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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

To swerve and protect

--------------"I know, I can't believe I'm protected either Amado!"

You would like to think that tomorrow's MLS Expansion Draft is on the up and up but you can't help but wonder what negotiations and side deals were cut with new boys Philadelphia Union beforehand. TFC and the other existing clubs had to reveal their protected players yesterday and the names on the BMO Field list threw up some curiosities indeed.

On the protected side, the great Chad Barrett mystery continues. Where this Muppet garners his TFC respect from is shocking. What has he shown? Jim Brennan was a slight surprise as well and likely has to do more with "first player in" loyalty than any remaining quality. The only other interesting name was Adrian Serioux. The big Scarborough defender is a free agent and perhaps his protected status speaks to TFC's interest in re-signing "The Predator".

The unprotected list seems to highlight two areas of flux in the TFC line-up. Under-achievers (both mentally and physically) and those making big money. The hinted at attitude issues surrounding Amado Guevara as well as his history with new manager Preki make his status a no-brainer. The fact that he is going to the World Cup and makes a good wage also means he could be an unlikely candidate for Philly.

Patience seems to have run thin with Gabe Gala while the on-field production of Ali Gerba and Pablo Vitti made them available for drafting as well. The inclusion of Carl Robinson is most likely a safe one for TFC as Union won't want to spend 300K plus on a veteran who may very well leave MLS if it meant leaving Toronto.

With remaining choices being "The Human Own-Goal" Nick Garcia and the unproven Lesly Fellinga there is a good chance that Philly ends up looking at The Reds' back-up keeper Brian Edwards. It would be a shame for TFC to lose Edwards as he is a very capable number two to obvious starter Stefan Frei. At a good wage and with a good deal of MLS experience, Edwards may prove tempting.

In the end, it will come down to Philly's approach at team-building. If they go for the slow build (Not a Mo Johnston 20 year slow build) then Edwards may be a good choice for the Blue and Gold. If however, the Union of the Snake wants to replicate a Seattle and aim high, then perhaps former MVP Amado Guevara is the big ticket they seek. Something tends to make us believe that a certain Preki wouldn't shed a tear if the mercurial Honduran was on the first flight to the City of Brotherly Love.

3 comments:

  1. Cause Chad's HOT thats why!!!! haha Bud you need to lock it up!!! HALF the reason people have scored is cause Chad can place the PERFECT BALLS you idiot!! Look further than him just getting goals, he is a well rounded player and he is TOO generous always passing up the most perfectly placed balls to De Ro and letting him have all the thunder. So look a little further past arrogantly close mind instead of bashing him for one thing. They keep him because he is young and fast and SMART on the field he is not a ball hogger like De ro (a.k.a HOGG show) he places sweet, and runs his ass off, no ones perfect, ya sometimes he misses shots, like EVERY OTHER person on the team, but you dont see them getting bashed, I think too many people have a hard on for Chad, HE IS good and can be even better, DONT call yourself a TFC fan when all's your going to do is bash players, try giving them some support and cheer them on, give them a BOOST for once.

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  2. Seriously dude? Running around and hustling is great but Chad's supposed to be a striker and 5 or 6 goals a season doesn't cut it. I've never seen a so-called "smart" striker run with his head down. And you said don't bash TFC players then you turned around and bashed De Ro - the best player on TFC! Blindly supporting the team doesn't make you a better fan than someone like this guy who yeah maybe is negative but at least calls bad things out. If you want positive only news there's TFC's official site for that.

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  3. The best thing about independent blogs like this one is that it gives the regular supporter the chance to get their feelings out. The Yorkies love sharing our opinions and hearing them back from our readers whether they be good, bad or indifferent.

    That being said, in the future Anon 12:52, refrain from personal attacks on our writers or other readers. A different opinion from yours doesn't make someone "arrogant" or an "idiot". Also, having an opinion that not everything is great with your club is a right of every fan. Criticizing shortcomings are indeed the responsibility of a "real" TFC fan, sitting back and pretending everything is fine when its not is dangerous. You can support the club how you feel is best but that doesn't make either of us more of a "real" supporter.

    As far as Barrett goes we can agree to disagree. Yes, he is a running gag on this site due to his lack of goal scoring prowess but it doesn't mean we wouldn't like to see him do better. The only thing is though, he isn't improving. I can't say we've noticed good playmaking or smart play from him. But, that's what makes this great - we can disagree, and not personally mock.

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