Criscito may be leaving for personal/family reasons (that is what he will say, I am certain) and there is a good chance that is all there is to it … but we have to acknowledge the possibility that this reveals something about the team management and/or locker room from a football POV.
We can’t/won’t know from the outside. But it is a bit weird. You rarely see even wealthy players do this in sports. It is, even for a rich person, a lot of money he is walking away from, and this isn’t Saudi Arabia.
Last edited by ensco; 11-16-2022 at 04:17 AM.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
London papers are full of CR to Chelsea speculation. Also claiming he may go to PSG, if Messi leaves. He clearly can get at least one more year with a big club.
Hard to imagine him in MLS, he would murder his teammates.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
At his age every player needs to decide when they are no longer willing to go through the grind of playing/training every day. He got to play a half season with his best friend. He got a taste of what the travel is like in MLS. If it isn't giving fulfillment anymore, it is wise to step back.
We also have no idea what his body is telling him every day when he gets up. To put this all on team chemistry is just pessimism. 36 year old athletes retiring is not something that needs to be made into a story.
MLS releases free agency list - Auro's option declined
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2022-...le-player-list
MLS Re-Entry Draft List (Round 1 - Thursday, Nov 17 at 1pm)
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2022-...le-player-list
MLS Waivers List (Thursday, Nov 17 at 5pm)
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2022-...r-waivers-list
Last edited by rydermike; 11-16-2022 at 10:02 AM.
I think it was realism. He wasn't that good defensively and his age was obvious going backwards. Going forwards, obviously, he looked great. But the league was tougher than he anticipated because of his age.
I think if you have a substantial legacy, are already rich, and probably have another twenty years of coaching ahead of you in the same sport, it's entirely reasonable that he just didn't want to tarnish his legacy.
Over a full MLS season he would've been killed by speed repeatedly. He was beaten several times for it over the 16 games. I think he knew it, too, because it was obvious.
I don't think anything further than him getting here and dealing with travel, playing in the heat, level of play and whatever homesickness on his families part making him say "fuck it, I'm too old for this shit" and deciding to head home to do his coaching badges.
He played in Russia for years while they were paying massive money so I doubt he's stuck for cash.
I wonder if we'll take anyone off the waiver wire.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2022-...r-waivers-list
https://twitter.com/Total_TFC/status...c7jGzHH2w&s=19
Sounds like tfc got another 300k for shaff.
525k all in is not a bad return.
Yea anyone trying to pin this on the locker or whatever is just wanting that to be the case.
By all accounts - he had a lot of fun with his teammates from everything he posted on Insta. He spoke very highly of Quentin.
MLS is a tough league, the travel is tough, intensity is high and I feel its a tough league to be a defender in. Criscito looks absolutely exhausted by the end of the season.
He's going to run his gym and do his coaching courses by all accounts now.
I wouldn't dismiss it outright, and Ensco is hardly a sh*t disturber. Seems like there are a lot of reasons for him to retire, and I wouldn't underestimate the transition to Toronto from Italy (there is a reason we go to Italy on vacation and never want to return). But still. Hopefully it's all the way it looks.
Also additional GAM for performance metrics in 2023.
"Toronto FC announced today that the club has acquired a guaranteed $300,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from Nashville SC in exchange for the permanent transfer of Jacob Shaffelburg. As part of the transfer, TFC will receive additional conditional GAM if certain performance-based metrics are met."
https://www.torontofc.ca/news/toront...ob-shaffelburg
Part of the original 225k GAM was because Nashville also acquired an international roster spot from us in that trade as well. (So it was probably more like 150k for the International slot and 75k for Shaff given it was for about under half a season loan)
Edit: Per Nashville, the purchase option is
"In exchange for the transfer, Toronto FC received $250,000 in 2023 General Allocation Money (GAM) and $50,000 in conditional GAM."
https://www.nashvillesc.com/news/nashville-soccer-club-announces-roster-status-ahead-of-the-2023-season
Also:
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/NashvilleSC/status/1592897688646782977
Last edited by rydermike; 11-16-2022 at 11:28 AM.
I started pulling together a list of free agents we could target, but I gave up - the list is too long. This is a REALLY deep free agent class. Some good starter quality options and depth pieces available.
Here is Bogert's. Definitely the best MLS free agent class ever.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/top-p...ls-free-agency
if oso and mavinga don't come back and we well jayden (as is likely), we'll have an absolute ton of $$ to play with:
5.5 M (oso, mavinga, okello, Q, bono, achara, shaff, jayden, DC, henry, petrasso wages)
1.7 M (GAM from shaff, jayden, petrasso)
they should absolutely be going all out in free agency, never been a better opportunity.
Callens, Alexander - Out of Contract
Johnson, Sean - Out of Contract
Tinnerholm, Anton - Out of Contract
Duncan, Kyle - Out of Contract
Moutinho, João - out of contract
Hedges, Matt - Option Declined
not all of these guys maybe 2 or 3 ,people tend to overpay for FA s ,time to do some bargain hunt scouting
If we landed any two of Callens, Long and Hedges, our team would change rather dramatically, rather quickly.
I don't know if he's lost too much speed, but LAG didn't resign Jorge ("Sueno MLS") Villafana, very experienced left back. He's 33 so it might be that he's lost too much page, but he'd be a solid backup and can play both fullback and wingback.
Available goalkeepers so far include Sean Johnson, Bill Hamid, Tyler Miller and David Ochoa. Orlando hasn't resigned Gallese yet either. Pantemis, as mentioned by ag yesterday, would be a solid backup.
Along the lines of this thinking.
With Auro Jr. finally, no ambiguity, officially, confirmed out/gone.
Concerning this purge and/or exodus of this last little while/year.
Is it not odd? Perhaps just coincidental? Yet, at the very least optics troubling.
That it is 'predominately' the 'Latino/Spanish Speaking' contingent of the team that is involved?
From Mister Perez to Footballer Osorio as well as that grouping of all in-between.
I don't think so, dude. Pozuelo had a relationship in Florida that had already ended his marriage; Osorio wants to go to Europe. Auro is Brazilian, not Latino/Spanish, he speaks Portuguese. Criscito is Latin but Italian and 35.
Not seeing this as any purge except that the two guys who allegedly skipped training sessions and meetings, Lawrence and Auro, were shown the door. Whether that was fair or smart is another issue.
The permutations.
A bit daunting.
All of a sudden, the way it is shaping up.
It really is incredible!
If the plan was more than happenstance.
If it was always to be around a selected and designated core.
To salary shed as much as/everything they can, damn everything and everyone.
To play/feature the yutes, see what we will keep or sell.
To acquire during the next... this winter window from an understood target rich environment.
Well then... this league just got schooled in 'The 1 Year Plan'.
By a Manager & Sporting Director - Masterclass.
Probable? No.
Possible? Maybe.
You know I enjoy that space in-between.
Seems chatter is Poz may be heading back to Europe/Spain; relationship over?
Oso? It is open to debate if 'circumstances' have pushed or pulled him towards there; that decision.
Brazilians are Latin; part of Latin America. Just not Hispanic. IIUC Auro is able to converse in Spanish.
That grouping could include, besides Soteldo, Altidore, Salcedo, Gallardo etc.
I recognize that it this notion is more/very likely just happenstance.
Yet one needs to be cognizant of that possibility; however remote or incredulous.
Perceptions count!
Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 11-16-2022 at 01:30 PM.
Geographically. Culturally, many Brazilians themselves debate this point.
https://theconversation.com/are-braz...-america-64792
It's all a bit moot to the point at hand, dude. We have evidence there are other more sane rationales for why they left/are leaving than a conspiracy about racism.
Would Cyle Larin be a 15-20 goal scorer in MLS? Would he be worth a DP deal or is that aiming low?
I wonder, as he's once again benched in Europe, not appearing much for Club Brugge.
He seems to be a luxury player in some respect, as he scores when he plays regularly but doesn't play regularly, as was the case in Turkey.
With service from Insigne, Bernadeschi and Laryea at a minimum, does that make him that much more dangerous? (And this question applies to Cavallini too, TAM wise, as his strike rate of about 10 a season -- average 9 over 26 games -- would also probably go up here?)