Toronto FC squandered an early lead and fell 2-1 to the host Charleston Battery in each team's second match in the Carolina Challenge Cup Wednesday evening at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C.

Toronto FC was unable to capitalize on 55-minute man advantage and dropped a 1-0 decision to the Chicago Fire Saturday evening at Charleston, S.C.‘s Blackbaud Stadium in the opening game of the 2011 Carolina Challenge Cup. A sixth-minute strike from Chicago’s Marco Pappa proved to be the difference, which resulted from a TFC defensive breakdown. Gaston Puerari initially sent a long ball across the face of the goal to Davis Paul, who one-touched back to an open Pappa for the tap-in from four yards out.

Adrian Cann can’t go on. Toronto FC’s reigning team MVP has walked away from the club, beginning a holdout as he continues to look for an improved contract from the club. Cann did not travel with the team to Charleston, S.C. where the Reds will participate in the Carolina Challenge Cup. Cann signed a four-year deal to come to Toronto FC last season, but he made a huge impression as the safety-first centre back, providing some stability in the club’s fragile back line. Both Cann and Toronto FC were working on a new deal, but Cann rejected the club’s latest offer before packing his bags.

Wednesday’s decision to make Danny Dichio the coach of the senior TFC Academy squad, and place Jim Brennan in charge of the junior Academy players, is a step in the right direction for this club.

Keven Aleman and Bryce Alderson come from the junior wings of two rival Canadian franchises — Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps — but they have the same goal. To get to the U-17 World Cup. And that’s a dream they can realize on Wednesday.

What looks to be the final piece in Toronto FC’s coaching puzzle has been placed on the board. On Tuesday morning, the club announced that Jason Bent, the former head coach of the senior TFC Academy squad, has been promoted to an assistant coach role with the club.

TFC Academy accounted for five of Canada’s goals in an 8-0 rout over Barbados in CONCACAF U-17 men’s championship Thursday in Jamaica. Michael Petrasso scored three times in just 69 minutes on the pitch, while Keven Aleman scored twice in 58 minutes as the Canadians earned themselves a spot in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

As preseason games go, Toronto FC’s 1-0 win over Red Star Belgrade Sunday in Turkey was significant. Usually, when facing European opposition in friendlies or preseason games, MLS teams are used to seeing squads filled with “B” team players and prospects. But Red Star Belgrade fielded what was close to a full-strength squad — and only used three subs, as if the Toronto FC match was a regular Serbian league game. The club resumes its Serbian league schedule Feb. 27 after the end of the winter break.

On a day designed for new Toronto FC head coach and technical director Aron Winter to look at fresh faces, a couple of veterans were the talking point of Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Serbian powerhouse Partizan Belgrade in Turkey. TFC defender Nana Attakora scored just six minutes in and Dwayne De Rosario, TFC’s all-time leading scorer, missed a penalty in the Reds’ first preseason friendly of 2011. Partizan fans, eager to see the team’s new striker pairing of Prince Tagoe and Dominic Aidiyah — both nabbed in the transfer window, and both played for the first 45 minutes —had to settle for a penalty goal from Nemanja Tomic.

Judging by his status as a trialist at Toronto FC’s training camp in Turkey, Dutch winger Bas Ent will need to start over in his quest to join the Reds.