The week is far from over, but the mind boggles already over what has transpired.
To begin, Canada's national soccer team has two training sessions on the pitch at BMO Field and nobody bitches about the artificial surface. In fact one of its most outspoken critics is Paul Stalteri, and even he refused to denigrate the stuff, preferring instead to talk about the golden opportunity this team has right now. I've been around these guys a long time but have never seen such confidence. It's not arrogance, simply a quiet belief in their ability.
And here's one for you: TFC waived Laurent Robert on Tuesday. I have had several conversations with him over the summer, almost all of them initiated by me. He was quiet, not sullen, but didn't have a lot to say. The language barrier didn't help, although he could get by in English. Before it was announced he'd been waived, he wandered over Tuesday morning and out of nowhere drummed up a conversation, ending it with a handshake and a big thank you. Complete surprise to me. You just never know. And Carlos Ruiz? John Carver says he won't permit diving on his team. Good luck with that. But Ruiz is quality.
And finally, there's Mo Johnston. The gloves are off -- No more Mr. Nice Guy when the subject is the BMO pitch. I get the distinct feeling MLSE have made a conscious decision to throw it out there and see if it sticks. It's the beginning of the lobbying process to convince the politicians that a change has to be made. It's now apparent the lion's share of the Maurice Edu transfer money will be used to create a training facility, upgrade the academy, and get real grass at BMO Field. Johnston has said so himself.
As guardians of the transfer money, the MLS has to approve the plan, and they will. Make no mistake. As far as MLSE is concerned, this is now priority No. 1. I can tell you this team has lost seven potential players because of the turf, and that includes Darren Huckerby. And so its' been a busy week. Let's cap it off with a win for Canada over Jamaica and a win for the Reds over New England.
Then I plan to take a couple days off!
