Toronto FC Discussion Thread

[LittleOzzy]

More sources reporting that he'll be arriving at the start of the season.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/robdonia/status/557879590157180928[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/robdonia/status/557879877127655425[/tweet]

Also Kyle Bekker has been traded to FC Dallas for Allocation Money.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/KurtLarSUN/status/557738047769681921[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TorontoFCNow/status/557781144243290114[/tweet]

[LittleOzzy]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/557942961988993024[/tweet]

TFC is denying the reports.

[magik9113]

although I am still in shock that one of my favorite players from the past several years is going to the MLS at the ripe age of 27...i am beginning to have wet dreams about the domination that is undoubtedly on its way.

[LittleOzzy]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TheTorontoSun/status/558255814616817664[/tweet]

Another deal close for TFC.

[ForeverTFC]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TheTorontoSun/status/558255814616817664[/tweet]

Another deal close for TFC.

Scared of this signing. Betis was relegated to second division last year, and Perquis is injury prone much like Caldwell. I hope they bring in a third established CB - an MLS veteran - to compete with Hagglund for the third CB spot.

Still need to work on RB as well. Bloom doesn't cut it.

[ForeverTFC]

although I am still in shock that one of my favorite players from the past several years is going to the MLS at the ripe age of 27...i am beginning to have wet dreams about the domination that is undoubtedly on its way.

Del is one of my favourite players of all time and I'm a Bianconeri, so I've been betting on Giovinco for a long time. I still don't think he got the opportunity to showcase what he was capable of at Juve, and as the player who the roster will be built around, I think many are in for a shock when they see how good he is at TFC.

[youngtea]

Who are TFC's RM and LM. I always thought that is where they lacked quality.

[nahom1319]

Who are TFC's RM and LM. I always thought that is where they lacked quality.

I thought Jackson played LM. He definitely had the athleticsm but the awareness definitely wasn't there. I think Dominic Oduro played on the wings too. I didn't mind him, though he had the tendency to go 1 on 1 early in the season. I think we could use an upgrade there but its not a pressing concern.

[magik9113]

although I am still in shock that one of my favorite players from the past several years is going to the MLS at the ripe age of 27...i am beginning to have wet dreams about the domination that is undoubtedly on its way.

Del is one of my favourite players of all time and I'm a Bianconeri, so I've been betting on Giovinco for a long time. I still don't think he got the opportunity to showcase what he was capable of at Juve, and as the player who the roster will be built around, I think many are in for a shock when they see how good he is at TFC.

agreed. Even Conte, who didn't play him much on Juve, still keeps calling him to the national team. The world has no damn clue how good he can be.

p.s. come post in the Serie A thread every now and then. There was once a crowd of juventinos here, now i am the only one

[Brew666]

I could be wrong but I think Osorio was used on the wing as well.

I'm curious what their formation ends up being. Are they going w/ two strikers or will it be Altidore and Giovinco as an AM/secondary striker? I think the writing is on the wall for Gilberto but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. If they're going 4 DPs and MLSE didn't pay a transfer fee for Giovinco or Perquis, I'm hoping that means additional cash to be spent on another impact DP.

[ForeverTFC]

Who are TFC's RM and LM. I always thought that is where they lacked quality.

I thought Jackson played LM. He definitely had the athleticsm but the awareness definitely wasn't there. I think Dominic Oduro played on the wings too. I didn't mind him, though he had the tendency to go 1 on 1 early in the season. I think we could use an upgrade there but its not a pressing concern.

Jackson could fit if he just smartened up a bit. Oduro needs to go to the bench. Worst first touch in all of MLS. Shame really, because he is probably the fastest guy in the league as well. TFC is looking for a winger - if they find one then we will see. Still, that all depends on the formation they roll out:

I could be wrong but I think Osorio was used on the wing as well.

I'm curious what their formation ends up being. Are they going w/ two strikers or will it be Altidore and Giovinco as an AM/secondary striker? I think the writing is on the wall for Gilberto but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. If they're going 4 DPs and MLSE didn't pay a transfer fee for Giovinco or Perquis, I'm hoping that means additional cash to be spent on another impact DP.

Oso can play the wing. It sounds like we will go with either a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 with Jozi as lone striker and Giovinco as an AM/2nd Froward.

If we are playing the 4-3-3, we need to keep Gilberto as I think he would excel on the right side of the 3 at the front.

To get an idea of how we will play next year, I recommend everyone read this:

Talking tactics and formations with TFC's Vanney
http://www.tsn.ca/talent/talking-tactic ... y-1.186982

By the way, still not sure how I feel about Vanney, but it is refreshing to have a coach talk to the media and the fans as if they understand tactics. My biggest pet peeve in pro sports is coaches who treat the public as if they know nothing and dumb down every answer.

[youngtea]

Who are TFC's RM and LM. I always thought that is where they lacked quality.

I thought Jackson played LM. He definitely had the athleticsm but the awareness definitely wasn't there. I think Dominic Oduro played on the wings too. I didn't mind him, though he had the tendency to go 1 on 1 early in the season. I think we could use an upgrade there but its not a pressing concern.

Jackson could fit if he just smartened up a bit. Oduro needs to go to the bench. Worst first touch in all of MLS. Shame really, because he is probably the fastest guy in the league as well. TFC is looking for a winger - if they find one then we will see. Still, that all depends on the formation they roll out:

I could be wrong but I think Osorio was used on the wing as well.

I'm curious what their formation ends up being. Are they going w/ two strikers or will it be Altidore and Giovinco as an AM/secondary striker? I think the writing is on the wall for Gilberto but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. If they're going 4 DPs and MLSE didn't pay a transfer fee for Giovinco or Perquis, I'm hoping that means additional cash to be spent on another impact DP.

Oso can play the wing. It sounds like we will go with either a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 with Jozi as lone striker and Giovinco as an AM/2nd Froward.

If we are playing the 4-3-3, we need to keep Gilberto as I think he would excel on the right side of the 3 at the front.

To get an idea of how we will play next year, I recommend everyone read this:

Talking tactics and formations with TFC's Vanney
http://www.tsn.ca/talent/talking-tactic ... y-1.186982

By the way, still not sure how I feel about Vanney, but it is refreshing to have a coach talk to the media and the fans as if they understand tactics. My biggest pet peeve in pro sports is coaches who treat the public as if they know nothing and dumb down every answer.

I don't watch a lot of MLS, but what is the most used formation?
How do MLS pitches compare to European pitches in terms of size?
If I were to guess TFC will use a 4-4-2 with a diamond setup with the two wide players playing more central. That's what I would do with the lack of attacking wingers.

[LittleOzzy]

What position is Sebastian Giovinco best suited for as he makes his move from Juventus to Toronto FC?

They had the central midfielder, they had the center forward. But what did they add with their newest arriving star?

Toronto FC signed Sebastian Giovinco on Monday, and in the process acquired a guy billed as their own No. 10.

In Greg Vanney’s words Giovinco is a player, “who can help us create in the attacking third, a player who can set other players up and give other players opportunities, but also create opportunities of his own.”

When looking at the numbers from his time in Serie A, his stat profile suggests he can do exactly that, though maybe not in the way that most fans are expecting. Giovinco is not a No. 10 in the South American sense – think Pedro Morales, Javier Morales, and Federico Higuain – in that midfield play is not constantly funneled through him.

Instead he is a player that will likely be more comfortable in a second striker role. That is the No. 10 in the Italian tradition of guys like Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero and Roberto Baggio. Like those three legends, Giovinco is a creature of the final third who is most influential when he can be a pure attacker.

In his best three seasons in Serie A (2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13) Giovinco averaged 3.7 shots and 2.2 chances created per 90 minutes. That ratio of 1.65 shots per chance created most similarly resembles players such as Chris Rolfe or Mike Magee, two guys who are notable for their ability to simply pop up in the right spots when their team is threatening goal, and neither of whom is tasked with controlling the game.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2 ... entus-toro

[T-d0t]

For the guys who've watched Giovinco play in the Serie A, would CF be the best position for him?

[Fury]

Is Giovinco the best player in his prime to play for MLS?

[MaliBrah]

For the guys who've watched Giovinco play in the Serie A, would CF be the best position for him?

the odd occasion I see a juve game he's not playing but if I recall his best position would be a free role in a front 2 or front 3 in which he has freedom to attack from all positions.

[ForeverTFC]

For the guys who've watched Giovinco play in the Serie A, would CF be the best position for him?

He's an AM/Second Forward.

He needs the ball in the attacking third with a bit of space, so often between the mid and defense of the other side. He's really good if he can make a run at defenders, specifically from the left side coming towards centre. I think he is as close as you can get to a number 10 without being a true and true number 10, if that makes sense.

[ForeverTFC]

I don't watch a lot of MLS, but what is the most used formation?
How do MLS pitches compare to European pitches in terms of size?
If I were to guess TFC will use a 4-4-2 with a diamond setup with the two wide players playing more central. That's what I would do with the lack of attacking wingers.

Most used formation, I would say, is a 4-4-2, though we are beginning to see some variation in how it's employed within the league. 4-3-3 has been a desire of many in North America, but the caliber of technical talent just isn't here yet. Over time, I see the league shedding its English influence and moving a bit more in this direction; it fits the "American" audience best.

All pitches around the world are different sizes, even in the EPL for example. There are Fifa guidelines and teams will fall within them. MLS used to see a bit more variation when teams played in baseball diamonds, but the emergence if soccer specific stadiums is fixing that.

I'm not sure if we'd play the diamond. They don't want Bradley as a 6 - they want to employ him as more of an 8. Vanney talked about pairing him up with someone in the middle who can cover when Bradley makes runs, so whatever we do, our midfield will likely be compact. At the same time, Vanney likes the 4-3-3 a lot and likes deploying wingers, so I'm not sure what we will to be honest with you. If we do go with the 4-3-3 (and keep Gilberto), I see something like this:

...............X.............
....X......X.....X.....X...
.........X....X....X........
.....X.........X.......X...

Altidore as the highest man. Perhaps a Bradley/Warner/Oso combo in the middle where at any time 2 of 3 are allowed to join the attack and one drops back. Gilberto on the right side and Giovinco on the left, both capable of taking runs at defenses and feeding Altidore. Jozi should also open some space for both guys by occupying 1.5 defenders in the middle at any time. The only concern I have with that is that Giovinco will not necessarily track back (Gilberto has shown that he is willing to do it), so I'm not sure how strong the left side is defensively.

[LittleOzzy]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/KurtLarSUN/status/558643779629240320[/tweet]

The off season is officially over.

[ForeverTFC]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/KurtLarSUN/status/558643779629240320[/tweet]

The off season is officially over.

Shame, isn't it? We are the undisputed king of the off season.