SoccerPablo Vitti looking to make up for lost time with Toronto FC

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Some players burst onto the scene almost before they're out of short trousers and demand attention from seasoned veterans and managers alike. Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi and Alexandre Pato were all special talents who were household names before they were old enough to vote or carry a driver's license.

Other players take longer to fulfill their potential, diligently serving their apprenticeship, learning the professional game from their peers while developing physically and mentally, all part of the preparation for the day when the coach finally calls the young man's name and puts him in his starting line-up.

Nearly four years ago Pablo Vitti got the call. He would lead the line for Argentina in their opening game of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in Holland against the USA. The 19-year-old striker was preferred in attack to a couple of promising "youngsters" who started the game on the bench, namely Sergio Aguero, and the aforementioned Messi.

It was to be Vitti's coming out party - a golden opportunity to continue for his country what he'd started with his Argentine club team Rosario Central. The party fell a little flat. Despite enjoying the lion's share of possession, not even the second half introduction of 17-year-old Messi could save Argentina from a shock 1-0 defeat to the Americans.

Vitti's career stalled

The result was a wakeup call for the Argentines but a personal disaster for Vitti. While the South Americans got their act together, rebounding to win every subsequent game up to and including the Final, Vitti was frozen out. He became a bit part player for the remainder of the tournament and could only watch as an unused substitute in both the semifinal and the championship game itself.

While Messi, Aguero, Fernando Gago and Pablo Zabaleta all made the leap from U-20 champions to lucrative professional careers in Europe, Vitti's progress has been somewhat less spectacular. An abortive move to Argentine rivals Banfield, thence to Independiente, who promptly loaned him to a team in the Ukrainian Premier League. His playing time has been limited and his goal production even less so.

Now he's on the move again, on loan to Toronto FC. Vitti, now 23, knows it is time to blossom and a spell in Major League Soccer may be just what he needs.

There can be little debate about his natural ability - the question is whether he can translate the potential into a potent offensive weapon and kick start his career.

Toronto GM Mo Johnston was highly impressed with Vitti's performance during an international friendly at BMO Field last summer and the player has been on Johnston's radar ever since. Without wanting to belittle Vitti's contribution it should be remembered the game was an exhibition - very different from a truly competitive match, and the Toronto FC team on duty that night bore little resemblance to John Carver's first choice line-up.

A smart gamble

In some respects Toronto FC can only benefit from Vitti's arrival. If he quickly adapts to MLS and life in North America he will, at the very least, put pressure on the club's current strike-force, which needs to hit the ground running in 2009. If the gamble fails to pay dividends, there's no great harm done.

Vitti is, after all, only on loan and can be shipped off back to his homeland if the move doesn't work out. Without question there is a vacancy for a quality striker at BMO Field and it's up to Vitti to prove he's the right man for the job. There are plenty of his compatriots making significant contributions in MLS, none more so than league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Having a young Argentine striker on your roster might sound kind of sexy, for want of a better word, but frankly it means nothing if Vitti doesn't deliver. So far his goal per game ratio in Toronto is perfect. If he can sustain that during the regular season his future will be bright indeed.

Vitti might also take a leaf out of the book of his new striker partner. It was none other than Toronto FC's Chad Barrett who scored that crucial winning goal for the United States back in 2005. Time heals most things they say, assuming Pablo Vitti is in a forgiving mood.

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