De Rosario to stay with Celtic another week; vow of silence continues 8 Jan 2011 Dwayne De Rosario’s trial with Celtic will continue for another week, according to reports by Scottish broadcaster STV. And that will likely mean the vow of silence from Toronto FC’s all-time leading scorer and his agent, David Baldwin, will likely continue for another seven days.
Brampton calling: Hoilett scores winner for Blackburn 8 Jan 2011 Junior Hoilett's hot streak for Blackburn Rovers continues. The best of the bunch when it comes to the legions of players from Brampton, Ont. got Blackburn through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, scoring from the top of the penalty area to give Rovers a 1-0 decision over Championship side Queens Park Rangers.
Blatter’s missives likely mean nothing to MLS 5 Jan 2011 But, if past history is an indication, MLS and other North American leagues need not worry about anything Blatter has to say about restricting domestic leagues.
Oranje Revolution for Toronto FC? 3 Jan 2011 Several Dutch media outlets, including De Telegraaf — which isn’t a blogger speculation site but a reputable news organization — are quoting former Dutch national teamer Aron Winter, claiming he has a three-year deal with Toronto FC in place to take over as the new technical director of the club. But the reports also suggest that this will mark the …
De Rosario agent: This is not a trial 29 Dec 2010 The identity of Dwayne De Rosario's agent has been revealed. Wednesday's Scottish Sun quoted agent Dave Baldwin, stating his client was simply training with the club, not trialing. Toronto FC was publicly embarrassed when it claimed the club's all-time leading scorer was trialing with Celtic without the approval of the Reds' front office. But Baldwin said there is a distinction between "trainee" and "trialist." “One thing that has to be stressed here is that Dwayne is NOT on trial at Celtic as has been stated in some quarters.
Would U.K. rubber stamp a work permit for De Rosario? 29 Dec 2010 As the Dwayne De Rosario-to-Celtic drama plays on, it’s time to address the elephant in the room. And that’s the work permit. If Celtic was to make arrangements with Toronto FC and MLS to bring the Reds’ captain to the Bhoys, even though TFC is claiming that De Ro is in Scotland without the club’s permission, there is no guarantee that a 32-year-old Canadian forward would be quickly granted permission to work in Glasgow by the U.K. government.
TFC, MLS and De Rosario: A failure to communicate 28 Dec 2010 There have been more than a few embarrassing moments in the four-plus seasons of Toronto FC’s existence; but the fact that Dwayne De Rosario was training with Celtic —less than a full day after acting GM Earl Cochrane vehemently denied that the team’s all-time leading scorer would be leaving the club —has to go right to the top of the charts when it comes to egg dripping off the faces of those running the Reds. De Rosario checked into Celtic’s training session Tuesday morning, wearing shirt No. 19.
De Rosario to Celtic… To be or not to be? 27 Dec 2010 Celtic manager Neil Lennon was quoted in The Telegraph today, confirming that Toronto FC’s all-time leading scorer, Dwayne De Rosario, could be in Glasgow for a trial — and might sign with the Hoops in time for the next Old Firm derby against Rangers. De Rosario, TFC’s leading scorer in 2010, could join former Arsenal star and MLS Designated Player Freddie Ljungberg, who is already in Glasgow.
A World Cup in January? Now that’s an idea worth pursuing 20 Dec 2010 While the rotten smell left behind by the voting process for the 2018 and, especially, the 2022 World Cups is still strong in FIFA’s Swiss headquarters, there is one bit of good coming out of the Qatar bid. And that’s the continuing rumblings that the tournament will have to be held in January — to give the players and fans a reprieve from the Qatari summers, where temperatures regularly soar past 40 C. Because, once and for all, it would smash the notion of the “international calendar,” a large truck of snake oil that has been pushed onto the world’s footballing community by rich, European clubs.
Hutchinson wins his first player-of-the-year award 17 Dec 2010 Midfielder Atiba Hutchinson has won the Canadian Soccer Association’s male player of the year award for the first time. It might not be the last for Hutchinson, who went to high school in Brampton, Ont.’s Heart Lake neighbourhood. This season, Hutchinson left Copenhagen of the Danish League — but not before leading the club to a 2010 title and being named the league’s player of the year — for PSV Eindhoven of the Dutch Eredivisie. Hutchinson said walking onto the pitch at the Amsterdam ArenA, when PSV traveled to face Ajax, the hated rival, was a “dream come true.”