Toronto Soccer Fans to Relaunch

The more observant among you may have noticed that Toronto Soccer Fans has been dormant for some time.
Various work/life changes have meant that there was insufficient time to keep this site updated to the extent that it deserved.

The Home game on Saturday was an opener in more ways than one. An Eye Opener. The passion of the crowd was fanstastic to see, and was reflected by most of the team. I am shortly relaunching this site as a suitable complement to that.

Check back soon, and any suggestions can be sent via the contact form

The Home Opener saw a sea of scarves. Lets make BMO Field into a sea of red shirts, and show your support for the team.
Buy The Jersey Now!

Some of us were cynical about the open tryout process. In an attempt to prove us wrong, the club have retained a single player out of the 1000 hopefuls to return to preseason camp next February.

Jamaal Smith, an 18 year old York U defender who also plays for the Missisauga Classics, will no doubt be the focus of much interest for now. To question his selection at this point is unfair, but one has to question the fact that the club claims they only saw worth in one player, did they even see that or was it the necessary cherry on the PR cake that was the open tryouts. Would zero prospects have been an acceptable outcome?

Still it will be a great opportunity for Jamaal, even if he only makes initial training camp. The unspoken other story here is what became of the youth? I previously said to not hold your breath for a new Adu playing top-flight MLS at age 14, but the club will undoubtedly have put flags against a few names of the younger trialists. Not suitable for signing now, particularly given tight limits for youth development places in MLS squads, but it would not suprise me if 'discovery signings' a couple of years down the road happen to also have been at these open tryouts. Just a pity Barry MacLean's 10 or 11 players, including "one or two of elite ability" happened to miss the bus this week.