Gareth Wheeler addresses the dilemma facing Toronto FC in the offseason. Does the team follow the lead of the newest MLS franchise, Seattle Sounders FC, and try to sign a Designated Player?
Wheeler lauds the Sounders’ boldness in signing former Arsenal midfielder and Swedish international Freddie Ljungberg, 31, and says that signing a DP is seen by the Toronto fan base “as a necessary step to take from a competitive point of view, as well as a symbolic gesture by the organization [team owner Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment] to show it is committed to putting a winner on the field.”
A DP was not deemed necessary in TFC’s early years because of the team’s healthy ticket sales. Now, says Wheeler, things have changed. “The franchise has publicly acknowledged it is time for the quality of the team on the field to match the extra-curriculars that make the team so special. [Director of Soccer Mo] Johnston says the DP issue will be explored when the team is close to becoming a winner.”
The Sounders have been criticized for signing Ljungberg on a reported annual salary of $2.5 million, especially given his recent injury problems, but Wheeler says “aside from the symbolic nature of the signing, it’s clear the Sounders believe they can be competitive from the get-go.” Although a DP is no guarantor of success, “the Sounders’ commitment to putting a winner on the field cannot be questioned. Now it’s up to TFC to prove the same.”