SoccerToronto FC must clear the decks

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They knew it was over before a ball was kicked. So what exactly was Toronto FC playing for at the Home Depot Center last weekend?

Pride in the jersey and contracts for next year? I must have missed it. A series of scoring opportunities were wasted before one of the worst teams in Major League Soccer, which had lost its previous three games, took control and gave the visitors a lesson in finishing.

Toronto FC, as a group of players, is just not good enough. It never has been and it could be a while before it is. We can all find reasons why, but the management needs to find a solid group of individuals who can be consistently competitive.

To that end, major roster changes must be made and the sooner the better. Which players deserve to be back in 2011 and who need to be shown the door? Here are some of my ideas, designed to stimulate healthy debate - please join in and post your thoughts below.

Dwayne De Rosario

I'm tempted to say trade him for his infamous cheque signing gesture and replace him with two or three willing, team-first, soldiers. But that would be cutting off the nose to spite the face. He is, without question, the most productive player on the roster.

So what if he's selfish? Most good goal-scorers are exactly the same and are generally paid the big bucks because they can do what few others can - put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis. De Rosario has continued to perform on a dysfunctional team and his threat is understood league-wide.

He must be retained but at what cost? His current contract has two years remaining but he wants it shredded and re-negotiated. A glance at his career stats suggests he has a case. He's actually getting better with age but can he justify Designated Player status?

Not in my book. He is as well paid as any non DP in Major League Soccer and that is how it should be. I understand his frustration from a financial perspective but he can have no complaints. He has made a career in MLS, not Europe, and must therefore accept the house rules.

Julian de Guzman

As the old saying goes: adapt or die. To my surprise, de Guzman has failed to do so on his return to North America and the transition to MLS has been disappointing at best. We all know he has talent but his game has to change to suit his surroundings.

It's not his fault he's the team's highest earner any more than it's his fault he's only five foot seven. But de Guzman is no longer playing in La Liga where defensive midfielders are given time on the ball and where referees routinely award free kicks for the merest hint of contact from an opponent.

This is MLS, where going to ground does not always constitute foul play and where possession, and keeping it, really is nine-tenths of the law. De Guzman has quick feet and a good turn of speed but he does not impose himself as he should.  

Discipline is also an issue. Only two players in MLS have picked up more yellow cards than de Guzman in 2010 and a straight red card against Houston is earning him an unwanted reputation with match officials.

The contract he signed with the previous management makes him an immovable object within MLS. His only realistic option would be a return to Europe and then only if he agreed to move away from his hometown. A free transfer at season's end might be in everyone's best interests.

Stefan Frei

A fine young prospect, surely destined to play at a higher level. European scouts will be monitoring his progress and it is clearly only a matter of time before a suitable offer lands on the desk at MLS headquarters.

In the meantime, Toronto FC should consider trading him for a couple of reasons. Firstly his trade value is high which could tempt a rival MLS team to part with a talented player of two. Secondly, Jon Conway is an experienced deputy who is ready to re-launch his career.

Frei will soon 'graduate' from the Generation Adidas program at which point his salary will count against the team cap. As Greg Sutton discovered, Toronto FC is not prepared to pay a hefty salary to its back-up keeper although Conway, currently on $70,000, could hardly be described as a luxury.

Chad Barrett

No player gives you more in terms of effort. Barrett will run all day, has great tenacity and scores important goals. Unfortunately he just doesn't score enough. His goals per game ratio simply doesn't merit the pay raise due in 2011.

In no area of the field is the re-tooling of Toronto FC more urgently needed than with the strikers. De Rosario apart, no player in the history of the franchise has managed to get into double figures over the course of a season.

When a team cannot score with some regularity it heaps pressure on the defenders to prevent goals at the other end. That leads to a bunker mentality, particularly on the road, with the inevitable result that one mistake is often fatal.

Barrett may one day find the missing ingredient in his game - a calmness in front of goal which allows him to finish what has been started. But this team desperately needs goals from its goal scorers and I don't believe Barrett is the answer.

The Rest

Let's be honest - 2010 has been little short of disastrous for Toronto FC. Changes were finally made off the pitch but the players must also share the responsibility. As a result, the list of players I would retain is understandably short.

Alphabetically I would want to see the following in the home dressing room at BMO Field in 2011: Nana Attakora, Adrian Cann, Jon Conway, Dan Gargan, Ty Harden, Doneil Henry, Milos Kocic, Nick LaBrocca, Nicholas Lindsay, Maicon Santos and Amadou Sanyang.

For me these are the only players who should form the nucleus of next year's roster. None are major earners yet all have either played their part or will have a part to play going forward. Reliable full backs, speedy wingers and proven strikers should all apply.

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