Hard to argue with how management gutted TFC II’s defence over the off-season. Can’t pin all 77 goals on the six goalkeepers…except maybe the Drew Shepherd penalty at TD Plane, but let’s not kick a man while he’s (still?) down.

Conversely, I’d say anyone paying enough attention can rightly complain about how bare Curtis and friends have left the cupboard. Maybe some of those teenage wingers are being converted to full-backs. Otherwise, Ashtone Morgan might be getting a call.

Anyway, here’re the few defensive pieces they have bothered to sign so far…

Franco Ramos Mingo

Safe to assume this 21-year-old Argentine will be taking over from Robert Boskovic, who’s currently over in Ottawa- in anchoring the backline this year.

Franco Ramos Mingo (El Mingo?) previously captained Boca Juniors’ youth sides at various levels, but don’t expect to see the next Ayala. The fact he never got a sniff of first-team action at La Bombonera tells you he was never earmarked for export.

The various montages of him tackling people to the tune of dubstep don’t shed much light on his offensive tool kit, but his management agency profile assures us he has “awesome heading skill in both areas.” So, like Victor Vazquez?



Patrick Bunk-Andersen

If El Mingo’s Bosko, he’s going to need a new Romeo, now that Rocco’s finally clocking minutes for HB Køge in the Danish second-division. Ironically, this Danish draftee might be the man for the job.

Now 24, Patrick Bunk-Andersen was on the cusp of breaking into third-division side Hvidovre IF’s first team as a U19 when he uprooted to Clemson, South Carolina to take up a college scholarship.

There aren’t many stats from his NCAA ‘career’ worth regurgitating – can’t say I put much stock in the numbers coming out that jumped-up U23 league unless someone’s scoring for fun – but PBA once uploaded his own highlights of his time in Denmark.

The man quite clearly loves a header!



Julian Dunn

Still on the first-team roster from when Vanney picked him for the suicide squad he sent to throw those road games against the Rapids and Dynamo last year, Dunn will presumably be in competition with Bunk-Andersen to partner El Mingo. Do you think being the only player in the league with a FIFA Starhead will give him an edge?

That said, he might not even be Rabasca’s preferred option. Once Vanney gave him back, he was a regular starter for Laurent Guyot’s brief tenure, but was only selected for 4 of Rabasca’s 22 games in charge. He might’ve been injured, but I can’t confirm that.

Granted, at 18, he’s still mighty young for a centre-back, but the experience of being pantsed by Romell Quioto and Mauro Manotas has to count for something, right?



Jesús West

This 19-year-old Panamanian loanee will presumably be starting at right-back, as with Tim Kubel and Brandon Onkony off the books, he’s the only they’ve got.

Having spent his later stages of his youth career in the Canary Islands with Real Union de Tenerife – no, not that Tenerife – he was picked up by Panama City’s Costa del Este on account of the show he put on at last year’s CONCACAF U20 Championship.

He might even recognize a few of his new teammates, as he played in the game that pretty much ended Canada’s tournament.

It’s hard enough finding pictures of this kid (even TFC haven’t photographed him), let alone video, but sifting through clips of the CONCACAF U20s, he can bloody well hit a good long-ball. Can’t say much about his defensive acumen, though.



Terique Mohammed

Though categorized as a ‘midfielder/attacker’ on his TFC profile, Terique became Rabasca’s go-to left-back when he was moved up from TFC III round about July. I just hope he wasn’t under the illusion he’d be playing further up the field this year.

With Ryan Telfer encamped with York 9 for the season and Kyle Bjornethun somehow captaining (!) the Rehabbers down in Tucson, TFC II has zero depth at left-back.



Jelani Peters

A depth signing that was so last-minute, I half-expected it to be Jason Hernandez.

Jelani’s arrival will please none more than Eriq Zavaleta, who was starting to look like he’d dropped further down the depth chart than initially thought. Incidentally, Peters is almost certain to fulfil the same 4th-choice centre-back role Eriq does for Uncle Greg.

He didn’t do anything spectacular for them in 2017, but he barely got a chance. After two full games as a loanee, he picked up an unspecified injury halfway through a loss to Tampa, mere hours after being officially signed. So, this deal was probably as cheap and cheerful as they come, but good on Curtis and company for giving him another shot.

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