CBC-Sports

Advice to Mo: Fill the holes without breaking the bank

January 14, 2009 04:56 PM | Posted by   Jason de Vos  

Now that the holiday season has come and gone, it’s time to start looking forward toward an exciting summer of football.

Can Toronto FC continue their improvement and give the fans what they have been longing for the past two seasons, post-season play at BMO Field?

Will either Vancouver or Ottawa, the two remaining Canadian cities in the running for Major League Soccer expansion, be granted a franchise to rival the Reds of TFC?

Will Montreal continue their Cinderella story and knock off Santos of Mexico in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League?

Gervais retirement

If the Impact are going to go where no Canadian team has gone before, they are going to have to do it without a key member of their squad.

Gabriel Gervais announced his retirement from professional football recently, calling a halt to a nine-year career, seven of which he spent in an Impact jersey.

Last season was a difficult year for Gervais, as injuries restricted him to a handful of appearances. Montreal has excelled in Champions’ League play in his absence, but that shouldn’t detract from the influence he has in the dressing room.

He is a leader both on and off the field, and he is a role model for all Canadian kids who dream about becoming a professional.

His list of achievements is impressive with three USL Defender of the Year awards to go alongside his USL Championship from 2004.

But for me, it’s everything else he brings to the team that makes him such a valuable player.

He reads the game well, he is a solid, consistent defender and he is always looking to improve. The fact that he is currently completing his MBA means he’s also quite intelligent, which is something of a rarity in professional sports these days.

Gervais would've been a nice fit for Toronto FC

I had the opportunity to play alongside Gabe with the national team a few years ago, and I thought at the time that he was very underrated. Had circumstances been different and had he been given the opportunity, I’m sure he could have enjoyed a long and lucrative career playing in Europe.

When Toronto announced that they were bringing an MLS team to the city, Gervais was exactly the type of player I expected them to sign. Instead it was Marco Reda and Adam Braz who made the switch, and we all know how that turned out. Nevertheless, Gabriel Gervais deserves credit for an excellent career.

Which leads me to my next point: Who are Toronto FC going to bring in to sort out their defensive woes?

Does Mo Johnston gamble on Omar Gonzalez, regarded as the best defensive prospect in this year’s draft? Does he trade some of his picks for a proven MLS veteran, or does he go a different route? Much has been said about the imminent arrival of a designated player, and some people have suggested that Mo should be using that cash on an experienced centre half.

Don't use DP on a defender

If I were sitting in Mr. Johnston’s position, I would be wary of using that coveted DP (designated player) slot on a defender and here’s why: I think it’s a waste of money.

Have a look around the MLS, and look at the salaries that are being paid to the best central defenders in the league: Chad Marshall (although he just signed a new deal, presumably for more money) $150,000, Bakary Soumare $103,000, Jimmy Conrad $225,000, Nat Borchers $127,000, Wilman Conde $163,000.

You put any of those players in Toronto’s starting 11, and they suddenly start looking a lot more solid.

Add in the fact that Todd Dunivant is going to be available as a left back and things start looking much rosier. Jim Brennan could make the switch to centre half, meaning Mo Johnston only needs to bring in one defender, if he chooses to hang on to Tyrone Marshall rather than offer him as part of a trade package.

But it isn’t easy to tempt teams to part with their best players, and as I’ve said before, signing players isn’t like going to the grocery store. Even players with a solid track record and international experience can turn out to be duds once they don your team’s jersey.

Fill the holes without breaking the bank

Just ask FC Dallas. Do you think they got value for money out of Duilio Davino? $400,000 for a guy who spent a quarter of the season injured. (He’s available, by the way, as Dallas saw the light and let him go.)

And I wouldn’t stumble over to give Gonzalo Peralta or Gonzalo Martinez and the $200,000-plus that they are each getting from DC United, either. Do I even need to mention Abel Xavier? You would think a player who has played in La Liga, Serie A and the Premiership would be a star in Major League Soccer, but Xavier’s time in Los Angeles was a complete disaster.

So far, most MLS teams have resisted the temptation to give big bucks to aging foreign defenders who have lost their appetite for graft and hard work. I hope TFC follows suit and trades some of the draft picks they have to bring in a quality defender who will improve the back four without breaking the bank.

By all means, use one or maybe even two draft picks to plan for the future. But Toronto FC needs some defensive help right now, and if Mo Johnston can bring in a solid central defender by doing some wheeling and dealing, then this season will be one we will all look forward to.

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