Hey folks, the expansion draft is slated for later today where the Philadelphia Union will begin putting together their roster.  Below is the list of Toronto FC protected and unprotected players.  The Union can select one player from 10 of the 15 MLS teams, meaning TFC may lose nobody when all is said and done.

Here is the list of Toronto FC players not available in the draft:

Nana Attakora
Chad Barrett
Jim Brennan
Sam Cronin
Julian de Guzman
Dwayne De Rosario
Emmanuel Gomez
Amadou Sanyang
Adrian Serioux
O’Brian White
Marvell Wynne

Toronto FC list of available players for the draft:

Brian Edwards
Lesly Fellinga
Nick Garcia
Ali Gerba
Amado Guevara
Carl Robinson
Pablo Vitti
Gabe Gala

Stefan Frei and Fuad Ibrahim do not need to be protected because they’re Generaton Adidas players.  The biggest name that isn’t protected would have to be Amado Guevara and I wonder if the Union would like the Honduran to be a focul point of their attack.  It might benefit Toronto FC if Guevara is selected, solely based on Amado’s past history with Head Coach Preki.

Check back to the ‘It’s All Red’ blog later in the day as we’ll give you the results from the draft.

– Alex Seixeiro

By: David Alter

When Chris Cummins and Mo Johnston mutually parted ways, Johnston said TFC’s next Head Coach should have MLS coaching experience.   Preki brings that to the table, having coached Chivas USA the past three seasons, guiding them to the playoffs each time.

Preki says the soccer vibe in Toronto is second to none in the MLS, making TFC the perfect stop for his next coaching gig.

“When I first came here I was so impressed, the knowledge of the fans, I set myself for this situation” says Preki.  “When it (the job) came available, it was a good signal for me.

Toronto FC gets a coach in Preki who is so focused on the team element of the game, that he refused to talk about any individual players when asked during his introduction.

He did shed some light on Amado Guevara, who Preki used to coach at Chivas USA but was eventually traded to TFC after Preki publicly questioned Guevara’s commitment to the game.

“I don’t know yet, he’s been having a decent year here at TFC” Preki said about Guevara’s future.  “I’m opened minded, we’ll have a look and then make a decision.”

With suggestions from within the team that were was a divide in the locker room,  Johnston is confident Preki is the man to fix the situation.

“I know what he brings to the table, he brings everything and that’s what I want” says Johnston.  “I want to be certain upstairs that the locker room is run properly, end of story.”

According to a number of reports which began circulating this past Saturday, Toronto FC have chosen their man and it’s a matter of time before TFC’s fourth head coach in franchise history is announced.

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/11/toronto-fc-to-hire-preki-as-new-head-coach.html

I don’t expect any announcement before the MLS Cup final, but I’d think it won’t be too much longer before Preki is brought in, if the reports are indeed true. GM Mo Johnston was looking for a man with MLS experience. Preki has that. I’m sure Johnston was looking for somebody with playoff experience as a coach. Preki has that. Perhaps Johnston was looking for somebody who he has close connections with. Preki also has that.

At first blush, I have to think that Preki would be a very good signing for Toronto FC. He coached at Chivas for the last three years where they made the playoffs each campaign, but exited in the first round. Preki has the MLS experience that no TFC head coach has had in the past and with the group of players that Johnston has coupled together, it’s a good thing that Preki knows this league inside and out.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Preki’s resume, is his willingness to get rid of players that he doesn’t mesh with. Case in point Amado Guevara. As Ives points out in the column above, Preki and Guevara didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye in there days together with Chivas. Ultimately, Preki didn’t have any of that and decided to ship Guevara out of town and off to Toronto FC. That type of coach is needed here in Toronto, considering the perceived rift there is inside the TFC locker-room.

If Preki is the guy to come in, one has to wonder what happens to Amado Guevara. With Sam Cronin, Dwayne De Rosario and Julian De Guzman, TFC can afford to remove themselves from Guevara, who’ll have his mind-set most likely focused on taking part in the World Cup next year in South Africa with Honduras. There’s no doubt that at times, Guevara showcased his talent in 2009, but there were too many other times where Guevara simply didn’t perform well enough.

Preki’s signing would be a good move on Mo Johnston’s part, but that’s only a small portion of the re-tooling. A central defender, wing players and a striker who can score on a consistent basis, should be next on Mo’s list. TFC need a head coach to stick around for more then one year. It looks like Preki will be given the chance to do just that.

– Alex Seixeiro

Hello folks, although things will be quiet over the next little while with Toronto FC, I’ll make sure that every press release and anything that does make news will be posted right here on the ‘It’s All Red’ blog.

I don’t anticipate any coaching news until after the MLS Cup, giving GM Mo Johnston a chance to interview those who are currently employed and are currently still in the post-season.

The Canadian Men’s National Team are set to take part in a couple of friendlies out in Europe. Julian De Guzman is already in Europe and he’ll join his mates for games on November 14th against Macedonia and November 18th against Poland.

Meanwhile, a few more TFC members are gearing up for national team duty.

Per Toronto FC’s website: “Toronto FC announced Monday, that midfielders Amado Guevara Lesly Fellinga will be playing for their countries during the next round of FIFA International dates.

Guevara, who captains the Honduras National team, will face Latvia on November 14 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and then move on to Miami where they will face Peru on November 18. Honduras has qualified for the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa by finishing third in their group behind the U.S and Mexico. The World Cup draw will be held in Cape Town South Africa on December 4 where the top 32 teams will be placed into their groupings for the start of the tournament on June 11, 2010.

Fellinga will join up with the Haiti National team for two matches. November 14 against Congo DR, while a second match set for November 18 in Europe has yet to be determined. Fellinga last spent time with Haiti in the summer of 2009 while competing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.”

As always, you can leave any comments right here on the blog or email me: alex@fan590.com

– Alex Seixeiro