The good news for TFC head coach John Carver, and anyone else hoping to see a big-name player hustling for the home team at BMO Field next season: the MLSE board of directors gave TFC permission to sign a designated player for the 2009 season.
Provided they can find one and convince him to play here.
Now the bad news.
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| REUTERS FILE PHOTO |
| This would be an example of good for Chad Barrett and TFC. |
Just received a press release from TFC announcing that the U.S. men's national team has invited both forward Chad Barrett and goalkeeper Brian Edwards to a five-day training camp in Denver, just ahead of the team's final World Cup qualifier Nov. 19 against Guatemala.
While it's a wonderful development for Barrett and Edwards, and proof of how their games have progressed since joining TFC, Carver can't be too happy to see two more of his young standouts wind up in a national team player pool. Even on the busiest of FIFA match days last season, when international call-ups gutted the roster and forced TFC to field a semi-pro (Ricky Titus) and a team scout (Tim Regan), Carver knew Barrett and Edwards would still be there.
In fairness, today's training camp invite is hardly a guarantee that either man will suit up for the U.S. national team regularly. With his squad already through to the next round of World Cup qualifying, head coach Bob Bradley can afford to tinker with his lineup and evaluate players previously ignored. Bradley might decide next week that he never needs to see Barrett or Edwards again and send them back to Toronto for good.
Still, Carver has to be wondering what he can do -- besides sabotage -- to keep his players off national team call-up lists.
TWO LINKS
One: A great read from the New York Times about Real Salt Lake midfielder (and Toronto native) Andy Williams, his wife, Marcia, and the way the local community has rallied to support her as she battles leukemia.
Two: Landon Donovan is heading back to Germany for a week-long training session with Bayern Munich. Our friend Ives Galarcep relays the news from a German website, and thinks Donovan's trip overseas could turn into something long-term.
This off-season just keeps getting better for the Galaxy, doesn't it?
-- Morgan Campbell






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