Vocal Minority

Tag: Starting XI

  • THE STARTING 11: Toronto FC Civic Holidays

    For a good portion of us in the Toronto FC geographic area, today is a holiday. While generally known across the parts of Canada that participate as a “Civic Holiday” it is more specifically known in Ontario as Simcoe Day. This of course marks the day in the Dark Ages when a magical knight named…

  • THE STARTING 11: Reasons for Canada Soccer’s Recent Woes

    Yes this is primarily a Toronto FC site and yes The Starting 11 is usually Reds or MLS specific but sometimes we have to root around our backyard. Amongst the recent weeds has been a largely mind-numbing journey with Canada Soccer. At press time (I have a fedora – shut it) whole flotillas of men’s…

  • THE STARTING 11: Other Available Front Office Jobs for Retired TFC Players

    If Toronto FC had their own version of “The Disappeared” it would be the long, seemingly unending, list of veteran players who get “retired” by the club mid-season. While most of the players have been admittedly in the twilight of their careers, there has often been a foggy mystery to their sudden decision to leave…

  • THE STARTING 11: TFC Repercussions From the Pan Am Games

    Toronto finally got The Olympics! In a different Terminator-esque timeline where every part of the planet NOT in The Americas got on a spaceship and left this round joint… Toronto got The Olympics! However, those pesky Europeans, Africans, Asians and Misc. (Suck it Oceania) haven’t perfected space travel so instead Toronto is hosting the Pan…

  • THE STARTING 11: Lesser-known Details of the MLS “Core Player” Agreement

    Don’t say them. Don’t you dare use those two little letters. Save them for high quality adult films! DAMN YOU! I heard it out there – yes you guys! You said “D and P”. Bastards. Well, you can say it all you want but ML and even S refuse to admit that the new “Core…

  • THE STARTING 11: Ways That Montreal Impact Supporters Will Spend Canada Day

    Even though Montreal Impact was in Toronto a week too early to bathe in this city’s overt Canada Day patriotism, it wasn’t too soon to get a hint at their plans for Le Grand Day Off. While not all Quebecers can agree on the “Nationalism” question, ALL of them agree – relaxing is tres bien.…

  • THE STARTING 11: Toronto FC Reality TV Shows

      When TFC announced that Juan Pablo Galavis would be one of the players taking part in this past weekend’s Dwayne De Rosario Testimonial Match, it was met with a wide array of LOL’s and ROFL’s. No disrespect to Mr. Galavis’ football career which saw him navigate through CONMEBOL’s mushy middle but his inclusion seemed…

  • THE STARTING 11: Toronto FC v Sunderland Friendly Film Titles

    Apparently, there’s “Nothing Friendly About It”.  So say official Toronto FC press releases about the upcoming friendly against Sunderland. No, you see friends, this is no ordinary friendly, this one is about REVENGE! Apparently. As one or two of you may remember, Sunderland’s main striker is one, Jermain Defoe, formerly and briefly of The Toronto…

  • THE STARTING 11: Dwayne De Rosario Testimonial Gifts

    After a long, strangely quiet off-season where his future seemed unknown, MLS stalwart Dwayne De Rosario officially (this time it was for realsies) announced his retirement from the game. Proclaiming his contentment that he gets to retire from his hometown club – despite two mostly unfulfilling tenures with Toronto FC – De Ro accepted the…

  • THE STARTING 11: Proposed Names for Hamilton’s NASL Club

    “Pan-Am Ah! Pan-Am Ah-ha-haha-ha-ha!” No, TFC aren’t back in the Van Halen-utilizing CONCACAF Champions League but rather the Pan-Am Games are about to land in the Golden Horseshoe. Part of the sporting infrastructure built in Toronto and the outlying cities that comprise “Toronto Jr.” includes a new footy friendly-ish stadium – Tim Hortons Field –…