So Long Spoon, Hello Spork

Today came the shocking - OK, not really - news that centre back Geovanny "Spoon" Caicedo had been released by TFC. When I first heard that the 45 minute man was no longer with the club my immediate thought was "oh no, why does this feel like TFC the early years" all over again. My second was that we were all being robbed of various "Spoon" related puns - no Spoon dishes off to the Silva Plata...ah well, what could have been; no use crying over wasted puns...*sob*...sorry, got a little emotional there.


One angle that I realize pretty much every other blogger and footy journo here in Toronto has covered is that why did Caicedo agree to come to the MLS? You would think that he'd perhaps research the league he was headed to...and on paper the imposing 6' 2" defender seemed to be a good fit.  Stranger things have happened however and better to have it dealt with early I say - and the freed up international spot and salary doesn't hurt either (hello summer transfer window?). 


However, upon hearing the news, my chief concern as a long-time fan was that the dreaded (and seemingly patented) TFC revolving door had returned. These quick in and out signings (shoud they stay or should they go now?) have long plagued the team and caused myself and my fellow fans to fly into fits of rage and despair. And I do not want to spend the next seven months watching Frei and Kocic glaring at the defense or watch TFC keep claim on that worst ever goals against record. However, the press release from Toronto FC made it clear that the parting of ways was mutual and had more to do with Caicedo's difficulties in adjusting to the style of play in the MLS as well as missing his family back in Ecuador; rather than that poor 45 minute performance we saw via a shaky online stream.  


So what does this mean for TFC's oft beleagured backline? Well, it looks like until (at the very least) Adrian Cann regains full fitness, that newcomer Miguel Aceval will continue to be joined by Ty Harden or "The Spork" as he's now to be known thanks to those master punsters/nickname givers over at Waking The Red and The Yorkies. And I'm completely on board with my blogging brethren (ooh, alliteration!) - Ty is a serviceable tool (did I just call Ty Harden a tool? Yes, yes I did) - he's not your first choice but he'll do the job more or less until better more complete ones come along.  With Ecks and Morgan on the wings expect to see Frings spending a LOT of time as the fifth defender (or CB in charge) - not a terrible thing, but I would much rather see our captain in the midfield coolly and calmly distributing the ball and well, running the show - JDG, this is your moment to step up; take it!


The main point of this? All hail The Spork!