“Hanson was free to do what he did,” said Miller. “He was terrific for us He’s decided to move on, the club had made a terrific offer for him to stay. He’s gone from us and we wish him well. He’s come through our academy and we’re after our fee and we won’t stop till we get it, simple as that.”

We’ve seen this over and over. A young players come up through our system, and then our small-but-oh-so-loud Canadian soccer community gives the kid way too much praise, way too much hype. It’s understandable, we’re so desparate for a saviour, an instant solution to decades worth of soccer rot, that we latch on to 17-year-old after 17-year-old. The message boards fill up with dreams of big moves to big clubs. And whether your name is Aleman, Alderson or Teibert, the overreaction to some early career successes puts you on a path to meet expectations that can’t possibly be met.

Even though the deal was announced on Tuesday, it was signed well before the Eddies left for their three-week Florida-based portion of their training camp. (The Eddies’ last day in Edmonton was last Friday). But, paperwork in the soccer world can move so darn slow, so the deal couldn’t be made official till after the team had left for the United States.

I’ve dedicated a good chunk of my life to Canadian Soccer. I’ve covered World Cup qualifiers since the 1990s. I’ve been on the TFC beat and, by now, most people know me as the colour voice for FC Edmonton on TV and radio. But, looking back, all of the talk of match fixing makes me wonder if I am lying to myself.

A 2009 Canadian Soccer League match between the Montreal Impact’s reserve team and Toronto Croatia has been linked to a major European match-fixing ring.

Trialist Gianluca Zavarise scored and was sent off as Toronto FC lost 3-1 to Dinamo Zagreb Thursday in their final training match in Turkey. Despite being without veteran Igor Biscan — the former Liverpool man was out with injury — and Brazilian-born midfielder Sammir, who has been linked to a move to Fiorentina, the Croats triumphed in a game that …

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.