Toronto FC – the perfect team for old players
By Jim James
Now, just by reading the title, you may call me crazy and disillusioned, and you could be correct. However, hear me out. The MLS is called a retirement home for players 33 years old or over, and usually they go to one of LA Galaxy, LAFC, NYCFC, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City, or the new favourite, Inter Miami. I think players should ditch all of that, and go to one team only: Toronto FC. Here are a few reasons why.
Reason 1: The Money
This is one of the main factors that go to players’ minds when they go to the MLS, and Toronto FC have loads of money to throw around.
They are owned by a Toronto-based organization called MLSE, or Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. This organization runs almost all major sport in Toronto, also owning the Toronto Raptors of the NBA, the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL, and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. They get hoardes of money from the revenue made by the teams, and can therefore spend it on signing players to the team.
Don’t think they’re stingy with the spending either. Even with players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Carlos Vela in the league, Toronto FC have had the highest spending for the majority of the last 5 years with players like Sebastian Giovinco, Pablo Piatti, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Alejandro Pozuelo, Jermain Defoe, and many, many other big names.
Reason 2: A team with History
Toronto FC may be big spenders and everyone signed would probably be over 15 years older than the club, but they have history, still.
They had a golden age from 2016 to 2019, where they made 3 MLS Cup Finals and won 1, all vs the Seattle Sounders. They’ve also won 8 Canadian Championships, 1 Supporters’ Shield, and generally compete for trophies often. They went through a tough phase this season, but with new offseason signings and a full year of Insigne and Bernardeschi, they can compete again.
As we’ll see with reason four, Toronto has also welcomed many good names to BMO Field, with great success, like the best Toronto FC player ever Sebastian Giovinco, who is still idolized by the football-loving part of the Toronto streets.
Reason 3: Become a hero of a whole country
That transitions cleanly into our next reason, in that you’d be the hero of a whole country if you joined Toronto rather than a city, state, or even just part of a city.
If you joined Toronto FC, you would become the icon of the entirety of Canada, spill over to not just football news, for years and years. Into your retirement and beyond, you’d be showered with brand deals that will singlehandedly set you and your future generations for years and beyond.
You would become an icon in Canada, with schools throughout the country being full of kids wearing your kit, buying your merchandise, and idolizing you. The whole of Canada would give you nothing but love and support.
Reason 4: It works, as seen previously
Toronto FC are no stranger to making big signings, their first being in 2011, signing previous 19-goal a season striker Mista, as well as Torsten Frings, Jermain Defoe, Victor Vazquez, Gregory van der Wiel, Laurent Ciman, as well as TFC Goats Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Alejandro Pozuelo, and Sebastian Giovinco, who is still idolized in Toronto.
In July, Italian duo Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi both joined on free transfers, and they have done very well for the team. If you’re Italian, Toronto FC welcomes you with open arms, with us having signed many Italian players in the past including Giovinco, the aforementioned pair, and Domineco Criscito this summer.
If players like Sebastian Giovinco and Federico Bernardeschi succeed with flying colors in Toronto, imagine what a player like Luis Suarez could achieve there.
Reason 5: An exciting young team
Toronto FC have one of the best youth academies in the MLS, developing players such as Noble Okello, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Ayo Akinola, and Doniel Henry, and in their 25-man team, have 10 players under the age of 25. Their MLS Next Pro team, Toronto FC II has a combined squad value of 2.5 million and has produced some of the best players in the MLS.
Some of the team’s best youngsters could be mentored by greats if they join, therefore creating a better youth setup and a better Canadian National Team.
That’s all for today, thank you for reading. Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, or any other legendary player reading this, I hope this helped make up your mind about what team to join after your contract expires. I’m Jim James, and until next time!