TORONTO — Tony Tchani may have never needed a week of training more desperately than the one he has just had with Toronto FC.
The midfielder, acquired from New York in the Dwayne De Rosario trade, stepped into Toronto’s lineup last Saturday against Chivas USA just hours after stepping off a plane. Although he performed admirably in the 1-1 draw, the player admitted that it was a surreal experience.
“I had no idea [of the trade],” he told MLSsoccer.com by phone from San Jose. “I was scheduled to start for New York on Saturday then, at 4 pm [on Friday], I was told, ‘You’re going to Toronto.’”
It was a whirlwind after that. Tchani dropping everything and left his family and possessions in New York to catch the night flight to his new destination.
“It was hard,” Tchani said. “I only had about five hours of sleep [before the game]. I still haven’t been able to get back [to New York] to get my stuff.”
Still, the midfielder is happy with his new town, with the way he’s been welcomed to Toronto with open arms, and with the way the club looks.
“All the guys are really nice,” said Tchani. “I’m just looking at getting settled and getting out on the pitch. That’s all a soccer player wants – to play.”
With the departure of a two-time MLS Cup MVP De Rosario, there is clearly a big space in the TFC midfield that needs to be filled. Tchani says he’s up for the challenge of filling the big void.
“I like the system, the possession game and the demand to get up into attacking spots,” he said. "It really suits me. I like to play more in the middle and to track forward and back. I think it’s a good fit.”
Although he left a team in New York that is widely considered to be one of the main contenders for the MLS Cup, he’s assuming the task of helping the rebuilt Reds and actually believes TFC could be right there along the Red Bulls at the end of the year.
“Once we get all the pieces together and get a chance to play together for a while, we have the players here that can compete for a playoff spot and to do well in the playoffs," he said. "We just need to keep playing together.”
