Toronto FC: Another Expansion Soccer Champ in the Works

In 1998, the Chicago Fire won the MLS Cup in their inaugural season, a challenge which is widely held to be nearly impossible. Typical expansion teams struggle in their first season, as soccer fans witnessed last year as neither Chivas USA nor Real Salt Lake could manage a solid position in the league standings.

However Toronto FC promises to be a whole new kind of expansion team. This team has already started to build its core by recruiting some of the best talent in the Canadian Soccer Association.

Toronto's first signing was left defender/midfielder Jim Brennan. Brennan has 43 caps with the Canadian National Team and had a successful run in England. While playing in England, Brennan spent time in the English Premier League and English Championship with such clubs as Norwich City and Nottingham Forest. The 29 year old brings versality to the team with the ability to play in the midfield or back. The team will count on him as an experienced leader.

Brennan isn't the only Canadian National Team member Toronto has brought in from across the pond. Chris Pozniak, a defender, had been with FK Haugesund in Norway. The 25 year old spent time in Toronto with the Lynx of the United Soccer Leagues but left for Norway soon after. Pozniak has spent a considerable amount of time with Canada's National Team earning 16 caps.

The team also signed another Canadian based in Norway. Marco Reda was in the back line for Sogndal before signing with the MLS expansion side. Reda is also part of the Canadian National Team and last played with Pozniak in October when Canada fell to Jamaica 2-1.

One other member of the national team defense will join Reda, Pozniak, and Brennan. Adam Braz of the Montreal Impact will also tend the back third of the field for Toronto. Braz has nine fairly recent caps with the Canadian National Team and has experience playing with both Reda and Pozniak.

With a solid core of defenders who have experience playing with one another, the back line for Toronto should be incredibly tough to beat. Reda, Pozniak, and Brennan were all part of the Canadian roster which upset Austria in Vienna 2-0. If these defenders can remain strong abroad, this should prove to be a strong team on the road in MLS.

To add to their core of Canadian National Team members, Toronto FC will also likely pick up goalkeeper, Greg Sutton. The Montreal Impact recently announced that Sutton will be leaving the United Soccer League to play in the MLS.
Although the news release did not say to which to team Sutton will travel, indications are that he'll play for Toronto FC.

Toronto is currently without a goalkeeper and has to build a roster that primarily consists of Canadian citizens. Sutton has also played with the above mentioned national team members and made appearances in eight matches with four clean sheets.

Sutton's talent between the sticks is remarkable and will certainly help a new team that needs to learn to work as a unit. Communication break downs will be inevitable, but Sutton's experiences with the other national team members should prevent any major complications in the back. Also of note, Sutton and Braz were teammates in Montreal.

This mix of established chemistry, experience, and talent should make Toronto an incredibly powerful expansion team. Although the roster is not yet complete, it has a solid core, and the franchise has yet to use its designated player position. If the team continues in its routine, Toronto will be able to recruit an entire host of players with experience playing in Europe. The team will also likely include a few more national team members. This team is clearly being built for immediate success and should continue to develop as their debut approaches.