Toronto will certainly protect their stars but who won't be protected? (Getty Images)

The 15h and final club in our expansion draft speculation lists is Toronto FC. Yesterday they announced Preki as their new head coach and his first big task will be helping General Manager Mo Johnston with figuring out who to protect and who to leave exposed in the expansion draft.

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• BBC's World Football podcast talking about possibility of USL breakup (about 11 min in) http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/wf/ Good info #
• Canada to play Poland in Friendly November 18 http://bit.ly/ZpQUv #
• Houston Chronicle pick Andrew Hainault Newcomer & Young Player of the Year for Dynamo http://tinyurl.

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BMO Field finally turned into a fortress in 2009. (Getty Images)

2009 was expected to the be year that Toronto FC turned the corner and really made a splash in Major League Soccer. The moves were made to get local star Dwayne De Rosario at the start of the season and things looked promising early on but midway through the first full month of action manager John Carver stepped down and if you ask me the club never really rebounded from that change.

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Today was a little lesson in redemption. I guess it is possible to bounce back. TFC looked a tougher team today, Cummins seemed a smarter coach and I might not have been alone in feeling that I was a more confident fan.
It was cold down by the lake this afternoon. Cold in temperature and cold creeping into the heart as so many elements of this week's game seemed to mirror chilly aspects of last week's game. Click to continue reading...

It's do or die for Toronto FC. (Getty Images)

Big time weekend ahead for Major League Soccer. Four clubs have punched their tickets to the post season dance with four remaining spots left open to possibly all get snatched up this weekend.

You can pretty much put a playoff implication on every game this weekend.

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Well, it's that time of year again. The National Hockey League, and in particular the Toronto Maple Leafs, are back tonight meaning that every sports station, every news channel and every newspaper in the city will devote 90% of its coverage to every minutiae of the sport that is Frozen Stick Soccer. Click to continue reading...

That's about it then right? Enough now with the endless quest for the playoffs? Toronto had to leave Illinois with three points tonight but could only grab one from a match that saw TFC start with a frenetic energy and end with most players about to collapse. The 2-2 result was probably fair for both teams who both showed a lot more in the way of mistakes rather than skill. Click to continue reading...

Most parents will tell you that if you coddle a child for too long then they will end up spoiled. Now it's unsure how long "childhood" lasts for your average MLS club but three years seems to be at least "young adult". Why then, is Toronto FC being treated so gingerly by most observers - both on the inside and the outside of the club? Click to continue reading...

AP Photo

And those words are: Getting it done.

One week after giving up the most goals in team history, the Los Angeles Galaxy put together perhaps their most complete game of the season (though the Fire game at Toyota Park is in the running), shutting out a talented Toronto FC side to become only the fourth team in MLS history to record a shut-out immediately after giving up six goals.

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If BMO ever decides to pull their sponsorship from Toronto FC, we'd like to make a suggestion - Nyquil. The nighttime syrup has nothing on a TFC road match for helping you get your Z's. The Reds went to Los Angeles on Saturday night knowing that all of their close rivals for the post season had dropped points earlier in the day. Click to continue reading...

Galaxy 1 Toronto 0

Better from the Galaxy this week (could it get any worse?) helped considerably by a brittle-looking Toronto defense.

David Beckham could have had a second goal just before the break, a Julian de Guzman headed clearance of an Eddie Lewis cross falling perfectly for Becks about 22 yards out.

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I was just settling down to watch the action and "bam" -Beckham waltzed in to open the scoring while the game was very young. Up until that flurry of LA's, Toronto had looked promising. Julian de Guzman had plenty of time on the ball and he did not look like he was surrounded by strangers.
Toronto highlight of the first half was Gerba's close range shot that LA keeper Ricketts stopped. Click to continue reading...

Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena hasn't exactly rung the changes despite last weekend's record-setting 6-3 home loss to Dallas.

Sean Franklin has recovered from injury and replaces A.J. DeLaGarza (knee bruise) at right back in his first start since May, Chris Birchall makes his second MLS start in midfield, while Landon Donovan moves up front to partner Edson Buddle, perhaps the lone bright spot for the Galaxy last week when he came on as a sub.

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Luis Angel Landin is one of the new faces in MLS. (Getty Images)

I guess you could really say its just been a rather slow week in terms of news. Sure rosters were finalized on Tuesday night for the rest of the year and the league announced their big break next summer but other than that it's been rather calm in Major League Soccer this week.

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If you didn't watch the Colorado Rapids' 3-2 loss to Toronto on Saturday, don't be fooled by the score. This was no five-goal explosion of offense. It was a 1-1 struggle blown open by two quick Toronto goals midway through the second half.

Substitute Michael Holody scored his first Major League Soccer goal in his second Major League Soccer game, but by that time (the 89th minute), the deed was done.

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Whether or not TFC make the playoffs, and it is still an uphill battle, one thing was evident in today's 3-2 win over Colorado - the future is near. In the stadium, on the broadcast and most importantly on the pitch - change is in the air. That change is going to be necessary if this club is serious about moving forward and many of the pieces showed their potential today. Click to continue reading...

11. Has to give Ali Gerba hairstyle tips
10. Not allowed to Wikipedia "Kevin Keegan"
9. Has to be Prom DJ at MLSE exec's kids' high schools
8. Must let Mo Johnston sit on his shoulders during all future press conferences.
7. Can challenge Pinball Clemons to a wrestle
6. Gets to live in CNE's Food Building
5. Click to continue reading...

This realization has taken a few weeks longer this season, but it's still just as painful. After watching TFC shit the bed this past weekend in Colorado, my faith in our ability to bounce back and hit a good run of form is effectively dead. I'm not too urked by a 1-0 loss away to the Rapids - they've been a good team this year. Click to continue reading...

Well, the MLS International transfer window has passed on the Lake Ontario breeze once again with only a Fellinga to show for it. While its never a good policy to buy someone just because they are foreign (see Welsh, Tebily, Robert, Ruiz etc.), Toronto is a multicultural place and the fans do like to see that global flair. Click to continue reading...

TORONTO FC VS. D.C. UNITED
BMO Field - Saturday 4:00 PM EST
TV: Rogers Sportsnet -- Radio: The Fan 590
How do two teams react after being punched repeatedly in the face by Spanish billionaires? It will be interesting to see which club gained the most out of being Real Madrid's b*tches last week. Click to continue reading...

Jeff Cunningham leads Dallas into Columbus this weekend. (Getty Images)

A fun weekend ahead for MLS clubs. The playoff races are heating up like a wild fire and at this point the majority of the league is still in the running for a playoff spot. While this week may not ultimately determine who goes into the playoffs and who is hitting the links early this fall it will indeed help us all know how is getting closer to clinching said playoff spots.

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With the transfer market in full swing, I wanted to bring our readers up to speed on all the outgoing transfers involving American clubs thus far this window. (This does not include trades within MLS or USL since those are NOT transfers in the traditional sense. This list also does not include loan deals such as KC's loan signing of Zoltan Hercegfalv)

OUTGOING

Rico Clark Houston -> Livorno (ITA) January

Yura Movsisyan RSL -> Randers FC (NOR) January

Kenny Cooper FC Dallas > 1860 Munich(GER/2)

Anton Peterlin Ventura County -> Everton (ENG)

Cody Arnoux Carolina Dynamo -> Everton (ENG)

Richard Perdomo Miami FC > CD Platense (HON)

INCOMING

Chris Birchall Brighton H&A > LA Galaxy

Ernst Obster Red Bull Salzburg -> Red Bull BY

Danny Szetela Brescia > DC United

Ely Allen Seattle Wolves > DC United

Ali Gerba MK Dons -> Toronto FC

Jamie Smith Aberdeen > Colorado Rapids

Facundo Diz Platense > Colorado Rapids

Hicham Aaboubou Carabins > Montreal Impact

Ramon Sanchez Alainza -> SJ Quakes

Andre Luiz Chiapas > SJ Quakes

If I have left anyone out, which is likely, please leave it in the comments section and we'll update the post.

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To say I was frustrated after Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Puerto Rico Islanders in the CONCACAF Champions League would be an understatement. We dominated them, and were by far the better team. In the end though, that doesn't really matter. We still lost, and we have it all to do next week in Puerto Rico. Click to continue reading...

It is a difficult time to be playing MLS fantasy as the NY Red Bulls don't play again for two weeks. So one can't just load up on whomever is facing them. Though to be honest, that didn't really work out so well for me last week. Cummings did get an assist, but Kimura came on as a sub so he didn't earn the clean sheet points. Click to continue reading...

Week number 20, hard to believe we are already here and in almost in August for that matter. But indeed the dust has settled on the All-Star break and it is time to get back to work for several MLS clubs this weekend.

Some clubs will get games in the middle of a long week like DC and Toronto.

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Toronto FC entered Wednesday night's CONCACAF Champions League qualification match with the Puerto Rico Islanders missing several key players due to injuries. In the end it was doubtful these absences would have made much of a difference, as the Ontario side had few solid chances and just an offside goal by Ali Gerba to its credit. Click to continue reading...

So that was Toronto's soccer team playing in Toronto's soccer stadium last night.
I have just returned from a great holiday and I am finding it hard to fall back into old routines. Perhaps this is a part of a great holiday, you return home and find yourself in a strange state. You start to see many of the old familiar things in a new light. Click to continue reading...

The American football psyche may have been dominated by the Gold Cup and the All-Star game lately, but the relentless march of Major League Soccer continues. Week 19 got underway at Rio Tinto on Friday, where FC Dallas gave their hosts a fright - briefly.
Jeff Cunningham mugged Real Salt Lake's Will Johnson on 20 yards and fired past Nick Rimando to put FCD ahead in the 13th minute. Click to continue reading...

What do the writers of "Lost" and TFC have in common? Neither have an idea of how to successfully kill off Islanders.
It was offensive. Just not in the right way. TFC beat themselves in their first ever appearance in international play with an utter lack of attacking teamwork. The team have not found a way to integrate new striker Ali Gerba into the line-up and paid the price as they lost to Puerto Rico 1-0 on home turf. Click to continue reading...

EL SUPER RATON

Any one following the recent Gold Cup surely heard his name thrown around. He plays for a lowly national squad and an un-heard of club in the U.A.E. None the less he was the tournaments second best goal scorer tallying 3 goals and 1 assist. It is none other then El Super Raton, Blas Perez.

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There are three MLS teams competing in the Preliminary Round of the Champions League. Sadly these opening games look like ripe for more MLS failure.
DC United takes on LA Firpo of El Salvador. This year's DC side seems deeper than last year's edition, and MLS changed things around a bit so they weren't competing in both this tournament and the Superliga. Click to continue reading...

We had plenty of goals scored in week number 19 in Major League Soccer. A few PKs, own goals and a lot of nice one touch shots. The best in some folks eyes will probably be the midfield bomb by KC's Claudio Lopez though. I would be shocked to see another goal pass that one up for goal of the week.

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The best news for TFC this week is that Montreal is still being considered for MLS membership. The sooner we don't have to consider Columbus as our main rival - the better. Don't get me wrong, going to Crew Stadium with a couple of thousand Reds' supporters is fun but there is one problem with this rivalry. Click to continue reading...

It's been five days since I posted, and a few nice new things have happened in the land of Toronto FC and Major League Soccer. For example, both Ali Gerba and O'Brien White made their debuts during Wednesday's friendly against River Plate. Also, you might want to mark July 24 on your calendar as the day "Major League Soccer fined David Beckham. Click to continue reading...

Friendly matches. They are a bit like marriage. Men pretending to be interested, very little contact and any scoring usually happens by accident. Now and again, the friendly offers up something new and interesting that makes it worthwhile - kind of like when the wife has too much to drink.
Wednesday evening Toronto FC host those wacky Argentines - River Plate, in this year's Carlsberg Cup. Click to continue reading...