TORONTO — The early returns are in on the two players obtained for Dwayne De Rosario, and so far those at TFC like what they are seeing.
Both fullback Danleigh Borman and midfielder Tony Tchani (pictured above) started for the Reds against Chivas USA despite not arriving in Toronto until the day before. Still, head coach Aron Winter was pleased.
“They had a slow start, which is normal because they had arrived the day before late in the evening,” he said. “But during the game you could see that they were fitting in well.”
After speaking with both players, Winter said that he felt confident in their fitness and happy with the way they fit into the system.
“I thought they played well [against Chivas],” he said.
Although Tchani’s Generation Adidas status and success at the University of Virginia, where he won a national championship, make him the marquee name for Toronto in the trade, Borman’s importance cannot be overstated.
[inline_node:333172]The South African (pictured at right) is a consistent MLS starter and can play left back, a position that has been the Reds' Achilles heel since Jim Brennan retired one year ago this week. Actually, the fullbacks on both sides of the pitch have been an issue for most of 2011 so far.
Winter has played both 2010's starting center backs, Adrian Cann and Nana Attakora, out wide this year and in both cases the result has been less than ideal. Attakora was actually subbed off against Chivas, with Winter later saying that the player was “not in the game.”
The 4-3-3 system that Winter is trying to implement demands skill and adaptability at every position. The consensus around TFC is that both Borman and Tchani get the club closer to that goal.
“It’s important that you get every player right and in the right position,” Winter said. “With more time together, we can get there. It’s better.”
