This weekend, Tony Tchani became the latest victim of one of the dumbest soccer rules on the books. &nbsp;After scoring his goal for a Toronto franchise that is probably at its lowest point, <a href="http:\/\/youtu.be/eEmVkrhQveQ" target="_blank">he ran off the pitch and jumped up to the stands to celebrate with the fans</a>. &nbsp;Already sitting on a yellow card, the referee gave him a second and sent him off. &nbsp;Columbus took advantage and grabbed an equalizer, keeping the Crew’s unbeaten streak alive and denying Toronto a valuable three points.
This is not the first time something like this has happened this season – Eric Hassli was given a second caution when, after a goal against New England, he stripped off his jersey to reveal….another jersey. &nbsp;Regardless, he was sent off for two cautions. &nbsp;The issue of goal celebrations and harshness is receiving a lot of thought in soccer circles this week not just because of the Tchani celebration, but because of an EPL incident as well. &nbsp;When Tamir Cohen scored the game-winning goal for Bolton against Arsenal, he raised his shirt to show a picture of his father, also a professional soccer player who had died recently in a car accident. &nbsp;Referee Mike Jones issued a celebration yellow as Cohen was crying and honoring his father.
First, let’s establish the fact that by now players should know a simple fact – if they do anything besides a small dance or celebration on the pitch with teammates, they will receive a yellow card. &nbsp;Tchani and Hassli should have known this and they deserved their punishments knowing that officials crack down on these things. &nbsp;That said, officials should not punish goal celebrations, but especially in MLS. &nbsp;In fact, I’d encourage MLS and USSF to have a chat with their officials and encourage them to let celebrations slide.
For my&nbsp;explanation, read on….
The FIFA Laws of the Game state that “reasonable celebrations are allowed, but the practice of choreographed&nbsp;celebrations is not to be encouraged when it results in excessive time-wasting&nbsp;and referees are instructed to intervene in such cases.”&nbsp;<a href="http:\/\/www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/51/44/50/spielregelnfutsal_2010_11_e.pdf" target="_blank">FIFA rules</a> note (pg 133) that an official may&nbsp;must caution a player if:
<ul>
<li>a celebration includes inflammatory gestures</li>
<li>he climbs onto a perimeter fence</li>
<li>he removes his shirt or lifts his shirt, regardless of if a shirt is on underneath</li>
<li>he covers his face or head with a mask.</li>
</ul>
Obviously officials take these rules very seriously despite the fact they are only guidelines. &nbsp;In Tchani’s case, he did jump onto a perimeter fence but it was in his own fan section at home. &nbsp;The rule is in place for players in hostile arenas to prevent inciting opposing fans by taunting them and to prevent unnecessary delay of games. &nbsp;In this weekend’s incident, neither happened.
In their defense, <a href="http:\/\/www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/mls/torontofc/article/979916--mls-official-says-toronto-player-did-not-merit-yellow-card-for-goal-celebration" target="_blank">MLS has said</a> Tchani should not have received the yellow, but I’d encourage them to take it a step farther. &nbsp;I want MLS to come out and say that if a player has a creative or unique goal celebration that does not unnecessary delay a game or taunt fans, then they encourage the player to show their creativity. &nbsp;Why should they do this? &nbsp;Exposure. &nbsp;What drives Sportscenter and sports highlight shows more than creative celebrations? &nbsp;Those are the type of things that get MLS attention. &nbsp;What was the main highlight in the DC United-LA Galaxy match? &nbsp;It wasn’t Magee’s goal, it was <a href="http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/post/charlie-davies-celebrates-with-a-locked-vw-car/2011/04/11/AFMM7LKD_blog.html" target="_blank">Charlie Davies trying to drive a locked VW</a>. &nbsp;One of the most viral soccer videos of the past year was this incredibly <a href="http:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwSTEzhoC8E&amp;feature=player_embedded#at=29" target="_blank">funny goal celebration from Iceland</a>; fan interest in MLS would be peaked if they saw videos on ESPN of funny celebrations or teams creatively honoring a goal.
Obviously there would have to be some limitations. &nbsp;Celebrations away from home do have the potential to incite opposing fans, so referees should have the leeway to take that into account when deciding to issue yellow cards. &nbsp;And of paramount importance is the clock; any celebration that goes on for too long or wastes too much time should be a yellow card. &nbsp;The question is how long is too long, but I am ok with that being a subjective call as long as officials err on the side of allowing too much celebration. &nbsp;Officials always have the leeway to add on time at the end of a half to make up for celebrations; I would say anything that takes a player away for over a minute is excessive. &nbsp;And if the league is still concerned with what celebrations will do, <a href="http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1380543/Graham-Poll-Referees-choice-book-players-getting-shirty.html" target="_blank">Graham Poll has an excellent suggestion</a>: fine a player for any goal celebration that includes removing a shirt (or I’d suggest jumping into the stands) and give the money to charity.
MLS is missing an opportunity to increase its media presence when in the modern media anything that goes viral on the Internet is picked up by major networks and cable stations. &nbsp;Hits, as in web hits, are the name of the game and MLS should allow its players to show their creativity which consequently will attract attention to the league. &nbsp;The league should want snippets of their games to be spread on Facebook, You Tube, and Twitter, and the best way to do that is to allow attention-grabbing celebrations.
Let the celebrations continue!

My Proposal: No Yellows for Celebrations - World Soccer Talk

My Proposal: No Yellows for Celebrations

<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="Toronto Skyline from BMO field by GregRob, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/gregrob/4561815791/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by GregRob</div>

 
Team: Toronto FC 
Coach: Aron Winter 
Last Year’s Finish: 9-8-15, 35 points. &nbsp;Eastern Conference: 5th
Toronto’s offseason can be described in one word – tumultuous. &nbsp;The team couldn’t win the media cycle because every time it had a positive offseason development, it took a step back. &nbsp;They brought on Jurgen Klinsmann to serve as an advisor to management, but dragged their feat in hiring a head coach and general manager. &nbsp;They finally hired knowledgeable football people for both roles, then they were shocked to learn their best player was in Scotland trying to get a new contract with a new club. &nbsp;Everything about this team screams rebuilding, and with a vision for the club now in place, the 2011 season looks to be one of transition for the Reds.
New head coach Aron Winter and general manager Paul Mariner both have incredible soccer pedigrees, and they have immediately begun to bolster a club whose depth was decimated in the offseason. &nbsp;Most of their signings and trades have an international flair, no doubt to allow Winter to play a more “Dutch” kind of soccer. &nbsp;However, with the biggest named players engaged in contract disputes and a formerly bloated roster in transition, Toronto could fall out of the playoff race quickly and hope to avoid an early 2012 draft pick with a late season rally.

Key Roster Additions: As we speak, management is adding players, trading yesterday for forward Alan Gordon. &nbsp;The club gave up potential starting midfielder Nick LaBrocca, but midfield is the one area where the team has some depth. &nbsp;Gordon will likely start in a Winter 4-3-3, although he is not exactly an impact player. &nbsp;The Reds’ offseason pickups are primarily young drafted players and European retreads. &nbsp;Maybe the biggest name of the bunch is former Ajax academy player Javier Martina. &nbsp;Martina is another striker signing but one Winter hopes can lead by example with his knowledge of the system Winter hopes to install. &nbsp;Just one problem – Martina has never scored a club goal and has little first team experience.
Although the team was active in the Superdraft, it gave up its first pick to Vancouver for Nathan Sturgis. &nbsp;Although Sturgis has extensive time in the U.S. youth system, he has little actual MLS playing time and may be a depth player more than anything. &nbsp;In the draft, a player to watch is third round pick Joao Plata. &nbsp;The diminutive Ecuadorian impressed scouts at the MLS combine but his size and poor play towards the end saw his stock drop. &nbsp;He may be one of the surprises of the draft.
Key Roster Subtractions: The team unloaded a host of players in the offseason who were underperforming or making too much money for the cap. &nbsp;Recognizable players like Mista, O’Brian White, and Fuad Ibrahim were made available for the expansion draft or outright released. &nbsp;The Reds did make a trade in the past few weeks, sending second-leading goal scorer Chad Barrett to Los Angeles for allocation money. &nbsp;Even with depth lacking in the position, the team decided to go in a different direction.
Projected Starters: Assuming Winter goes with the 4-3-3, he should have a solid core of players that can work within his system. &nbsp;In the back, keeper Stefan Frei is a solid to good goalkeeper, and should be a strength of the defense. &nbsp;The backline is in chaos when it should be more solid. &nbsp;Team MVP Adrian Cann is renegotiating his contract after walking out of camp angry over his salary and possibly inspired by the Dwayne De Rosario tantrum. &nbsp;When he comes back, he will partner with Nana Attakora. &nbsp;The wings will be new faces, either youngsters or international players.
The midfield is the most dynamic part of this team. &nbsp;Stars Julian De Guzman and Dwayne De Rosario return and need to continue playing well for Toronto to make a playoff run. &nbsp;As we saw last year, De Rosario scoring goals will not be enough for the team, De Guzman needs to provide more help on offense. &nbsp;LaBrocca had been playing as a holding midfielder but his trade opens a spot for Sturgis or another player.
Newcomer Javier Martina, as mentioned above, will be relied upon for knowledge, but not experience, as a forward in Winter’s system. &nbsp;The experience will come from returning forward Maicon Santos, who contributed four goals last season and will need to contribute more. &nbsp;The third forward and the other guy out wide could be Jacob Peterson or newcomer Alan Gordon.
 
Player to Watch: There are two players to keep an eye on, and for very different reasons. &nbsp;Adrian Cann, assuming he signs a new deal and returns to camp, had his bluff called by management. &nbsp;How does he respond to the embarrassment and the status as a higher-paid player? &nbsp;The second player to watch is Maicon Santos. &nbsp;The Reds really need some points from their forwards, and if he is the center forward in the 4-3-3, he should have plenty of opportunities to score.
Predictions: The offseason was simply a nightmare for this team. &nbsp;The fans were mad at management, the players were mad at management, the management went through an entire change, and now Toronto is basically hitting the reset button. &nbsp;This team may be one of the more talented teams in the Eastern Conference, especially if they do sign the rumored EPL-experienced player. &nbsp;But there is so much dysfunction that it will take more than a few months to work it all out and put a quality product on the field. &nbsp;At least they will be exciting – the leadership and brain trust on staff are excellent and will bring an attacking style of soccer to BMO Field. &nbsp;I can see this club acting like some European clubs who, seeing that they would be just wasting money staying in the top flight, go down a division, regroup and refinance, and come back stronger. &nbsp;Toronto will take their lumps this year, but if all goes all planned they may be one of the Eastern Conference favorites in 2012.
Prediction: 8th place Eastern Conference

MLS '11 Preview - Is Toronto the League's Worst Team? - World Soccer Talk

MLS '11 Preview – Is Toronto the League's Worst Team?

<div style="float: right;margin-left: 5px"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/sports/san-jose-earthquakes/image/10039446?term=Dwayne+De+Rosario" target="_blank"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a></div>
Toronto FC is the type of club that MLS would love to be successful.&nbsp; They have a loyal and dedicated fan base, Toronto is a growing soccer market that hosted the 2008 All Star Game, and the team has a good core of players almost made a playoff run last year.&nbsp; Despite all this, the club’s offseason has been an absolute debacle to date.&nbsp; And with today’s Dwayne De Rosario news, a bad offseason could be turning even worse.
As an update, MLS 2010 Best XI player Dwayne De Rosario was caught on camera practicing with Scottish club Celtic this morning.&nbsp; De Rosario is under contract and Toronto FC today <a href="http:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/despite-tfc-denials-de-rosario-trains-celtic" target="_blank">released a statement</a> saying he has not been given permission to train with any club.&nbsp; Celtic management is praising his training and it looks like they could offer a deal in the approaching transfer window (although all transfer rumors must be taken with a grain of salt).
While I am sure the rest of this story will be revealed in the coming days, it is a damning indication of the current chaos of the Toronto front office.&nbsp; If the details of the story are true and the club’s best player went for a tryout without their knowledge, it is a huge breach of contract by the player but also stunning the club had no idea where he was or what he was doing.&nbsp; Clubs should not have ankle bracelets on their players, but someone somewhere with connections in the organization should have heard something before now.&nbsp; Jurgen Klinsmann is incredibly connected, someone must have dropped him a line at some point!
Which leads to my second scenario – the club has known what is happening and wanted to keep it a secret.&nbsp; If that’s the case, then misleading fans by denying any knowledge of the training would be a huge blunder.&nbsp; As I said, this is speculation based on the facts as have been reported.
But none of this is surprising after the offseason in Toronto, which has to leave TFC fans frustrated and confused.The team is the only one in MLS that does not have a head coach and general manager after last season’s firings, and the lack of direction is showing.&nbsp; Hiring Klinsmann was supposed to provide credibility to the front office, but there have not been any visible signs of his impact on the organization.&nbsp; Earlier this month Klinsmann said the team would be “clearing up” the GM and head coach situation before Christmas.&nbsp; Here’s hoping they are negotiating with two great surprise picks after this delay.&nbsp; <a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/toronto-fc-does-the-unthinkable-it-listens-to-fans/10399" target="_blank">It’s not like fan-management relations are at an all-time high.</a>
On the field this team has had one focus – clearing cap space.&nbsp; While this is not a terrible goal in general, the direction is has taken the club is not a good one.&nbsp; So far this offseason, TFC has released or declined the options on eight players, traded one (Joseph Nane) to Colorado, and had one (O’Brian White) taken by Vancouver in the expansion draft.&nbsp; In player acquisitions, they have gotten one player – Nathan Sturgis.&nbsp; So while the team has gotten less expensive, the depth has been drastically hit.
So where does this leave Dwayne De Rosario?&nbsp; He is the team’s second DP, so if he is transferred to Celtic the club frees up a decent amount of money and a second DP space.&nbsp; This would allow them to begin making a complete overhaul of the roster with a goal of using the Superdraft and a key DP-signing or two to make this club a competitor in the weaker Eastern Conference.&nbsp; But again it goes back to management – what has the front office done to give fans confidence in the team?&nbsp; It will be interesting to see what TFC looks like in March 2011.

Toronto FC Continues Its Befuddling Offseason with De Rosario Controversy - World Soccer Talk

Toronto FC Continues Its Befuddling Offseason with De Rosario Controversy

<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-may-2010/image/8674021?term=Avram+Grant" target="_blank"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a></div>
Last year, after Portsmouth fired Avram Grant, the rumor mill began to churn that his next move would be to MLS, specifically New York.&nbsp; The former Israeli and Chelsea manager seemed like a good fit for an American club, having had much success in the Israeli league and needing a change of scenery after an ugly stint at Chelsea and relegation at Portsmouth.&nbsp; Instead, he stayed in the EPL and took a position with West Ham United.
Now, however, West Ham is buried at the bottom of the table and looks like a lock to be playing in the Championship next season.&nbsp; During today’s West Ham-Manchester City match Steve McManaman again brought up the idea of Avram Grant being the perfect manager for a league like MLS (which he described as a great up-and-coming league) and spoke of him easily finding another job if he were to be fired.&nbsp; So, assuming Avram Grant is fired before the end of the season (which is a distinct possibility), could he find a spot in MLS?
Despite only lasting a season at Chelsea, Grant had a successful tenure, leading the club to within a famous penalty miss of a Champions League title.&nbsp; His biggest problem was that he followed The Special One at Chelsea.&nbsp; His career in Israel at the club level was quite incredible, winning the Israeli Premier League as recently as 2002.&nbsp; And despite Pompey falling to the Championship, you can hardly hold that debacle entirely against him.&nbsp; He is still a quality coach, but his reputation in the EPL has taken a hit recently.&nbsp; So a change of scenery would be good for him, but in a larger league than Israel.
So, is MLS still a good fit in 2011?&nbsp; Assuming that no one else is fired between now and the beginning of the season, there are only two job openings: Chivas and Toronto.&nbsp; Chivas is in a major market and would allow Grant to compete with one of the league’s premiere teams and stars.&nbsp; But Toronto would be a better overall fit.&nbsp; The club is closer to competing for an MLS Cup than Chivas and has a solid infrastructure in place to maintain a successful franchise.&nbsp; Toronto also has a sizable Jewish population, if religion were a factor.
What counts against Toronto is both leadership and lack of leadership.&nbsp; The club recently hired Jurgen Klinsmann (the USSF White Whale) as a consultant, so I suspect he will have a major say over personnel and hires, such a major say that it might scare away someone who will want more control over the franchise.&nbsp; This plus the fact that Toronto has waited a long time to make a hire for both head coach and director of soccer, which would give any potential hire pause.
What do you think: will Avram Grant manage in MLS next season?

Is Now Avram Grant's Time to Move to MLS? - World Soccer Talk

Is Now Avram Grant's Time to Move to MLS?

<div style="float: right;margin-left: 5px"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/toronto-fans-hold-banners/image/9954982?term=Toronto+fc" target="_blank"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a></div>
Have you ever questioned rooting for a team?&nbsp; It doesn’t even have to be a soccer team – maybe you watch pro football or baseball, and your hometown/local team is just bad.&nbsp; Because you love the sport and the team, you support it through think and thin and you buy season tickets even though that money could go towards something you need more.&nbsp; You shake your head when management does something blatantly dumb, and you gripe about the players lacking pride in the game. &nbsp;While you are doing this the team continues to rise prices, even though there is no improvement on the field. &nbsp;Eventually, you begin to question your fanaticism, usually after years of losing or mismanagement.&nbsp; You think deep in the recesses of your mind “should I really dedicate my time and money to this team?”&nbsp; You just want to lash out and make management feel your pain, understand your angst and do something, anything to make it better.
And every once in a while, management listens and gives in.
Toronto FC’s contribution to MLS has been less than spectacular.&nbsp; In its four seasons of existence, it has never finished in the top ten in MLS, much less qualified for the playoffs and has only found success in the Canadian Championships.&nbsp; Despite this terrible start for the franchise, they have averaged over 20,000 every match, and the Toronto experiment has inspired MLS to place an additional two, maybe three teams in Canada over the next five years.&nbsp; And as owners of teams usually do in response to changing times, the ownership group for Toronto FC has raised its ticket prices every year.&nbsp; The problem is how much they have raised ticket prices; the team <a href="http:\/\/www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/sports/soccer/17mls.html?_r=2&amp;scp=1&amp;sq=TOronto%20FC&amp;st=cse" target="_blank">announced earlier this month</a> that they were increasing ticket prices 34%, which after comparability studies were done, makes a 2011 Toronto FC ticket more expensive than a Manchester United ticket!
Fans understandably are outraged.&nbsp; After a 1-0 loss at home to woeful DC United, the Red Patch Boys borrowed Twisted Sister’s greatest hit and announced that they weren’t going to take it anymore.&nbsp; And the club listened.&nbsp; This weekend ownership announced they were freezing season ticket prices after the 2011 season and giving all season ticket renewers a free ticket to the 2011 home opener.&nbsp; The club even went so far as to admit liability in an email to supporters: “Toronto FC fans are unique — you love your club, you feel a part of the club, but your club has let you down on and off the pitch.”
As a fan of multiple teams who have failed to qualify for the playoffs in recent memory and have consistently been losers on the pitch/field/court, I applaud the Toronto FC management.&nbsp; It takes guts and a good business sense to admit you messed up big time, and it is better they did it now before irreparable harm was done to the fanbase.&nbsp; But at the same time, they should be ashamed and this is a victory for all fans of all clubs who have been through incompetence, aggravation, and constant losing.&nbsp; So to fans of teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Raiders, and LA Clippers, stand up and cheer for the Red Patch Boys and hope that this trend of management mea culpa spreads.
Do you think Toronto FC has done enough to answer fan complaints, or should it do more? &nbsp;Let us know in the comments section or via Twitter <a href="http:\/\/www.twitter.com/roberthayjr" target="_blank">@roberthayjr</a>

Toronto FC Does the Unthinkable: It Listens to Fans - World Soccer Talk

Toronto FC Does the Unthinkable: It Listens to Fans

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Leagues: MLS

My Proposal: No Yellows for Celebrations

Leagues: MLS

MLS '11 Preview – Is Toronto the League's Worst Team?

Leagues: MLS

Toronto FC Continues Its Befuddling Offseason with De Rosario Controversy

Leagues: MLS

Is Now Avram Grant's Time to Move to MLS?

Leagues: MLS

Toronto FC Does the Unthinkable: It Listens to Fans