Man, it’s hard to get a read on this guy.
Toronto FC GM Mo Johnston is squarely under the microscope after a sequence of rotten results left his rapidly reversing Reds in their ravenous fans’ doghouses.
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As feared, the back four is gushing goals. Marco Velez should have bought a ticket for both Galaxy goals in the 2-1 loss to Los Angeles. And up front, Pablo Vitti can’t shoot on the net, and Chad Barrett still refuses to hit anything that isn’t wearing an opposing goaltenders’ shirt.
With the fans howling – and some even walking out – Mo finally made a move. An almost-too-good-to-be-true move.
A third-round draft pick – which wouldn’t keep you in BMO Field mac-n-cheese fritters till halftime – to San Jose for 10-year MLS veteran defender Nick Garcia and the rights to teamless Canadian striker Ali Gerba.
Excuse me?
A solid, proven centre back? Okay, Garcia’s not moving to Europe any time ever – but that’s a really good thing if he can play. He’s also only 30 – which is a really good thing if he can play. So how’d Mo get him so cheap?
And Gerba! Bit of a reputation for not getting along with his teammates, but the man is solid muscle with a deft, clever first touch and a cannon shot. Knows how to play with Dwayne DeRosario, too.
This isn’t the first time Mo has struck dramatically, and seemed to get a tremendous bargain.
Back at the MLS draft, he tried for ages to deal one of his three first-round picks. He was pushing hard to land defender Adrian Serioux from Dallas, but didn’t get a deal he liked. Then he has a miracle draft – Sam Cronin (solid), O’Brien White (still recovering from serious knee injury) and goalie Stefan Frei (the real deal). Then, he deals a 2010 draft pick to Dallas – for Adrian Serioux.
The question I had then is the same question I have now. Where was this deal all along?
Did San Jose suddenly, magically conclude Garcia is done, when they didn’t think that before? Highly doubtful. What’s probably really happening is the Earthquakes are clearing a roster spot for a transfer signing, or they’re conceding the season and loading up with draft picks. For their fans’ sake, it better be the first one.
Once again, Mo has found away to craft a deal with no downside. Garcia’s a near-lock to improve Toronto’s gasping D, and if Gerba can be got under contract – he’s got absolutely nothing to lose with the English off-season going on – Mo could wave a wand at both ends of the pitch simultaneously.
But does it mean anything? Is this just another Houdini-like escape? (Houdini, you might remember, was ultimately killed doing one of his own stunts.)
The man is always on a cell phone. On the rare occasions he speaks to the media, late-breaking truths always emerge to challenge – or utterly torpedo – what he says.
Getting Garcia and Gerba for a low-round pick is the exact equivalent of having a day of huge scores on the garage-sale circuit. If the two players contribute at all (Gerba has yet to sign as I’m writing this), they will certainly improve the team, and Mo will have wiggled out of trouble yet again.
But it’s probably too late to do anything about Mo’s worst (repeated) failing as a team-builder – bombing out in the Voyageurs Cup.
It’s still so tantalizing to wonder if TFC can, in fact, drop Montreal by four goals next Thursday, and back-door their way into the CONCACAF Champions League. I can easily imagine a Danny Dichio scramble job, an outside strike from DeRosario and two monster slot bombs from Gerba doing the trick, while Serioux and Garcia mop up at the back.
If GMs build teams in their images, that might be the ultimate proof. A beaten, cornered TFC go four-up on the road to bail out a GM who goes forever without dealing, then pulls magic rabbit after magic rabbit from his Scottish cloth cap.
Exactly the kind of thing that drives us all crazy – with hope and terror – all at once.
Onward!