Danny Koevermans spent 11 seasons playing in the Netherlands, the final four of them with Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven. He joined Toronto FC in the middle of the 2011 campaign, one of two European designated players along with former German international Torsten Frings, signed in July.

The 33-year-old striker paid immediate dividends, scoring eight times in 10 Major League Soccer games and adding two more in seven CONCACAF Champions League matches, including the winner in the Reds’ 3-0 win over FC Dallas in October, which sent the club to the quarter-final round.

Back for his first full season with Toronto, Koevermans took some time at the Reds’ training camp in Orlando, Fla. to reflect on workouts, the weather and the familiarity with faces and tactics ahead of the 2012 season, which begins March 7 with the opening leg of a Champions League quarter-final against David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy at the Rogers Centre.

Hello everyone,

I wanted to update you all on what is happening here in Orlando. Things are going very well for us down here. The hotel is beautiful and we have great training facilities, the fields are kept in great condition and it is important for us. We have had a great mix of technical and physical training sessions which are important and as the season progresses we will see the results. I feel we have everything that we need to have a positive training camp. Great weather also helps!

Looking back to my time in Holland, there are many similarities between how things are done at the top level of Dutch football and what we are doing here with Toronto. The only real difference for me is that it’s February and I already have a tan! But with two Dutch coaches, I expected things to be similar to what I’m used to. I know that last season the team had to travel to Turkey, Charleston, and Orlando which can be very demanding on a team.

It was a good decision by the coaches to eliminate all the travel for preseason and only have one trip. For me personally I feel we will be away for a longer period but that is because I am away from my family; but I understand why we are doing this and why it is important. Building team chemistry is very important.

Something I think is also very important for our club is that we have many familiar faces here with us in Orlando. I cannot speak about the past but having a good number of returning players makes a difference. We are all adjusted to one another and the new players are fitting in well. We won our first match last week which was a good step, and now we are preparing for the tournament and want to do well. It is very exciting to see everything that is happening and I’m confident that good things can happen this season.

Anyways, that’s all for now. I hope everything is going well back home in Toronto and everybody is getting ready for March 7.

Until then, take care,

Danny Koevermans

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