TORONTO

“Heads will roll” if Toronto FC doesn’t win everything this season.

All the trophies. Most of the games. Pretty much everything.

That was the message sent to me via social media mail by a reader late Friday.

And after TFC’s most recent splash, he may well be right.

As confirmed by the Toronto Sun last week, the Reds officially introduced Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar as their newest player on Friday at the club’s Kia Training Ground — the final piece in what has been the biggest off-season transformation in Major League Soccer history.

On loan from Championship side Queen’s Park Rangers — where TFC bench boss Ryan Nelsen ended his career — Cesar is looking for playing time ahead of the upcoming World Cup in his home country.

As a friend, and as a former teammate, Nelsen obliged.

“Julio saved my ass so many times,” Nelsen joked Friday.

The 34-year-old, who has been a fixture in the Brazilian national team for more than a decade, will be on loan with the Reds throughout the 2014 season, general manager Tim Bezbatchenko confirmed to reporters.

Before that, Bezbatchenko started the news conference by listing the ridiculously high number of trophies, accolades and plaudits Cesar has garnered in world football, stopping halfway through, seeing as he could have continued endlessly.

He could have summed it up by simply saying Toronto FC, in what has been an unbelievable off-season, just signed one of the best goalkeepers of a generation.

“I want to say thanks to Toronto FC and I’m really excited to start to work with my new colleagues in my new club,” Cesar said.

“I talked with my (Brazilian national team coaches) and they told me I’d be playing in a tough league and that the league is growing. I had no doubts to come quickly. I know Ryan Nelsen very well.

“I talked to Ryan by phone and he told me the door was open. I talked to my family and my family is happy. It’s a new experience for me.”

Over the last three months, TFC has spent $100 million between three players — Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley and Gilberto — dropping jaws around the league.

And dropping TFC’s MLS Cup line.

Prior to this week, Bovada had the Reds at 14-1 to win MLS Cup.

Unsurprisingly, TFC ended Friday at 10-1 to hoist the league’s top trophy next December.

Only the Seattle Sounders (9-1), Portland Timbers (7-1), New York Red Bulls (11-2), Sporting KC (5-1) and L.A. Galaxy (9-2) have slightly better odds.

“Adding a player of Julio Cesar’s experience and ability only strengthens our club both in the short and long-term,” Bezbatchenko said. “We are committed to creating a culture of winning at TFC, and there are few people in the world of soccer with a proven track record of consistently getting results that Julio has. We are very excited to bring him to Toronto FC.”

Joe Bendik, slated to be this year’s No. 1 ’keeper, now takes a back seat after everything seemed to be unfolding in his favour.

After dispatching Stefan Frei for top spot last season, Bendik likely will slide to No. 2 on the depth chart. He will be expected to fill in when Cesar departs for this summer’s World Cup.

“He’s a legend when it comes to any goalkeeper’s mind,” Bendik said during TFC’s recent media day. “I grew up watching him play, being in awe of him, but now, he could be my teammate, so, I’m going to compete with him every day. Off the field, I’ll pick his brain for just about any piece of knowledge I can get.”

What remains unclear is how the Reds managed to fit Cesar under the league’s strict salary cap. Already with three Designated Players, Toronto seemingly is running out of space.

They will offload Matias Laba before the season starts in Seattle on March 15, potentially via loan.

“Cesar’s taking a significant risk coming here,” is all Bezbatchenko would say on the matter.

As for TFC’s staff, they’re as confident as can be despite elevated expectations — and the threat of “heads rolling” if things don’t go as planned.

WHITECAPS OWNER LIKES BIG MOVES

Tim Leiweke told the Toronto Sun last week he expected bigwigs around MLS to “mumble under their breath”.

After all, most MLS clubs aren’t backed by the kind of cash the MLSE CEO has at his disposal.

But it seems one fellow MLS owner is completely on board with TFC’s decision to spend a bank vault full of cash this winter.

Vancouver Whitecaps co-owner Jeff Mallett told the Vancouver Province Friday that TFC’s recent multi-million dollar moves — signing Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley, Gilberto and, now, Julio Cesar — are “fantastic for the league” and an “amazing commitment.”

This after Philadelphia Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz took a swipe at the Reds last week by questioning “how smart” TFC is for going out and dropping the kind of coin it did.

“I still believe the little clubs, and the medium clubs, can succeed,” Mallett told the Province. “It’s happened, and it will continue to happen.

“It forces us to be even better at what we do. We’re a pure play football club. We’re totally dedicated to that. We have to have better scouting and development. It just puts the pressure on us.”