Features news coverage of Toronto FC and its players, including match reports and general football news.
This is the moment North American soccer fans have been waiting for; the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final is here. However, with more exciting MLS action coming up this weekend, Americans are spoiled for choice as we creep closer to summer.
Written by Liviu Bird. Leave a response
Although there are two teams (San Jose and New York) that have only played two matches, this will be the first review in which I publish the Major League Soccer table, and this season there are some surprises early on. In fact, what I predicted to be a weekend of matches that are nothing special turned out to be a very exciting weekend of big teams losing to supposedly weaker opposition yet again. Welcome to the MLS.
Written by Liviu Bird. One comment
In the past couple of days:
•The Mexican league continued its commanding dominance in the Champions Cup – the most finalists in the history of the competition with thirty-two, twenty-three of which have won.
•Costa Rica has also had a good record – in second place with ten finalists, six of which were also winners.
•The Revolution win their second match of the season.
•The Galaxy take on three new players.
•A new MLS club starts to forge their identity.
Written by Liviu Bird. Leave a response
Major League Soccer’s second week kicked off on Thursday, with two matches, and finished with five more at the weekend. Also, CONCACAF Champions Cup semi final action took place in Pachuca, Mexico, and Houston, Texas.
Written by Liviu Bird. Leave a response
Laurent Robert has signed for Major League Soccer side Toronto, after his contract at Derby was cancelled by mutual consent.
The French winger was one of several players signed by Paul Jewell during the January transfer window, but made just three appearances.
Robert, 32, played under current Toronto coach John Carver at Newcastle.
Carver said: “I’ve spent a lot of time with Laurent and know about his game. He’ll be a big asset to the team.”
Robert, who also played for Portsmouth, has not started a game since early February.
But Toronto general manager Mo Johnston, the former Celtic, Rangers and Scotland striker, said: “We are thrilled to have Laurent join Toronto FC and become part of our club.
“He’s a tremendous player with a lot of talent, and we expect him to come in and make an impact with our club straight away.”
Written by Ahmed Bilal. Leave a response
This was a week of surprises for the MLS. Opening weekend, officially known as MLS First Kick 2008, was riddled with surprise results and courageous showings by supposedly inferior sides.
Written by Liviu Bird. Leave a response
Soccer season in the USA is almost here. We’ve had some exciting times already, with both DC United and Houston Dynamo advancing to the semi finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Los Angeles Galaxy completing successful tours of Australia/New Zealand and Asia, FC Dallas traveling to Brazil, and the United States U-23 team qualifying for the Beijing Olympics later this summer after missing out on Athens in 2004.
On to the first set of fixtures this weekend:
Written by Liviu Bird. Leave a response
The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here! The 2008 Major League Soccer season is upon us. Here are a few things to look out for this season:
As usual, at the end of the season, Major League Soccer will deliberate over a number of awards, along with the silverware that the deserving teams will carry away. I have predicted who will win the ones that arouse my interest:
Written by Liviu Bird. 7 comments
2007 was Toronto FC’s first year in existence. While it wasn’t always smooth (setting the record for most consecutive goal-less minutes), they did manage a respectable six victories in their first season. A lack of squad depth and an abundance of injuries hurt the team in ways they would not recover from, ending up fifteen points adrift of the playoff spots.
After an unsuccessful start to the season, losing four matches in a row, they beat then one-loss Chicago Fire and eventual champion Houston Dynamo. Things seemed to be looking up, but they went on to win only one of their last sixteen league matches – failing to score in 824 straight minutes – leaving them in last place.
The first season of Toronto’s existence really did belong to the fans. After their last home match, a 2-2 draw with finalists New England (coming back from 2-0 down to equalize in stoppage time), the players did a lap of honor around the pitch, applauded by a sell-out crowd. All of Toronto’s home matches sold out. There were 14,000 season tickets available, and they were all sold. For the 2008 season, 16,000 season tickets were made available, and they were all sold by the middle of November.
Written by Liviu Bird. Leave a response
So, I’ve had a little time to rest up after the past week, and what a week it was.
Written by Eddie Griffin. One comment
The Texas Pro Soccer Festival is wrapping up today, so there’s only one more day of action to report on after today.
Written by Eddie Griffin. Leave a response
While I’m here in San Antonio, my main task is covering the Texas Pro Soccer Fest from all angles, not only for SL, but also one of the event’s main organizers, Ziga-Zoga, and for MLSNet.com.
So, it’s been a very busy week, to say the least. But on Wednesday, I was a little sidetracked by another matter.
Written by Eddie Griffin. 2 comments
Soccerlens editor Eddie Griffin is in San Antonio covering the Texas Pro Soccer Fest, a pre-season tournament / training camp for MLS teams DC United, Chivas USA, Toronto FC and defending MLS champions, Houston Dynamo.
Now that I finally have a chance to really sit down and knock something out, I have a few tips for those who may be aspiring journalists, when it comes to covering extended a large-scale event.
Written by Eddie Griffin. Leave a response
This week, Major League Soccer will be coming to south Texas, in the first (of hopefully many) Texas Pro Soccer Fest.
From March 3-9, four of MLS’ most popular teams and some of the league’s biggest stars will be on display in the San Antonio area, in a weeklong training camp and friendly match series.
Brian Ching, Dwayne De Rosario, and the two-time defending MLS champion Houston Dynamo will be making the short trip, and they’ll be joined by another former champion in four-time winners D.C. United, who boast last year’s MVP, Luciano Emilio, Jaime Moreno, and a notable recent addition in Argentine midfielder Marcelo Gallardo.
Along with the Dynamo and D.C. United, two of the league’s most popular franchises will take part, in 2007 Western Conference regular-season champion Chivas USA and Toronto FC, who had one of the league’s highest attendances last season, their first season in existence.
Written by Eddie Griffin. Leave a response
