Toronto FC Announce Coaches

[Bill Ault]

The rumours have all panned out.

www.canadakicks.com

Bill

[rdroze]

Toronto FC rounds out coaching staff

Toronto FC Media Relations

Toronto FC announced Tuesday they have named Bob Gansler, and Mike Matkovich, as the team's assistant coaches and Carmine Issaco as goalkeeper coach. All three have agreed to multi-year contracts. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

Gansler reunites with Head Coach Mo Johnston who played for him, and was the captain the year the Kansas City Wizards won the MLS Cup in 2000. That same season, he received the prestigious Walt Chyzowych award, recognizing his achievements and dedication to the growth of soccer in America.

"I am very excited to be working with Bob again", said Johnston. "He is a big part of why I went into coaching, and to have him here in Toronto is tremendous".

Gansler also led Kansas City to the US Open Cup in 2004. In 1997, he coached the Milwaukee Rampage of the United Soccer League to the league title in 1997. He coached the US National Team at the 1990 World Cup, which was the team's first appearance at the tournament since 1950.

As a player, Gansler trained with the US National Team between 1963 and 1969, and captained the Olympic Teams in 1964 and 1968.

Matkovich joins Toronto FC from the Chicago Magic Soccer Club of the Super Y League where he's been a part of the organization since starting the club in 1998 as the Director of Coaching. The Super Y League is the highest form of American and Canadian youth soccer and consists of over 100 teams, many of which are operated by clubs from MLS. The Magic have been named Soccer America Magazine's #1 Boys Club in the nation for the past two years, and have had a pronounced effect on the professional game in the United States. Recent graduates from the Magic include Los Angeles Galaxy's Quavas Kirk, Houston's Ricardo Clark, and Chivas Goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Matkovich attended Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois and later coached the men's soccer team. Matkovich was both a member of the US National coaching staff, and MLS's Chicago Fire Reserves coaching staff. He holds a National 'A' license from the USSF and has been a member of the NSCAA for the past 16 years.

Goalkeeper Coach Isacco, is a native of Toronto and is currently Head Coach of soccer program at the University of Toronto. Isacco is the former Head Coach and General Manager of the Hearts -Toronto C.S Azzurri Soccer Club, one of Ontario's most successful clubs having won over 10 provincial championships in the past 6 years. Many players from that team have gone on to play for both Ontario, and Canada - including Jamie Peters and Andrea Lombardo both on the U-20 squad.

Isacco attended the University of Maryland, where he was a freshman All-American, named to the All-ACC first team three times and was the team captain as a senior in 1992.

He spent time with the Canadian Olympic Team and competed at the 2003 World University Games before playing professionally for six years. The keeper was part of the Milwaukee Rampage's 1997 A-League championship season coached by Bob Gansler.

Bob Gansler - Teams Coached

1979-82: U.S U-19 National Team

1984-88: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

1987-89: U.S U-20 National Team

1989-91: U.S National Team

1996-98: Milwaukee Rampage (USL 1st Division)

1999-2006: Kansas City Wizards (MLS)

Mike Matkovich - Teams Coached

1985-86: Lewis University (Romeoville, IL)

1987-88: Bolingbrook High School (Bolingbrook, IL)

1989: Lewis University

1990-94: Chicago Power (NPSL)

1988-2006: Chicago Magic (Super Y League)

Carmine Isacco - Teams Coached

2000: Toronto Lynx Player/Goalkeeper Coach (A-League)

2000-01: Buffalo Blizzard (NPSL)

2002: Toronto Supra (Head Coach) (CPSL)

2003-06: Vaughan Shooters (OSL Team & U-21)

Hearts-Azzurri S.C

2005-06: University of Toronto

[Grizzly]

quote:"I am very excited to be working with Bob again", said Johnston. "He is a big part of why I went into coaching, and to have him here in Toronto is tremendous".

I thought the quality of the assistant coaches were supposed to blow the fans away yet it seems the only one they are blowing away is Mo himself. Gansler while not fulfilling Mo's marketing hype is still a good choice. However, the other two guys don't seem to have a very impressive resume for such a position. Wouldn't Craig Forrest have been a much better choice as goalkeeper coach?

[Guest Ed]

I'm a little underwhelmed myself with a certain Dutchman being touted several months ago. Good choices on the assistant and youth coach side. Much better talent available within Canada however if they had bothered to look.

[loyola]

I'm not sure Forrest wants that kind of job and I would imagine they had a talk with him.

Mike Torshack (sp) didn't have an impressive resume but he's the one who trained Sutton and he did a fine job.

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

I'm a little underwhelmed myself with a certain Dutchman being touted several months ago. Good choices on the assistant and youth coach side. Much better talent available within Canada however if they had bothered to look.

Of course, you don't know much about coaching, I'm glad Johnston went for someone he knows and feel comfortable with. An assistant coach is quite important on a team and hiring a canadian just to please the crowd would've been stupid.

They've obviously looked, they hired Isacco.

Who would you suggest? And who told you they didn't look?

[RS]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

I'm a little underwhelmed myself with a certain Dutchman being touted several months ago. Good choices on the assistant and youth coach side. Much better talent available within Canada however if they had bothered to look.

There are still quite a few more coaching positions to fill among the MLS-mandated youth teams, I believe.

[Guest Ed]

quote:Originally posted by loyola

Of course, you don't know much about coaching, I'm glad Johnston went for someone he knows and feel comfortable with. An assistant coach is quite important on a team and hiring a canadian just to please the crowd would've been stupid.

They've obviously looked, they hired Isacco.

Who would you suggest? And who told you they didn't look?

Nice dig twat. Based on your criteria, perhaps Mo should have his mother on the bench with him (assuming he is comfortable with her that is).

[loyola]

The point is hiring someone he basically doesn,t know would be foolish. Every pro and college coached will bring their assistant with them, that's the way it is. BTW, Gansler has some interesting credentials, it's not like he hired an incompetent assistant.

You don't hire a stranger as your assistant just to please the home crowd, but you're obviously don't understand that since you only want to take a shot at them without providing proofs that competent and interested coaches were ignored......

[Guest Ed]

quote:Originally posted by Sigma

<mod>Just a general comment... please keep the personal comments to a minimum.</mod>

Personal attacks will be responded to. No wiggle room on that.

[Grizzly]

Gansler is a fine choice, the only problem being he does not live up to hype Mo created about him, ie. good choice but not even close to someone who is going to blow the fans away. The other two may or may not turn out to be good coaches but don't have very impressive resumes going in to this especially since one of them is being imported from the US. I think they could have found better candidates within Toronto let alone Canada.

[Loud Mouth Soup]

Grizzly-is it really about the coaches with the fans? I'd have to say no.

Players-definitely. Manager-sure, doesn't hurt. Guys who sit beside him and maybe get 2 seconds of TV time each weekend? Probably not.

Yes, they're important to the team, but most fans won't care. Just give them a winning, or at least respectable, side.

[john tv]

Why again these crazy responses. Hey I am happy and hey,we will see. Sofar so very very good. A team, a league,a stadium and some great players. I am very very happy,please join me ok. I am getting so fed up with some of you. Just for once ,anyway there it is.Thanks TFC you are doing great and keep going,ok.

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

Personal attacks will be responded to. No wiggle room on that.

You should answer the arguments instead of calling some condescending remarks (which you're pretty good at) "personnal attacks".

Just because they didn't hired a canadian as the youth coaches doesn't mean they didn't tried, we have no idea of the kind of approach they did.

As for the assistant, it's still a pretty good choice and I still maintain that the head coach must know and trust his assistant. If TFC would've told Mo "you'll have to pick a canadian assistant, it's an imperative" I would've been worried.

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by john tv

Why again these crazy responses. Hey I am happy and hey,we will see. Sofar so very very good. A team, a league,a stadium and some great players. I am very very happy,please join me ok. I am getting so fed up with some of you. Just for once ,anyway there it is.Thanks TFC you are doing great and keep going,ok.

I agree, so far so good, it looks like the organisation knows what it should be doing to promote the team and I hope the on field product will be just as good in 2007.

[Guest Ed]

quote:Originally posted by loyola

You should answer the arguments instead of calling some condescending remarks (which you're pretty good at) "personnal attacks".

Just because they didn't hired a canadian as the youth coaches doesn't mean they didn't tried, we have no idea of the kind of approach they did.

As for the assistant, it's still a pretty good choice and I still maintain that the head coach must know and trust his assistant. If TFC would've told Mo "you'll have to pick a canadian assistant, it's an imperative" I would've been worried.

Pardon me but the first sentence in your original reply said that I obviously know nothing about coaching. That's not what I would consider an 'argument' but rather a clear personal shot. You can't have it both ways.

[Guest Ed]

quote:Originally posted by loyola

You should answer the arguments instead of calling some condescending remarks (which you're pretty good at) "personnal attacks".

Just because they didn't hired a canadian as the youth coaches doesn't mean they didn't tried, we have no idea of the kind of approach they did.

As for the assistant, it's still a pretty good choice and I still maintain that the head coach must know and trust his assistant. If TFC would've told Mo "you'll have to pick a canadian assistant, it's an imperative" I would've been worried.

Pardon me but the first sentence in your original reply said that I obviously know nothing about coaching. That's not what I would consider an 'argument' but rather a clear personal shot. You can't have it both ways.

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

Pardon me but the first sentence in your original reply said that I obviously know nothing about coaching. That's not what I would consider an 'argument' but rather a clear personal shot. You can't have it both ways.

I'm speaking about the arguments in the post, the "you don't know about coaching" is a condescending remark and it's obviously not an argument.

[Grizzly]

I am not sure that I fully understand the difference between making a "condescending remark" about someone and making a "personal attack" on someone. Regardless I don't think the "Of course, you don't know much about coaching" was necessary in your post Loyola.

To get back to the coaching topic, LMS, I am not saying that MO should hire coaches to please the fans. I do think he should not create an unrealistic hype around a hiring though, ie. making it sound like he is going to hire some internationally reknowned coach and then hiring a competent MLS coach. It is kind of like if MO were to make lots of hints that he was going to hire the top Canadian in MLS (DeRo) and then goes out and signs Jazic. Jazic like Gansler would be a good fit for TFC but if fans are expecting DeRo they will be bound to be disappointed.

[Guest Ed]

Alright to be specific. Ganzler as an assistant coach is fine in many respects. He is qualified and knows Mo. However, he does not know the Cdn scene at all. I would have preferred someone with Mo who can give him solid advice on the Cdn player pool as the Cdn content on this team is largely going to make or break this team. Ganzler does not have that in-depth knowledge.

On the youth side, there are MANY qualified coaches in Canada who could perform that role very well. I am disappointed to see a Yank brought in for that position.

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

I am not sure that I fully understand the difference between making a "condescending remark" about someone and making a "personal attack" on someone. Regardless I don't think the "Of course, you don't know much about coaching" was necessary in your post Loyola.

It was.

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

Alright to be specific. Ganzler as an assistant coach is fine in many respects. He is qualified and knows Mo. However, he does not know the Cdn scene at all. I would have preferred someone with Mo who can give him solid advice on the Cdn player pool as the Cdn content on this team is largely going to make or break this team. Ganzler does not have that in-depth knowledge.

On the youth side, there are MANY qualified coaches in Canada who could perform that role very well. I am disappointed to see a Yank brought in for that position.

So far Mo has signed the canadians he could signed, and he seems to be aware of the canadian situation and has seen our MNT play, so I trust him for that. It all depends on the tasks you'll give to your assitant but I don't think Mo was looking for a "recruiter/scout", he was looking for someone to help him for games and practices advices.

Mo has stated that he was in touch with Hart and MItchell so both of them must know what's going on with our players.

I agree that it's too bad the youth coach isn't canadian but you were suggesting that they didn't looked for a canadian when we don't know what kind of approach they did. We'll have a better idea of his job in a year: if he's bringing US youth players, I'll cry foul but if he's mostly working with canadians I,ll be happy with that.

[Guest Ed]

quote:Originally posted by loyola

So far Mo has signed the canadians he could signed, and he seems to be aware of the canadian situation and has seen our MNT play, so I trust him for that. It all depends on the tasks you'll give to your assitant but I don't think Mo was looking for a "recruiter/scout", he was looking for someone to help him for games and practices advices.

Mo has stated that he was in touch with Hart and MItchell so both of them must know what's going on with our players.

I agree that it's too bad the youth coach isn't canadian but you were suggesting that they didn't looked for a canadian when we don't know what kind of approach they did. We'll have a better idea of his job in a year: if he's bringing US youth players, I'll cry foul but if he's mostly working with canadians I,ll be happy with that.

Well, if they did a coast to coast investigation and did not find a Cdn up to the task for youth coach, then so be it. I would suspect they did very little digging on the Cdn side. Your remark that Mo has signed all the Cdns he could have signed is preposterous as the two very obvious candidates in the entry draft are NOT on the Toronto FC roster.

Don't get me wrong, I think TFC is coming along all right but I am not going to sit here nodding quietly when people stretch the facts to suit their preconceived ideas.

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

Well, if they did a coast to coast investigation and did not find a Cdn up to the task for youth coach, then so be it. I would suspect they did very little digging on the Cdn side. Your remark that Mo has signed all the Cdns he could have signed is preposterous as the two very obvious candidates in the entry draft are NOT on the Toronto FC roster.

Don't get me wrong, I think TFC is coming along all right but I am not going to sit here nodding quietly when people stretch the facts to suit their preconceived ideas.

I forgot about Serioux, what I meant is that he went signing some canadians that were playing elsewhere and he's been reported to be in touch with Grande and Bernier (I don,t think he can bring Bernier back yet) so I'm expecting him to signed a few more. The roster is far from finish so we'll see in the next few months the kind of players he'll bring.

[lsir]

I'm a big fan of Grande in the middle of the park ala Pirlo, playmaking from a deeper position!!