources-brazilian-goalkeeper-cesar-to-join-tfc/)


Reds, Elmer Part Ways
(http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2014/02/reds-elmer-part-ways)

Leiweke quick to address Philly criticism (http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/07/leiweke-quick-to-address-criticism-from-former-employee)


Keep Sake (http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/694866056?-19896:6206)


Report: Toronto FC to offload Matias Laba to solve DP problem; hoping for loan partner (http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/694862086?-19896:6206)


Report: With one Designated Player too many, Toronto FC to part ways... (http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/694853289?-19896:6206)


Report: Brazilian national team goalkeeper Julio Cesar set for loan move to... (http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/694804494?-19896:6206)




TFC/MLS related blogs (http://forums.redpatchboys.ca/showthread.php?29582-TFC-MLS-blogs-thread)




SUNSHINE (http://www.torontosun.com/sunshine-girl)

[ensco]

That article in Philly that Larson is referencing is interesting

I agree with the Philly CEO, Edu at $1.5M is a better signing than Bradley at $6.5M. Especially considering the term Bradley is getting (i.e. that the toto commitment is $40M).

Not that I don't like Bradley. No need to flame me, I'm excited to see him play for us, and I love the player.

[Yohan]

That article in Philly that Larson is referencing is interesting

I agree with the Philly CEO, Edu at $1.5M is a better signing than Bradley at $6.5M. Especially considering the term Bradley is getting (i.e. that the toto commitment is $40M).

Not that I don't like Bradley. No need to flame me, I'm excited to see him play for us, and I love the player.
Edu makes sense economically, but player wise, Edu can't even make the bench for Stoke. Prior to that, he played in SPL, with a stint in Turkey, where he did well enough. I don't even know how good Edu will be playing box to box CM which he is expected to do in Philly, when Edu hasn't played b2b role in ages.

[SoccMan2]

Found this comment under the Laba article on the MLS site, I think it makes so much sense regarding Laba and TFC:
" Laba is exactly the type of player MLS needs to find if it wants to grow: young, very talented, proffessional, well-motivated... I can understand hiring Defoe and Bradley because of the fans it will attract and how it will motivate the roster, but is replacing Laba's DP spot with Gilberto a good move?

Laba has already proved himself in MLS and he showed he can do great. TFC fans already love him and want to have him on the team. Meanwhile Gilberto is just a bet. It can work or not. He is not well-known and he still means nothing to the fans.

MLS clubs usually bet on lots of players like him and very few come out as good as Laba. Once TFC's has bet on the correct player, they give him away. Not wise in my opinion."

[Oldtimer]

Bradley is probably the best player on the USMNT right now.
Edu, while good, is no where near his quality. You get what you pay for.
Since the effect under the salary cap is the same, I'd pick Bradley 10 times out of 10, agreeing with Tim L.

[ensco]

Bradley is probably the best player on the USMNT right now.
Edu, while good, is no where near his quality. You get what you pay for.
Since the effect under the salary cap is the same, I'd pick Bradley 10 times out of 10, agreeing with Tim L.

If this was just about player quality, no debate rquired. Bradley is in a different class.

I am talking (and I think the Philly CEO is talking) about the risks - the risk that a signing like this can wreck a franchise for a long time (no other player moves are possible for years, execs are fired, locker room chaos, etc) if it doesn't work out.

I remain excited about Bradley. But I am worried about it.

[Joe Kool]

Seems the plan was Gilberto, Defoe and Laba this year but then Bradley deal came along and fell in their lap. Alot of people saying why take a gamble on Gilberto instead of keeping Laba who is proven in MLS. You just have to look at the plan and the timing of it all. Gilberto was signed and they were expecting Defoe in January. When Bradley deal came up it was too late to shelve Gilberto deal to keep Laba as some suggested we should have done. They are just making the best of what we have with the timing that it happened. They want scoring and they are hoping Gilberto will do it. Much easier for them to move Laba in trade/loan since he is proven. It just makes sense. I hate to lose the guy off the team too. Would have been awesome to keep him. Hope a short term loan deal is worked out.

[Jpexxx]

Meh, if overpaying a bit for Bradley means guaranteeing we get him, i'm in.

I would take Bradley at 6 mil over Edu at 1.5 ten times out of ten.

[mowe]

It's Micheal fucking Bradley. He's the best player on the USMNT, he's 26 years old and we've locked him up for the prime of his career. Yes, committing that much money on one player is a risk in MLS. But he's exactly the type of player you take that risk on.

Maybe something will go horribly wrong and TFC will regret having to pay him for the rest of his contract. It would still have been the right move to sign him. You don't pass up a chance to get a player like Bradley. Edu, on the other hand, is no where near that level.

[jloome]

That article in Philly that Larson is referencing is interesting

I agree with the Philly CEO, Edu at $1.5M is a better signing than Bradley at $6.5M. Especially considering the term Bradley is getting (i.e. that the toto commitment is $40M).

Not that I don't like Bradley. No need to flame me, I'm excited to see him play for us, and I love the player.

No way. Edu is half the player.

[ensco]

No way. Edu is half the player.

I actually agree! That's not my point.

If Edu only plays like a $300K MLS midfielder, Philly overpaid by $1.2M.

If Bradley is ultimately only a $300K MLS midfielder (and there are quite a few very good $300K MFs in MLS), TFC are out 30x that, ie $38M.

Bradley has to be consistently, magisterially, outstanding, for this to work.

The real argument is how much we, the long-suffering fans, should care if someone else's money is used to wildly overpay, and it goes wrong. More than we do, I would say.

[Yohan]

I actually agree! That's not my point.

If Edu only plays like a $300K MLS midfielder, Philly overpaid by $1.2M.

If Bradley is ultimately only a $300K MLS midfielder (and there are quite a few very good $300K MFs in MLS), TFC are out 30x that, ie $38M.

Bradley has to be consistently, magisterially, outstanding, for this to work.

The real argument is how much we, the long-suffering fans, should care if someone else's money is used to wildly overpay, and it goes wrong. More than we do, I would say.
there are far more factors than pure financial reasons when a big name DP is involved, and you know this...

[tfcleeds]

Every MLS team would have given their left nut to sign Bradley. So in that sense, I don't mind so much IF we overpaid because EVERY team would have overpaid to acquire a player of his talent. Edu, while a good player, hasn't remotely reached the same level that Bradley has, so I'm prepared to take the risk. He showed his quality in the first half of the first preseason game, and heck, I hardly saw any of it!

[Ron Manager]

If this was just about player quality, no debate rquired. Bradley is in a different class.

I am talking (and I think the Philly CEO is talking) about the risks - the risk that a signing like this can wreck a franchise for a long time (no other player moves are possible for years, execs are fired, locker room chaos, etc) if it doesn't work out.

I remain excited about Bradley. But I am worried about it.

Bradley money may be a huge risk to Philly ownership, but not to ours. That's only a good NHL salary not a huge one. Same for NBA. Our ownership group has the money to take this risk. The other owners just don't like us making them look cheap.

[ensco]

there are far more factors than pure financial reasons when a big name DP is involved, and you know this...

I get that more with Defoe. Here, I mean I've refrained from saying it out loud, but ... we've kind of already seen how signing a MF DP can go sideways in a hurry, and do very little from a marketing POV.

I'm just talking about the odds. I want us to defy the odds. I love the player.

I'll stop, I don't want to be a downer. If it starts going wrong, I'll revisit.

[Yohan]

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-designated-player-talkin-bout-my-generation/

Good article about Generation Adidas program, esp its history

[tfcleeds]

Yep, mostly just sour grapes from Philly. They would have sold the entire farm just to acquire Bradley, and they know it.

[ensco]

Bradley money may be a huge risk to Philly ownership, but not to ours. That's only a good NHL salary not a huge one. Same for NBA. Our ownership group has the money to take this risk. The other owners just don't like us making them look cheap.

Truth to this. Leiweke broke the cap, and I doubt anyone is thrilled about that in the ownership club.

That's part of the risk. If Leiweke is a pioneer, then this is less risky. If he's just a lone outlier, then it's more risky.

[Yohan]

Truth to this. Leiweke broke the cap, and I doubt anyone is thrilled about that in the ownership club.

That's part of the risk. If Leiweke is a pioneer, then this is less risky. If he's just a lone outlier, then it's more risky.
NYRB, NYCFC, LAG, Seattle. Miami owners also making noises about big name DPs. Same with Orlando. Couple of other teams have the ability to pony up decent change for a big name (SKC, Colorado, Chivas USA, New England, SJ, Chicago)

[Yohan]

just heard an ad for Houston's 5 game partial pack which incl TFC game. unreal.

[Initial B]

Didn't other teams almost have to pay people to come to vs TFC games at one point?

[Oldtimer]

just heard an ad for Houston's 5 game partial pack which incl TFC game. unreal.

Welcome to the new TFC, where we hopefully become the envy of everyone instead of the laughingstock.


Didn't other teams almost have to pay people to come to vs TFC games at one point?

TFC games were very poorly attended and got horrible ratings, especially during 2010-2012. Every team would have preferred having us play them in an early spring midweek game instead of a July weekend.

[Sullivan]

If this was just about player quality, no debate rquired. Bradley is in a different class.

I am talking (and I think the Philly CEO is talking) about the risks - the risk that a signing like this can wreck a franchise for a long time (no other player moves are possible for years, execs are fired, locker room chaos, etc) if it doesn't work out.

I remain excited about Bradley. But I am worried about it.

Solid points.

But, MLSE can afford to overpay; Keystone, not so much.
Nelsen saw similar pay/wage disparity during his playing career, hopefully he knows how to defuse jealousy and tense situations.

[Initial B]

Just for a salary cap perspective on overpaying:

Maple Leafs team salary: $66.5 Million
Raptors team salary: $71 Million

The MLS could raise the salary cap to $10 Million and MLSE wouldn't even blink. Heck Demar DeRozan's annual salary alone is $9.5 Million. He's an All-Star, much like Michael Bradley. Then again TV revenues are that much higher. Hopefully when more people watch MLS in North America, the cap will increase accordingly.

[Kaz]

Here is what I don't get.. is we sold Edu, and got grass... Philly bought him, and we bought Bradley. Edu isn't really wanted at Stoke so they loaned him to Turkey.. Turkey said nice but no thanks.. so Stoke City got Philly to give them some cash and "loan" him to them in hopes Philly will take him back.

Why didn't Philly buy him out right? Because I don't think even Philly is convinced that he is still a DP level signing, the league certainly isn't they made them lower the offer.

Bradley is a proven commodity and will be of value.

[ManUtd4ever]

MLS is at a stage in it's development wherein the reality is that teams will have to overpay to attract world class talent, especially for players that are still in their prime.

[Yohan]

Here is what I don't get.. is we sold Edu, and got grass... Philly bought him, and we bought Bradley. Edu isn't really wanted at Stoke so they loaned him to Turkey.. Turkey said nice but no thanks.. so Stoke City got Philly to give them some cash and "loan" him to them in hopes Philly will take him back.

Why didn't Philly buy him out right? Because I don't think even Philly is convinced that he is still a DP level signing, the league certainly isn't they made them lower the offer.

Bradley is a proven commodity and will be of value.
Edu's wages at Stoke is about 1.5 mil US per year, and he was looking for around 1.2 mil US. Philly pays only a fraction of that on a loan, and may buy him if he proves to be worth the money.

[DOMIN8R]

just heard an ad for Houston's 5 game partial pack which incl TFC game. unreal.

This is very telling. The above is an indication that the entire league stands to benefit and recognizes the value from our overspending.

The question is - will the league like more of the same? Can the league benefit when/where some clubs that can overspend do overspend? This could be a game changer. The DP loophole has been taken full advantage of - if not abused. Spending, as we have, challenges the principle of parity. Can we remain a single entity league or has MLSE inadvertently changed the rules of the game?

I think that, historically, this will be remembered as the time when owners, who had the money, were given enough free reign to attract the world's best. After reading ensco's posts, can anyone honestly argue that MLSE's spending hasn't been a game changer? At some point, the piper will need to be paid. And I'm very curious to see how this will play out. If TL is right and this league and TFC takes off, in terms of revenue and popularity, TL will be seen as a genius. If not......?

[Redcoe15]

I'm uncertain as to how Defoe will be able to acclimate himself into TFC and MLS. I don't feel that way with Bradley. He's young enough and is familiar with MLS so that he'll be ready to play. Bradley is far more important to our side.