Basically, The Kids Killed

By Ben Knight Onward!

Rockin’ rookies
Way, way back in the misty early days of 2009, Toronto FC entered the MLS Super Draft © ® TM with three first-round draft picks, and a toxic waste crater in the centre of defence.

Draft picks are always a gamble, so it was clear that one or two needed to be dealt to FC Bouncy Castle for Canadian international defender Adrian Serioux.

But TFC square-dance caller Mo Johnston didn’t get an offer he liked, so he went ahead and made three picks. Understand, the NCAA is not a world-class football factory. It reliably serves up players who can fill out MLS rosters, but that’s not exactly a ringing recommendation.

And just because a player is a prospect doesn’t mean the prospect will ever become a player. All three top picks usually gives you is a reasonable certainty one of them will start for you for five years. Most won’t.

What Mo did next – startled people. He grabbed a midfielder (Sam Cronin) and a badly injured striker (O’Brian White). He then got luckier than even luck would feel comfortable with when “one-in-a-generation” goaltender Stefan Frei plummeted all the way to the 13 spot.

Three picks – and no central defender. It was about the sixth of a continuing series of last straws for Johnston’s vocal legion of critics.

So much has happened … since then.

Full Story