At least one former MLS star thinks that Toronto FC are on the right track for producing a championship-contending team.
Taylor Twellman played under TFC's director of player development, Paul Mariner, for six full seasons when Mariner an assistant with the New England Revolution. He gives Mariner a lot of credit for helping him become the player that scored 101 goals in his MLS career.
Twellman said that it’s “way too soon” to judge the work that Mariner and head coach Aron Winter have done, but he did suggest that TFC fans should not read too much into the Reds' season-opening 4-2 loss to the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps.
“The way they so quickly introduced [new faces], it’s too soon to say much,” Twellman told MLSsoccer.com by phone. “ You’ve got to give them some time.”
Twellman said that the new management team should be given three years to prove what they can do. He cited Sigi Schmid and the Columbus Crew, who were dismantled by Schmid in 2006 before becoming Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup champions in 2008.
“You see it all the time in MLS where teams go through this three-year cycle from missing the playoffs to winning a championship,” he said.
As a four-time MLS Cup final loser, Twellman is well aware that nothing is a sure thing in MLS, but he did say that any team with Mariner involved is likely going to be a contender eventually.
And when that happens, Twellman said he would welcome it.
“Toronto is a city of fans that deserves a winner and deserves it as soon as possible," he said. "The fans there deserve a lot of credit for the amount of passion they bring and they are a real asset to the league.”
