The Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs in pre-season action at the Canadian Tire Centre tonight.
Kyle Lowry Jersey . Watch the game live on TSN and TSN Mobile TV at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. New captain Jason Spezza, new
addition Bobby Ryan and Erik Karlsson will be in the lineup for the Senators
while Craig Anderson will start in net and play the first two periods. For the
Leafs, James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly will be in the lineup
with Jonathan Bernier getting the start in goal. The Maple Leafs split their
first two pre-season games with the Philadelphia Flyers, winning in London,
Ontario and losing in a shootout at the Air Canada Centre. The Senators won both
of their pre-season games so far, beating the Jets in Winnipeg and edging the
Calgary Flames in Saskatoon.
Swingman Jonas Valanciunas Jersey . -- Former British Open champion Darren Clarke has withdrawn from the Masters because of a
hamstring injury.
Swingman Tracy Mcgrady Jersey .C. -- The buzz is back in Charlotte.TORONTO -- Toronto FC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko
calls it a revolution and the MLS team is rolling out the big guns. Former
league MVP Dwayne De Rosario came back on board Thursday and England striker
Jermain Defoe is to be unveiled Monday. It looks like the Spurs star will be
joined by U.S. international midfielder Michael Bradley. While Toronto FC
officials twisted their tongue into knots Thursday trying not to say anything
about Bradley when asked, AS Roma issued a release later in the day saying the
American had been sold to Major League Soccer for US$10 million. A source with
knowledge of the league subsequently confirmed that the Bradley move to the MLS
had passed another significant hurdle. The source also said Toronto FC was the
MLS club pursuing him. It represents a remarkable shopping spree, one that
should jolt life into both Toronto FC while further adding lustre to Major
League Soccer itself. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment is shelling out
millions to turn what has been the MLS doormat for seven years into a world
force. A club official rejected reports that the combined bill for Defoe and
Bradley is C$100 million including wages and transfer fees, but the real number
probably isnt that far south. Like any other sport, the big boys of soccer come
with big price tags. And MLS teams may have to overpay to overcome European
snobbery. For a team yet to make the MLS playoffs, Toronto ownership is thinking
big -- well beyond mere post-season play, according to Bezbatchenko. "We want to
be internationally recognized as a top club," he said after welcoming De Rosario
back at a packed news conference at BMO Field "We want to be competing
internationally ... Theres a certain type of player you need to achieve those
(goals)." Defoe, 31, and Bradley, 26, will do nicely. The 35-year-old De
Rosario, a Toronto native who left the club in 2011 after a contract dispute,
adds experience, class and local appeal. Up until now, the only thing
world-class about Toronto FC has been its training centre -- a C$20-million-plus
complex that probably rivals all but the top clubs in Europe. Poor results have
led to management and player turnover which have led to poor results which have
led to management and player turnover. MLSE president and CEO Tim Leiweke, who
helped bring David Beckham to MLS, is not one for half-measures and, with the
backing of the MLSE board, has opened up the vault for Bezbatchenko and manager
Ryan Nelsen. The team has a vision -- and buckets of cash to back it up. "In all
honesty it wasnt a really hard sell when you just tell them where were going to
go," Nelsen said in describing his sales job to De Rosario. Unfortunately for De
Rosario, under the MLS salary cap rules, only a few get to cash in. De Rosario,
who ranks sixth on the all-time MLS scoring list with 103 goals, made US$654,300
in 2013. He will undoubtedly earn less in Toronto, but said his return to
Toronto is about more than money. "For me right now its about winning ... You
cant put a price on that," he said. Its a comment that speaks volumes about
todays De Rosario, who once was all about the numbers on his paycheque. Remember
the 2010 goal celebration that saw him pretend to sign a cheque, by way of
showcasing his financial discontent in Toronto. Once seemingly more concerned
about the De Rosario brand than anything else, the veteran midfielder has
changed his stripes in recent years. With the national team, he has worn the
captains armband and, at a Canada training camp in Arizona in early 2013, went
out of his way to connect with younger players. The new galaxy of TFC stars will
probably have to build bridges with their lesser-paid teammates. Fullback Ryan
Richter, for example, made US$34,125 last season while several others made
US$46,500. MLS is a league of have- and have-nots. Most Toronto players will be
more acquainted with a Metropass than a Porsche. Jordan Hamilton isnt
complaining, however. Toronto FC also announced the signing of the 17-year-old
academy product Thursday. "A dream, come true," said the young forward. A dream
that may include training next to Defoe. "To be practising alongside Defoe, what
more could a 17-year-old ask for," Hamilton said with amazement. While MLSE is
spending big, Nelsen says the teams salary cap is actually in better shape that
the bottom line bloated with bad contracts that he inherited last season. As he
noted, designated players may cost millions but their salary cap hit is
US$390,000 The arrival of Defoe and Bradley as designated players, along with
Gilberto and incumbent midfielder Matias Laba means that Toronto has four DPs --
one over the limit. Laba is the odd man out, with Nelsen only saying at this
stage that there are contingency plans. As Nelsen points out, the MLSE board has
dug deep into its pockets because it believes this is smart spending. In the
short term, improvements are needed to retain and build on the 14,600
season-ticket base. With an average attendance of 18,131, the franchise ranked
10th in the league. MLSE will have looked longingly at Seattles league-leading
average of 44,038. But MLSE allso wants to overhaul and expand BMO Field, likely
pouring in C$100 million-plus to add a roof and refit the bare-bones stadium to
allow for football and other events.
Patrick Patterson Jersey. The 22,00-seat capacity BMO was built on a $62-million shoestring, probably less than what
Defoe and Bradley will cost. Leiweke mused recently about Toronto hosting an NHL
Winter Classic, likely timed with the Maple Leafs 100th anniversary season in
2016-17. A revamped BMO could also host outdoor music festivals, which were
another string to the MLSE bosss bow when he ran the Anschutz Entertainment
Group. AEG is the second-largest music promoter in the world (behind Live
Nation), staging tours by Justin Bieber, Bon Jovi, Prince and Taylor Swift and
running events like the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Coachella Valley Music
& Arts Festival and Stagecoach Festival. Leiweke, a music fan who has
attended Coachella, already has a big-name local music buddy in Drake, MLSEs
global ambassador who helped sell Toronto to Defoe. De Rosario, Defoe and
Bradley will sell tickets -- and more than a few jerseys. Defoe is a charismatic
striker with an eye for goal, although one club official mused that recently
signed Brazilian striker Gilberto may score more goals this season. In return
for a huge investment, the compact East Londoner offers Toronto FC
respectability (55 caps for England) as well as scoring chops (more than 200
goals in all competitions). He will also serve as a club ambassador, charming
and entertaining off the pitch. Bradley will run the midfield. Add Brazilian
midfielder Jackson and U.S. international fullback Justin Morrow to the young
roster that remains from a six-win 2013 season and Toronto FC promises to be
interesting watching when the season opens March 15 in Seattle. For the league,
its compelling evidence that the North American league is a legitimate soccer
destination. "We want to be leading the way," Bezbatchenko said. "The
transformation this club has undergone the past three months is indicative of
where were headed and what we want to do with player signings," he continued.
"We want to be top-class in the league, in every way." While some fans --
following Leiwekes Leaf dreams -- may be planning the TFC parade route, his
braintrust knows there is more work to be done in turning around a squad that
went 6-17-11 last season. Exhibit 1 is the Toronto Blue Jays, whose shopping
spree produced little more than disappointment last year. Nelsen knows an
expensive bill does not necessarily make for a fine meal. "Look, were improved
as a team. Everybody can see that. Were better. Were going get better. Are we
the finished product? No, not at all ... Weve got a lot of work to do." He
welcomed the pressure to win. "Love it, everybody loves it," he said. "Players
want that, everybody want that, the coaches want that." Improvement will be an
ever-present mantra, he added. Bezbatchenko, meanwhile, was not about to
puncture the fans balloon. "Let them have their fun. Lets let our fans enjoy the
moment because we are making trades, we are signing Dwayne, Gilberto. Were
signing some really exciting players. "So let them have their moment because its
going to be a fun ride." De Rosario clearly adds some class to the journey. He
took time out during his moment at the microphone to note that Canadian national
team coach Benito Floro was in attendance. As with the national team, he will
also help mentor a young roster. Twenty of the 26 players on TFCs current roster
are 25 or younger. Toronto selected De Rosario in Stage 2 of the MLS re-entry
draft last month after D.C. United opted not to pick up his option at the end of
the season. Nelsen called him a "legend" of Canadian soccer but said De Rosario
would have to adapt his game to the demands of the team and his body. "All the
great players redefine their roles on the field, in their training schedules,
everything on and off the field. When you get to a certain age," said the
36-year-old Nelsen, speaking from experience De Rosario, who turns 36 in May,
isnt taking any steps back, however. "Im a goal-scorer, Im a winner ... Im here
to win, Im not just here to be the local kid coming back." When a reporter
suggested he was in the "latter stages" of his career, De Rosario politely
disagreed and said the competitive juices are still flowing. But the 13-year MLS
veteran did say Toronto would be the last stop on his playing career. All it
took was "a simple phone call," albeit not one De Rosario ever expected after
his earlier disagreements with the franchise. He admitted it helped that the
previous regime had all left. NOTES -- Nelsen confirmed that English fullback
Richard Eckersley will not be coming back due to his hefty contract. Striker
Robert Earnshaw has yet to respond to a contract offer, but Nelsen believes that
the Welsh international will move on in a bid to get playing time. The manager
also said other clubs are interested in U.S. forward Bright Dike and, while he
would like to keep him, he will have to listen to any good offers.
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