It's "Springtime for Winter" as Toronto FC today released the names of the 41 players (so far) who are taking part in the club's pre-season training camp. The major difference from past years on first glance is the absence of any professional trialists. Just a year ago, the likes of Javier Martina, Mikael Yourassowsky and King Osei Gyan (for you TFC trivia buffs) were training with The Reds in hopes of grabbing a contract but this year seems quite different.

A look ahead at the considerably different defensive corps taking shape for Toronto FC's 2012 edition.
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Young Newfoundlander Jordi Slaney gets a chance to tryout for the TFC Academy
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TFC Kicks off their Champions League ticket drive and LA Galaxy lose a key player to injury.
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A month by month look back at the year that was for Toronto FC and why last season's upheaval is finally starting to show dividends.
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Thoughts on the sudden departure of Stuart Neely from the TFC Academy
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My list of who I think TFC should protect from (& who they might lose to) the Montreal Impact during the upcoming MLS Expansion Draft coming in late November.
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I ask in this post season look back of the season that was for Toronto FC, what might have been if MLSE had not wasted most of "the hundred days" between firing Mo Johnston and hiring Aron Winter.
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Why a loss Tuesday for Toronto FC in the Champions League Tuesday will be a disappointment but not enough of one to forget all the goods things that have happened for the team since the summer.
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Thoughts at the halfway point of the 2011 MLS season for Toronto FC.
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In this video blog episode I take a look back at the somewhat encouraging string of road draws TFC has recently been on, culminating in Wednesday's tie versus the New England Revolution in front of what was probably one of the smallest crowds in MLS history. I throw kudos towards youngster Donnell Henry and to goalkeeping stalwart Stefan Frei and I speak to the significantly different offensive look the Reds have with a real number nine like Alan Gordon in the lineup.

TFC suffer another blow as 2010 club MVP Adrian Cann is gone for the season with an ACL injury.
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The less that can be said about the humbling and embarrassing loss to the Philadelphia Union on Saturday past the better. So in this video blog I choose not give more than a cursory mention of the club that was booed off the field by many of the fans that were remaining at the end of that 6-2 disgrace.

The pitch at BMO Field has recovered from the Voyageurs Cup Final on Wednesday. Has TFC recovered enough to secure three points against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday?
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In this post game video blog I heap yet more praise upon TFC's young Ecuadorian Joao Plata who scored a penalty and set up the game winner in TFC's 2-1 home victory over the Houston Dynamo at BMO Field on Saturday. In this episode I try and explain why the Plata effect did not just start on Saturday night, I talk about what such a hopeful and optimistic performance might mean for both the club [.

Some pre-game thoughts ahead of Toronto FC's match Saturday vs the Houston Dynamo. In this post I express concern about Alan Gordon picking up another injury, I break down some of the head to head numbers and I offer some unsolicited advice to Aron Winter on how to help out his beleaguered central defenders.

Toronto FC secures passage to the 2011 final round of the Voyageurs Cup for the Canadian Championship with a 1-0 (4-0 on aggregate) victory over FC Edmonton.
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TFC starts its defense of the Voyageurs Cup with win in Alberta. My video blog thoughts on the 3-0 defeat of FC Edmonton.
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Red with a honeycomb centre. Like TFC's 2010 defence!
The stories out of TFC training camp's first day started leaking before the ink was dry on the medical needles. At least that's my understanding of needles. Might explain my scurvy. Anyhoo... with roster spots galore and a plane warming up on the tarmac for a flight to Turkey, names have begun to pop up on the potential passenger list aboard AeroWinter - direct flight, non-stop to Antalya.

Sign of the future?

With the majority of Toronto FC's management staff, both new and old, gathered at the MLS Combines, we ponder if future pre-seasons will devote as many resources to the league's SuperDraft. Since Aron Winter and his "Oranje Revolution" cohorts were named to lead TFC into the future, the words most heard have been "youth", "academy", "philosophy" and "development".