MLSsoccer.com continues its team-by-team preview of the 2013 SuperDraft with a look at what could be in store for Toronto FC, who have two of the top three picks after missing the playoffs for the sixth straight season.
Welcome to the on-going rebuilding job that is Toronto FC. The full roster overhaul is pretty much an annual tradition at BMO Field, and the results have been ugly.
The good news? The Reds scored a golazo in 2012 with Luis Silva, who looks like an attacker you can build a team around. Beyond him, it’s really tough to say who’ll still be on the roster come March, so take everything below with a monstrous grain of salt.
Toronto FC SuperDraft Picks: #1 (1st Rd), #3 (1st Rd)
Toronto FC Depth Chart (23 players):
Goalkeepers (3): Stefan Frei, Quillan Roberts, Joe Bendik
Right Backs (2): Richard Eckersley, Jeremy Hall
Center Backs (4): Darren O’Dea, Danny Califf, Doneil Henry, Gale Agbossoumonde
Left Backs (2): Ashtone Morgan, Logan Emory
Defensive Midfielders (2): Torsten Frings, Júlio César
Central Midfielders (2): Terry Dunfield, Matt Stinson
Wide Midfielders (1): Reggie Lambe
Second Forwards (3): Luis Silva, Quincy Amarikwa, Andrew Wiedeman, Joao Plata
Center Forwards (3): Eric Hassli, Justin Braun, Danny Koevermans
Internationals slots (3 of 10 remaining): Eckersley, Frings, Hassli, Koevermans, Lambe, O'Dea, Plata
Toronto FC SuperDraft Priorities
For the record: I’ll be shocked if TFC don’t move one of these picks. They have so many holes to fill, and if the No. 1 pick can bring in multiple starters, it’s a move they seriously have to consider. After all, they already have two highly rated young central defenders in Henry and Agbossoumonde, so adding Andrew Farrell or Walker Zimmerman – the two guys most often tipped to go No. 1 – doesn’t make much sense.
Middle Men: Frings, Dunfield and Júlio César are a combined 100 years old. So they need to get younger in the midfield, and preferably do so quickly.
Wish List (center mids):Kyle Bekker (Boston College), Mikey Lopez (North Carolina), Dillon Powers (Notre Dame)
Wide Awake: Lambe is the only true wide midfielder on the roster. Guys like Hall, Wiedeman and Amarikwa can play there, but they’re really just fill-ins at that spot. Finding contributors there in a draft that’s heavy with quality wingers should be high on the “to-do” list.
Wish List (wide midfielders):Erik Hurtado (Santa Clara), Emery Welshman (Oregon St.), Blake Smith (New Mexico)
A Rock To Build Upon: If Júlio César can recreate his Sporting KC form, then TFC will be in pretty good shape. But he’s a short-term fix at best, and Reds fans can only imagine what it would be like to get an Ozzie Alonso or Dax McCarty of their own. A true No. 6 who’s in his 20s? That sounds almost too good to be true.
Wish List (defensive midfielders):Jossimar Sanchez (UConn), Jacob Barron (Penn St.)
