Posted by

Aaron Nielsen ,

July 28, 2015 Email

Aaron Nielsen



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@ENBSports

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At first glance, it looks as though the scouting department with Toronto FC, who seems to have strong relationships with clubs and agents, on paper have made another good move with the signing of Moroccan International center back Ahmed Kantari. The 30 year old is 6'1 and is known for being able to play with both feet, although does not have enough speed to be an option at full-back. He has a long history in the French game coming from the Paris St Germain Academy system, then moving to Strasbourg, Brest and Lens. His experience with Morocco has been limited, playing 18 games over 10 years, but he did play in 2012 Africa Cup of Nation qualifiers and is now the 14th player on the Toronto FC with international experience numbers only seen at the largest clubs in the World. As I wrote in my article regarding free agents in England and Holland, Kantari fits the criteria of a player having a consistent track record of performance in a league that talent-wise would be regarded similar or better than MLS. Kantari joins Toronto after playing 31 of 38 games from the past France Ligue 1 season with Racing Club Lens, who admittedly were relegated, but being promoted the season before not much was expected from the club in 2014-2015. Kantari was also not at fault for RC Lens’ poor defensive performances, with the club allowing a more acceptable 46 goals in the 31 games he played, while they allowed 15 goals in the seven games he didn't play in. Also, his media ratings in French newspaper L'Equipe and magazine France Football had him as one of the top RC Lens players and in the top half of Ligue 1 overall. Kantari took a while to establish himself, and it wasn't until he joined SC Brest in Ligue 2 that he was given the chance to be a regular starter. With Brest in 2009-2010, he helped the club gain promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time in 19 years. He played three seasons with Brest in Ligue 1 as a regular starter for two seasons, as he missed games in 2011-2012 with an achilles problem. Over the last six seasons, he has played 104 games in France Ligue 1, scoring two goals, both via penalty kicks, and also played in 66 Ligue 2 games, also scoring two goals and gaining promotion to Ligue 1 in each season. Style-wise, Kantari is more of a ball playing defender involved in passing out of danger, although he isn't afraid the clear the ball when needed. A more finessed player and not one you expect with a central defender tag as he is more likely to score a goal from distance than with his head. He is a good 1 v 1 marker and strong tackler, although less aggressive than Damien Perquis and the recently retired Steven Caldwell. The greatest concerns last season were weak numbers in regards to aerial duels, especially on set play situations. He also is not the screamer or leader that Toronto came to expect from Steven Caldwell, however the fact that himself, Perquis, and Cheyrou’s first language is French should help with communication and allow Ahmed to become comfortable with the team quicker. In terms of available Central Defenders who might have been brought in at the same cap cost and are also free agents there were other more classic Centre Backs such as a Titus Bramble, Peter Ramage or Roger Johnson, or players with American connections such as Oguchi Onyewu or Zak Whitebread, and some might have preferred Andre Hainault in terms of a Canadian connection. It seems Kantari was brought in with the idea that Toronto FC’s management feels what MLS lacks most is technical ability, and an intelligent player with good footballing skills is more effective for success than what you might expect in a classic center back of strength, determination and effort. I do tend to agree with this idea and feel a starting eleven formation of 4-1-2-1-2 of Bendik or Konopka - Morrow, Perquis, Kantari, Morgan - Cheyrou - Delgado, Osorio - Bradley - Giovinco, and Altidore is as strong a starting 11 as any club in the league. Toronto FC’s concerns are still not knowing how will the team perform on a cold November playoff day in a one game knockout, and also they need to remain consistent and healthy. However, my bigger worry is the game itself in the United States and Canada, which I have talked about in the past. With the added salary options and greater awareness of players regarding MLS, what role really does the local player have in the league? I'm sure if Toronto’s management had the option, they would also replace Bendik, Morrow, Morgan, Delgado and Osario with players who have a track record like Kantari. I feel Toronto is a leader in this potential future trend, and hopefully take full advantage this season and finally give the fans the success they deserve after close to a decade of ineptness.



Aaron Neilsen is a co-founder of Prospect XI (Prospect Eleven), a scouting network and online magazine dedicated to tracking/highlighting young players that refer to as "prospects" as well as their development pathways both within North America and worldwide. Follow PXI via www.propsectxi.com or on twitter @ProspectXI.