

Posted by

Armen Bedakian

January 23, 2013



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Toronto FC hosted their annual media day on January 22, and RedNation Online had a chance to cover the event. The day was filled with player interviews, breaking news, and plenty of chances to catch up with Toronto FC players, as they get set to start preseason training before the first kick in March.



The Ryan Nelsen Saga



We’ll start with the biggest news of the day:



Ryan Nelsen will join Toronto FC on February 1, overseeing the club’s Orlando training camp and calling it time on his playing career, too. The announcement comes after Kevin Payne’s announcement that Toronto FC would honour Nelsen’s obligations to QPR, which could have seen Nelsen stay in the Premier League until midway through the season.



However, Nelsen has pushed that timeline forward – he will be joining Toronto FC in a matter of days. He offered an explanation for the various developments in the story.



The idea was that Nelsen did not want to publically disclose his release date in the hopes that other clubs would not take advantage of QPR during the January transfer window. By declaring that he would be gone come February 1st, other outfits could increase the price(s) for their defenders, based on the knowledge that QPR had lost an important piece in Nelsen.



Instead, Nelsen told Toronto FC’s fans and press that he would honour his contract, fuelling the notion that he would not see the start of the season, which allowed QPR to manoeuvre through the January transfer window with more freedom.



"Prices would have gone up and salaries would have gone up," explained Nelsen, when asked about the reasons for the mixed messages.



QPR recently signed defender Tal Ben Haim on a short-term loan. They also added French forward Loïc Remy, giving them ample coverage for Nelsen’s defensive – and, sometimes, offensive – output. This leaves Nelsen free to begin shifting his frame of mind from player to head coach as he gets set to take over at Toronto FC.



Nelsen himself told press during media day that he thought he had left enough clues to help Toronto FC fans reach this conclusion but with the vagueness of his comments during the initial press conference, this concept had been lost in translation. In any case, Nelsen will suit up one last time for QPR next Tuesday against Manchester City, before heading over to Toronto FC on February 1st.



Coaching Changes



Toronto FC made another coaching change as well, adding a pair of former goalkeepers to the team’s ranks: Pat Onstad joins the club as Chief Scout and Manager of Football Partnerships, while former Red keeper Jon Conway was also spotted at the days’ media event – the initial report is that he will be involved with the TFC Academy in some form.



In another interesting note: Jon Conway is married to former GolTV and current Hockey Night in Canada personality Andi Petrillo.



Players New and Old:



There were a few new faces at Toronto FC, and RedNation had a chance to talk to many of them. Players like Gale Agbossoumonde, Danny Califf, Justin Braun and Emery Welshman all shared their thoughts on the 2013, and we’ll have more in-depth player features in the coming days.



Here’s a rundown of some of the new information revealed on media day:



Danny Califf admitted that age he isn’t as young as he used to be but is looking forward to taking up a leadership role in the backline. He told RNO about his own personal experience being mentored by Robin Fraser.



Eric Hassli told press he did not wish to leave the club, as had been previously suggested by Ives Galercep, and added that he was happy at Toronto FC. He admitted that he liked Paul Mariner but acknowledged that coaching changes are a part of the game.



Torsten Frings is back in action after training and going through rehabilitation in Germany. He is ready to start the season, and has confirmed this will be his last year at the club.



Jeremy Hall has re-signed with Toronto FC. The terms of his contract include one guaranteed year along with a couple of added optional years afterward.



Stefan Frei is also healthy and ready to start again for Toronto FC. As the “guinea pig” of the Kia Training Ground’s rehabilitation program, Frei spoke highly about the staff and facilities in regards to his recovery process. He also wished Milos Kocic the best of luck in Portland.



Richard Eckersley spoke to us about his transition back into the rightback spot. He said he learned a lot about positioning during his time as a centerback but is pleased to be back in his natural role. He said he enjoyed watching Ryan Nelsen on television and will watch his coach take on Manchester City on Tuesday.



Reggie Lambe told us he expected to return though he is not under the impression that he will be gifted a starting role, offering that he wanted to earn the spot in the starting line up.



Danny Koevermans looked healthy, running down the stairs at the training facility, so his return to the playing field may be closer than we think, though an official statement on his exact returning time has yet to be issued.



Justin Braun is looking to establish himself at Toronto FC, and is looking forward for a chance to play against Montreal this time around in the local derby. He’s also a fan of the Buffalo Bills and said he is looking forward to attending a Bills game at the Rogers Centre.



Gale Agbossoumonde reflected on his time in Germany and in Portugal and stressed that he wanted to impress at Toronto FC.



Joe Bendik, formerly of the Portland Timbers, was asked his opinion on MLS attempting to trademark the “Cascadia Cup,” but offered no comment – he is, instead, committed to Toronto FC, and is looking to battle with Frei for a spot between the posts.



Finally, Emery Welshman was full of praise for Kevin Payne and co., and shared his thoughts and feelings on the SuperDraft, being picked by Toronto FC, the numerous trades down to spot number 16, and playing alongside Kyle Bekker.



Notable absences included: Kyle Bekker, Terry Dunfield, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan, Matt Stinson (Canadian national team call ups); Julio Cesar (not present); Quincey Amarikwa (not present).



Make sure to check back on RedNation Online as we roll out player features and interviews from Toronto FC’s 2013 Media Day.