At training Monday he was likely the world’s best paid ball boy.
As the rest of the TFC reserves played a spirited 3-on-3 drill de Guzman stood on the sideline of Toronto’s Cherry Beach training pitch. The pitch was the dreaded FieldTurf. Toronto wasn’t about to put its designated player onto the plastic stuff.
So, he stood there in the cold ready to retrieve any AWOL balls that might venture his way. None did, so he eventually went back to the bus to wait.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Waiting is what every TFC fan has been doing to see how JDG fits into the new system. There is little doubt that he struggled a great deal last year and he has a long way to go to win back the confidence of many of the Reds’ faithful. However, those that know de Guzman’s game (at least what his game was pre TFC) tend to think that TFC has lucked into the perfect DP for Winter’s 4-3-3.
The system demands a ball winner and a player that can find the open options. Even in his worst moments of 2010, de Guzman was effective at doing just that. The problem last year was completing passes and finding that open man. How much of those issues were players around de Guzman not having a clue? There is your question.
In 2007 de Guzman was the best player on a mid-table La Liga team. You don’t forget how to play the game. It says here that de Guzman could have a MVP type season under Winter. Since he plays a game that doesn’t generate headlines he won’t be appreciated, but make no mistake there is no player on TFC more important to success in 2011 than de Guzman – not Frei, not DeRo, not a yet to be signed European DP.
JDG is a DP. It’s time he stepped up and played like one. Everything is in place for him to do so and if he doesn’t then, well, the boo-birds will have been right all along.
He says he’ll be ready by mid-April. Hopefully that’s true because the quicker TFC finds out what de Guzman can do the better.