Cherry Beach turf claims TFC defender Adrian Cann

Adrian Cann

Toronto FC can’t build its new Downsview training facility fast enough. The artificial turf at the City of Toronto’s Cherry Beach field claimed a victim Tuesday, as Toronto FC defender Adrian Cann was carried off the pitch by teammates after making an awkward turn. His right knee was wrapped in ice and he was taken to hospital. The club later announced that he had torn his ACL and will be out for the remainder of the season. It also means that Cann won’t be available for national-team selection when World Cup qualifying begins in September. With defender Dicoy Williams already out of the lineup — he’s reported to the Jamaican national team for its Gold Cup preparations — coach Aron Winter will likely need to remake his central defensive pair for Saturday’s home date against Sporting Kansas City. Winter made it clear in the post-practice scrum that the turf was to blame for the injury. He said Cann made a turn in a basic drill, and that his knee simply didn’t follow his leg as he spun. “When it is very dry like now, it’s not nice to train on,” said Winter. Players will tell you that even the best artificial turf surfaces are more slippery than grass when it is cold and/or wet outside, but that they get very sticky when the weather turns warm. A training facility for Toronto FC — one which will see the team be able to get off artificial surfaces when it practices — is scheduled to open in 2012.