MLSE has been leaderless for two years, which probably explains a whole lot.
MLSE has been leaderless for two years, which probably explains a whole lot.
For those who were asking about pre-season
https://www.torontofc.ca/news/toronto-fc-announce-2024-preseason-schedule
As always, video of pre season games are not usually available due to league or venue stipulations.
We survive every year.
In "This Week in MLS Teams Not Looking Beyond the Old Boys Network"
SKC hired the ex Portland guy who covered up sexual abuse. (not alleged - league report through a 3rd party indicating he did)
One supporter group has threatened a boycott.
Controversial opinion/debate #1 of the preseason for me:
Should Coello start over Osorio?
Oso is a club legend and had a few great seasons, but since his injury he hasn't really regained his best and he has always had some limitations as a player.
The role he'll be asked to play for Herdman will almost certainly be as a number eight beside Flores.
But Coello is a better passer, better at connecting the lines. Oso is probably a better decision maker, because Coello doesn't have the relative experience. But he's just as good, I would argue -- or at least good enough -- at holding onto the ball in traffic.
This is never a position that will be a primary creator for us. It's largely about getting the wings and strikers into dangerous positions, and perhaps being the trailer in some circumstances.
Oso's better as the trailer, on evidence, as Coello has shown no offensive upside. But if we have a set anchor, our number eight is going to be last man in, at best, and usually only involved in the box on corners.
Point #2:
Do we need another midfielder who's better than both? I'm not sure on his recent form that Oso would start on many MLS clubs, and Coello as an eight probably lacks the athleticism to be most team's first choice.
Our lack of central competitiveness in the post-Delgado/Bradley era has really killed us over and over. This is a transition and speed-based league.
Yeah I'm curious how much of last year was due to the concussion symptoms he was having. Hopefully the rest from the off season will have helped him. I know people who have had pretty long recoveries with them and they are no joke..might explain some of that. But you do have a point it would be good to see both options, hopefully during pre-season Herman will swap the Coello and Osorio and see who is the better fit
Their global partnerships/ownerships continue…
Check out this tweet at [URL]https://twitter.com/swissbusiness/status/1747731177929351474[/URL]
i’ve been thinking about this for several days and have come so no more conclusions than you. Given the cap and other needs it seems Flores is our midfield add and we won’t be getting another until summer or later. So back to the initial question. Osorio and Coelo are quite different players as you noted, at different places in their careers. Like a lot of what happens over the next 5 or 6 weeks it’s going to have to be sorted internally and on the pitch. the proof will be in the pudding. How do either of them work with flores? how does herdman make that work?Originally Posted by jloome
I’m a coelo fan but he still doesn’t inhabit with total comfort any place on the field. He’s still young in football experience terms and herdman may need to help him make what works work.. We should see more out of him now that he’s not being asked to play the 6. He’s might not be an everyday starter yet but he should be able to start quite a bit and he offers some things that no other players do. There’s some learning that needs to occur and i hope herdman handles him well and we eventually see him at his best in his best framework.
So i guess you start with osorio, in our leadership group and maybe our captain. This is his time to shine if he can. He’s 31, he’s the nominal DP and he’s played some hard matches against Flores. I think you give him at least a run at the beginning of the season.
I seem to remember that Flores is not just a destroyer but also is not a too bad passer at medium range and he can occasionally make a longer, penetrating pass. He’s better than one would imagine especially if he has decent guys to play with.
Edit: and yeah, we’ve been lacking there since the osorio/delgado double pivot. No doubt we lost a lot of matches because we weren’t willing to play those two together.
Last edited by los sonadores; 01-19-2024 at 10:55 AM.
Yeah, I can see that rationale. I suspect given his existing stature and placement in the "leadership team" that it would have to be Oso out of the gate. I think Coello or another outsider could easily push him though, on evidence of the last eighteen months.
And he's out a week late
Turns out the larger supporter groups didn't say much publicly (they held a meeting) and left all of the "we need this guy gone" work to the smaller "Ladies of SKC" group.
Vermes will be next. The consulting firm SKC hired to muddy the waters of who chose this came out today and said Williamson was not among their 21 recommended candidates.
But he was Vermes' friend. Pretty clear how his hiring came about.
Fans have had enough of that shit.
I swear Vermes is loved mostly by US MLS types because of that Gif of him swearing....
Inter Miami has lost Facundo Farias for the season to a torn ACL in their El Salvador Friendly.
Season is still a month away, and their depth is already getting tested.
Their preseason travel and schedule is honestly crazy.
The MLS regular season travel is grueling enough. Going on a tour around the globe before that is.. ambitious.
Watch how fast the league approves roster rule changes if they have two or three major losses.
If Messi or Busquets went down, plus a central defender, plus Suarez or Campana? Suddenly that discussion of a bigger cap or fourth DP would probably a lot louder.
Carnac The Magnificent says… SEI-L and another U-22…
Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 01-21-2024 at 04:30 PM.
Ref union members approve a strike vote...
https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...thorize-Strike
Hmm, not sure whether to be supportive, or to remark that if the league found some scabs in europe we might be treated to a better quality of reffing.
If ...and its an if of course but the league does have form for this...the wording of the union is to be taken as given, the league doesn't want to pay these people for their efforts. More information will come out but as somebody mentioned, Petrescu made more money driving a taxi then being an MLS official.
No question mls refs are badly paid. Will the ones we have become better if they’re paid better? Maybe. At least they should be better even for not having to drive a cab. Which might allow them to research the matches they’re referring and have more of a clue what’s going on when they’re on the pitch. And… if the wages are better maybe better refs can be hired. MLS has been shameful on this issue and don’t seem to care about their refs and the quality of reffing. Video doesn’t help anything.
To be fair he probably is a better cab driver
FYI…
Check out this tweet at [URL]https://twitter.com/WakingtheRed/status/1749789116873490775[/URL]
Looks like Oso is the captain
https://twitter.com/TorontoFC/status...09440675790991
FYI…
Check out this tweet at [URL]https://twitter.com/TorontoFC/status/1749809440675790991[/URL]
Our interests might be their interests here. Ultimately, you get out of things what you put into them.
MLS wants stable consistent officiating but it doesn’t pay enough to attract talent or provide enough resources to ensure consistency or coordination.
Basically, they want to make PRO their bag-man and wash their hands of it. They need to take more responsibility.
I’m against providing University Professor like tenor status to guys who will clearly never get it (like Unkle or Geiger). And believe performances should be subject to review. But otherwise, I’m mostly on the officials side here.
Last edited by ag futbol; 01-23-2024 at 10:10 AM.
I'm prob in the minority here, and i don't necessarily believe in nature vs nurture but Oso's got another bar to step up into with that armband. I know bradley was always on the other end of the vocal bravado leader spectrum, but oso was invisible at times when the team needed someone to lift up the downtrodden - he himself was usually one of the first ones with a head down in shattered morale when the team started flat footed or were on a run of shit form (maybe that's cause Bradley was the alpha dog and wouldn't let anyone else have it). Maybe its also about what happens in the training sessions and in the lockerroom vs. what we see on t.v - so i respect the choice. But optically what i see on TV - he's got some leadership chops to grow into if he wants to help empower/elevate this squad in game moments.
Seemed like the straight forward choice tho - keeps the armband on a neutral island/anchor player who's from TO and away from the italians or another DP/hotshot that could come in future transfers.
Yeah, he’s the face of the club, he’s been here longer than anyone, he’s a DP and he cares more than anyone. That all says captain to me. Hopefully too it will help him elevate his game as he has done in various prior years. .
Yep, you’re totally right.
Yup.
He's never struck me as emotionally stoic enough to handle the burden, be the rock.
Great team ambassador though. He's stepped up to other challenges, so fingers crossed.
Good luck to Oso, not captain material for me though, not vocal enough, too introverted. Maybe Herdman thinks he's up for the challenge with his experience.
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