Toronto FC touched down in Turkey on Friday to start the 2011 preseason after the club flew overnight from Toronto to Istanbul. The Reds will play their first preseason game on Feb. 1 against Partizan Belgrade in the Mediterranean coastal city of Anatalya.
According to TFC head coach and technical director Aron Winter, there will be at least six new faces at the Turkey camp looking to earn a contract. Those players are currently based in Europe, but the club has yet to release their names.
Winter has high hopes for the trialists.
“If we didn’t think they could help, we wouldn’t have invited them,” he said. “There is a lot to do in a short time, but we are ready to get to work.”
Also joining the club in Europe are three young Canadian trialists that flew over from Toronto: defender Eddy Sidra, midfielder Gianluca Zavarise and Canadian goalkeeper David Monsalve.
Monsalve previously spent time in MLS, and is part of the emergency goalkeeper pool. He spent time with both TFC and FC Dallas in 2007. He appeared in one game for the Reds, losing 3-0 to Chicago.
