Toronto FC tryouts (day 3)

[Rocket Robin]

hmmm. didn't want to post on top of the media conspiracy theory thread..............

I've got some pictures of today at: http://22066.vws.magma.ca/06tfc018.htm

Wednesday December 20th, 2006 Toronto FC tryouts (by Rocket Robin)

I decided to watch some of the Toronto FC tryouts being held this week at The Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan. This was the third day of tryouts and I caught the final scrimmages in the First round. The first round was to narrow the field from approximately 1000 applicants down to 250. The field had been curtained off into thirds and groups played a one hour game of six on six from teams of nine with unlimited subbing.

In the afternoon, the Second round would start with the survivors of the First round who'd played Monday this time playing a one hour, full field, eleven on eleven game. This would further narrow the field down to about 50 with Friday being a third round to reduce the numbers down further and give successful candidates a tryout in January.

I joined the crowd of spectators along the northern railing as the other three sides were roped off for evaluators and 'the media'.

I found it interesting that the first day on their Internet site, Toronto FC listed 938 players by name but by Tuesday that had disappeared and only player numbers were listed. Players weren't humiliated by being cut at the end of their game but would find out via e-mail at the end of the day whether they'd be invited back for the next round. I had written down some of the player names/numbers of players I'd followed in the CSL (Canadian Soccer League) last summer.

Most of my hellos were to people not in the games although from the field referee Afshin Korkorian was the first to shout out my name.

Peter Pinizzotto, (assistant coach of the USL Montreal Impact), was checking things out. He said he was not impressed with what he'd seen up to now but thinks the 2nd round will give better players a chance to show more.

Hector Marinaro, an official with the CSL Brampton Stallions said he didn't object to any of his players trying out for Toronto FC and proudly pointed out some of his guys warming up.

I saw both USL Toronto Lynx goalies here today. Neither were trying out and both knew they wouldn't be back with the Lynx which have dropped down to the PDL league. Theo Zagar said he was at the training center for a session and Richard Goddard (who I had to ask because I blanked out on his name) has had interest for tryouts with USL teams Montreal, Rochester, and Carolina.

The father of Serbian White Eagles player Alex Braletic said his son was not in this group of 1000 as he said it would be tough to impress in only a one hour game. I agreed that the teammates you're drawn with could ruin your chances. I've seen the lists of some of the ages of the players and read and watched stories of some of the media personalities that had tried out (great publicity for the team anyway) and could see his point. Alex is supposed to get a look-see in January. Also Mr Braletic said Montreal Impact has expressed interested in his son.

On the field, the numbers were a bit small to make out safety-pinned to the back of the players wearing either red or white shirts of their team. I settled in to watch a game with Danny Sanna of CSL Italia Shooters playing for the red squad against Lexton Hurlock of CSL Brampton Stallions on the white squad. The CSL guys looked good compared to their teammates. I asked Sanna after his game about why he drifted back to defense from the start of play but he said it's where they told him to play.

***Good news...Both Danny Sanna and Lexton Hurlock advanced to the second round***

I said hello to Toronto FC head coach Mo Johnson and goalkeeping coach Carmine Isaaco (last year the head coach of Italia Shooters and University of Toronto) but I knew they had an extremely busy day.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca

[Grizzly]

Here is the media conspiring to report about the tryouts;):

No Peles in the pile

Hopefuls for new team hopeless

By DEAN McNULTY -- Toronto Sun

Hopefully, goalie Andrew Jones and player Gord Willemse had fun "trying out" for Toronto FC yesterday. According to assistant coach Bob Gansler, there wasn't a single player who realistically has a chance to make it. (Toronto Sun/Mike Peake)

VAUGHAN -- Toronto FC coaches yesterday denied that an open tryout, where 1,000 hopefuls showed off their skills, was nothing more than a public relations exercise for the new Major League Soccer team.

But in the same breath they did admit that to expect any of the wannabes to actually make the big club would be unrealistic.

Assistant coach Bob Gansler was blunt in his assessment of the talent he had seen in the first half of the three-day tryout.

"I didn't see anyone who was even close to having the physical conditioning to play at the MLS level," he said.

Gansler, however, defended the club's decision to hold an open audition to precede Toronto FC's inaugural season.

"To the South American and European purists this might be a strange proceeding," he said. "But when you have a new club looking for talent you can't leave any stone unturned.

"Is it likely (to find a budding star)? No. Is it possible? Yes. And if it's possible then it's worth doing."

Gansler said that club coaches were able to cull a few players from the hundreds who had already played a six-on-six 60-minute game.

"We did see one or two (Monday) and another one or two (yesterday) who we might want to take another look at," he said.

But Gansler said the vast majority of young players who attended the tryouts shouldn't consider not being picked as a failure.

"I think for those young players it's always a matter of having to do something like this to get better," he said. "They should come away from this inspired a little bit."

The problem for at least one Toronto FC aspirant -- 24-year-old Ernest Asante of Ottawa -- was that being thrown into a group where talent level varied wildly wasn't a good way to show off his skills.

"Most of the guys on my team weren't in very good shape," Asante said. "I almost had to do everything by myself. Soccer is supposed to be a team game, but since those guys weren't in good shape we couldn't get any flow to our game."

Asante, a midfielder, was one of the players who came to the tryouts thinking he had a chance to make Toronto FC because he already was playing at an elite level.

"The past two years I have been playing for the North York Astros of the Canadian Professional Soccer League," he said.

Gansler admitted bunching players together without knowing anything about their talent levels may not have been the perfect way to assess them.

"When you have only 30 minutes or 60 minutes to look at a player it's an inexact science," he said.

Gansler said, however, he would consider the tryouts a "rounding success" if even a handful of players advanced to a pre-training camp tryout.

[nolando]

thanks for the update and the press...it's a fun story to follow. would love to see the final lists of the guys who make the cut

[JamesW]

Great read Rocket Robin, thanks.

[Calgary Boomer]

There's no media conspiracy. These players are wannabees. They play pick-up games and dazzle everyone with their selfishness because they think soccer is an individual game...and it's not.

Many of the people who tried out did it as their own publicity stunt.

Lets face it...this is an exercise in public relations, coupled with a nice little profit from all the schmucks who shelled out 115 bucks.

I don't think it's a bad thing...Toronto will do just fine without that "one" successful hopeful.

[Loud Mouth Soup]

Even Bob Gansler was saying on The Score that they'll be lucky to get even one from the group, if at all.

[AlanDouglas]

I agree, there's nothing controversial about this.

It's good PR. It gives all the hopefuls a chance to show their stuff (and for the local players it's far cheaper than trying out for a team in another city). It makes a bit of money for the club. The coaches are being honest and up front about people's chances. And there is always the possibility they might find a diamond in the rough (it's rare but it happens).

Is there a downside to this? Is there a single reason not do it? I don't think so.

[Richard]

There has been much posted here about the need for MLSE and Toronto FC to be responsive to the community and its needs and wants. Well, evidently a lot of people wanted a chance to tryout for the club and the club responded. That surely is a good thing. There was always a chance also that a diamond could have been found in the dirt. Charging a fee for the privilege I am sure did dissuade a lot of people who didn't want to or could not afford to pay but it served to cover expenses for the club and limit numbers somewhat. The very fact that all the opportunities were sold out relatively quickly suggests it was a good move on the part of the club. There will be close to a thousand people who will have fond memories of the experience and probably feel positively towards the club. They will talk of their experience to family, friends and co-workers. What marvellous publicity and constructive community relations. Well done Toronto FC.

[dbailey62]

quote:Originally posted by Richard

There has been much posted here about the need for MLSE and Toronto FC to be responsive to the community and its needs and wants. Well, evidently a lot of people wanted a chance to tryout for the club and the club responded. That surely is a good thing. There was always a chance also that a diamond could have been found in the dirt. Charging a fee for the privilege I am sure did dissuade a lot of people who didn't want to or could not afford to pay but it served to cover expenses for the club and limit numbers somewhat. The very fact that all the opportunities were sold out relatively quickly suggests it was a good move on the part of the club. There will be close to a thousand people who will have fond memories of the experience and probably feel positively towards the club. They will talk of their experience to family, friends and co-workers. What marvellous publicity and constructive community relations. Well done Toronto FC.

I totally agree. Let people pursue a dream for a few minutes. What is their to lose. They put up some money but they got a couple of tickets and a shirt in exchange plus a chance to add some excitement to their lives. They went in fully knowing that the odds were against them.

Hopefully they all had fun.

... and as Richard says, this was very well done by TFC.

db

[Juby]

If it was a PR move it was genius, it did create a hell of a lotta buzz, it was probably profitible considering 115*1000= $115 000, and their is the slim the chance they could even get a player out of it. I think they should make it a yearly thing, change it from "tryouts" to like "soccer clinic" and maybe only charge like 60 bucks. I'm perfectly aware I couldn't even crack the CSL but if It were cheaper I Would the oppertunity cause it sounded like alot of fun, you probably get a couple tips to take back to the mens league and maybe get to shake hands with Mo or something. Even if they had bad motives I don't see a single negative consequence.

[MM2]

Jamaal Smith, a defender from York University is the only player from the tryouts invited to TFC train camp expected to start in early February.

Jamaal was the CIS rookie of the year.

[Juby]

AHAHAHAHAHAHA, I go to york and that does not bode well, one time very late at night me and my friends were playing 'drunken soccer' and these guys come out of a crappy campus bar (the renaissance) and said "give the ball here, we play for the york team" (I'm aware they could have been lieing) and I was like "pfft, you gotta take the ball son" their was more of them and they failed miserably, at one point I gave one of the ball and we had it back in seconds. And after about 15-20 minutes of them embarressing themselves in front the girls they were with, that were watching, they got the privilage of seeing me dry heave for about 5 minutes from being tired and drunk after schooling them, and I am one of the ****tiest soccer players I've ever seen.