Toronto FC: Offseason just got a little crazier

Toronto FC has had a tumultuous offseason to date, to say the least. And it just got a little crazier with the sale of Sebastian Giovinco to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

After years and years of roster and manager turnover, it looked like the Reds finally turned the corner in 2015 when they made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Not to be outdone, Toronto FC then made it to the 2016 MLS Cup finals.

In 2017, they completed the first domestic treble in North American soccer history, winning the Canadian Championship, the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup. Everything was on the up.

In 2018, they focused on the CONCACAF Champions League and it paid off, nearly. They came a penalty shootout away from winning the CCL, the first MLS team have won the competition since its restructuring more than a decade ago. Sadly, the MLS campaign could not match the same heights. It was an uphill climb from the first game of the season in which they lost to the Columbus Crew at home. They never got their feet under them and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

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So here came an offseason like no other for the Reds. Fans, players and management knew that the contracts of Jozy Altidore, Sebastian Giovinco and Victor Vazquez were coming close to completion and there was no way of telling how it would end. There was naive hope that Toronto would be able to keep the three amigos in the fold for the long haul, but most pundits knew this wouldn’t be the case.

So the offseason has been the whirlwind it was expected to be. There have been wholesale changes taking place on the field and in the front office. Toronto lacked defensive depth last season as evidenced by Gregory van der Wiel playing as a center-back. They went out and brought in Nick De Leon and 34-year-old Laurent Ciman. Toronto then followed that up by selling Spanish playmaker but oft-injured Vazquez to Al-Arabi in Qatar.

‘Okay, okay that’s fine. We can live with that’, said many supporters. But then came the sudden news of the departure of Tim Betzbechenko. Not many people saw this coming outside of MLS circles. I mean we all knew he was an Ohio kid and so the Columbus Crew under new ownership was a tempting offer, but he was doing wonders for Toronto — it makes you wonder what really went on behind the scenes.

Then Toronto headed out to California for their annual preseason training. They traded stalwart defender Nick Hagglund to his hometown Cincinnati FC. Then came the news of van der Wiel being kicked off the team for insubordination. And then came the real shocker. Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal came calling. Sebastian Giovinco answered. Most people have never heard of the Middle Eastern club. Toronto FC fans have definitely heard of them now. Giovinco is on his way to Saudi Arabia in a deal reported to be in the region of $2-3 million.

Most of Toronto’s faithful will not care why. Toronto has become a soccer city and a fan base that follows their team wherever they go, but this is a tough pill to swallow. Losing the leading franchise scorer for what amounts to peanuts in comparison to Miguel Almiron’s sale will sting for a while. Ali Curtis has some explaining to do. Can he be blamed, though, with the way things played out in the media with Giovinco over the last few weeks? No. The writing has been on the wall that Giovinco would and possibly could be gone before the end of the season. It came to fruition on Wednesday.

With the departure of Giovinco, Toronto is now faced with even tougher questions going into the season. Who will score their goals? Most Toronto fans know that Jozy Altidore has been one of the best strikers and most clutch performers for the franchise. If he is healthy, he is hard to stop. But can he shoulder the load himself? Jon Bakero or Ayo Akinola are both young and have some talent, but they are not going to be the new Giovinco.

Reports are suggesting that Toronto is bringing in American striker Terrance Boyd from Germany to help add depth up front. Take this for what it is and it is not a replacement for Giovinco, far from it. Boyd is oft-injured as well, but he is a reclamation project of sorts, something Toronto knows well in the last few years. Still, he is no Giovinco successor.

There is no telling how the 2019 MLS season will go for Toronto, but one can assume TFC fans are in for another up-and-down season. The offseason has been crazier. The season might just be crazier still.