By: Michael Crampton
A struggling team - not horrible but certainly unlikely to make the playoffs without a drastic improvement in form - having trouble finding consistency, especially on the road, decides that a change is necessary and part ways with their coach. The result: four straight losses and no wins in their first five games under the new head coach. For the Portland Timbers, replacing the popular and charismatic John Spencer with general manager (and former USL Timbers head coach) Gavin Wilkinson wasn’t supposed to work out that way. Wilkinson may only be an interim solution with no ambitions of keeping the job long term but, regardless of your opinion of Paul Mariner’s time in charge of Toronto FC, the Portland provide a stark example of everything that can go wrong when a club tries to get results by changing coaches mid-season. A little over five weeks ago the Timbers were still talking about going on a run to make the playoffs; now, ahead of Wednesday evening’s match in Toronto, the limit of their ambition is simply not falling back into last place overall in the league.
Incredibly, with a win, Toronto will have more points than another MLS team for the first time in all of 2012. Sadly, for the Reds, the game against Portland almost could not come at a worse time. Major League Soccer’s policy of playing games on FIFA international dates has been much criticized in the past, particularly in Toronto, and, to their credit, the league has made an effort to reduce the number of occasions it happens. However, sometimes there’s just very little way to fit a 34 game season, playoffs, national cups, friendlies, and Champions League games into the available calendar. The result for Toronto is that five players, three of them regulars who started the team’s last game, will be away on international duty and unavailable for selection: Terry Dunfield, Doniel Henry, Ryan Johnson, Dicoy Williams, and Darren O’Dea.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
While the much improved Terry Dunfield will be missed in midfield and Ryan Johnson’s league iron man streak will come to an end up front the impact is most pronounced on Toronto’s back line. After struggling for any consistency under Aron Winter the signature feature of Paul Mariner’s recent team selections has been a stable centre back pairing. Logan Emory’s red card earned in Chicago and resulting suspension would have caused a shuffle regardless of Mariner’s intentions but the unavailability of Henry and new signing O’Dea, along with injuries to Jeremy Hall and Matt Stinson, limits options immensely. Rookie draft pick Aaron Maund’s recent conversion to a defensive midfielder could see him used as cover for Dunfield alongside Torsten Frings if Mariner wants to keep a robust and physical holding pair at the centre of his team but that would eliminate another potential centre back.
So, all things considered, the stage is set for the return of either Adrian Cann or Ty Harden or possibly both. The real question is whether Mariner has the confidence to pair them together in the centre of defence or insists on keeping Richard Eckersley there and moves Harden (or a midfielder) to right back. Fortunately, Ashtone Morgan was left off the Canadian roster and will be available for selection in his regular left back position. Make no mistake though: Toronto FC is thin at the moment and whatever backline takes the field will be nothing close to Mariner’s first choice.
The other disappointment for Toronto supporters will be missing the opportunity to see Darren O’Dea in action for the first time against another former Scottish Premier League player, from the other side of Glasgow’s infamous Old Firm, Kris Boyd. Boyd, a Scottish centre forward famous for his seeming lack of effort but incredibly consistent goal scoring, hasn’t exactly been setting the league on fire but remains a dangerous threat on corners and balls into the box. After waiting six years for the “boss man” centre back they’ve so often longed for O’Dea might be an underwhelming signing to many TFC fans but there’s no doubt he has a pedigree and background that could make him a dramatic improvement to what they’ve been used to if he lives up to his potential. Waiting another game or two for O’Dea’s debut is a small price to pay if he works out in the medium to long term but, in a game that’s meaningful for pride if not playoffs, it’s an extra frustration that signing a player involved in his national team set-up, normally a sign of ambition from clubs, has once again hindered TFC’s ability to compete in their league. That might not feel fair but, if Toronto want to move off bottom, they’ll have to overcome the roster limitations they face and definitively prove that they’re no longer the worst team in the league (or world).