Mo Johnston had big things in mind when he drafted Marvell Wynne to the then-MetroStars as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. He thought: this is a guy you could build your defense around. Wynne, too, was excited — but then several things happened. First, the MetroStars were bought by Red Bull Salzburg, and the name, logo and colors all changed. Then, mediocre results lead to the resignation in rather quick succession, of the team coach, president and general manager. Finally, the arrival of Bruce Arena as head coach calmed things down, giving the promise of brighter days ahead, but then on April 18, Arena traded Wynne to expansion club Toronto FC.
“Some people get mad (about a trade), but I had an open mind. It was something new,” Wynne said. “I heard great things about Toronto, and I was back with Mo.” Indeed, Johnston, the coach who drafted him, was there to welcome Wynne with a handshake and a hug. “It was definitely a welcome face when I came up here to start,” Wynne said.
His perseverance in a tough position finally seems to be paying off. After losing his first four with TFC, the club has improved to 3-1-1 in its last five, outscoring the competition 9-6. “Slowly but surely, we’re becoming a unit,” he said. Tomorrow night at BMO Field, Wynne gets his first chance to play against his former club, which he says is just “another game.” Meanwhile, Wynne says he’s enjoying the move. “I like it up here. It’s a nice city and the players are awesome. Our fans are amazing. We get at least 20,000 a game. It’s a good stadium, bad turf. But that’s fine. I’m used to that.”