“The message in meetings is not to be scared,” said Cornelius. “The first-timers have been told to show our football, to show our individual qualities. John wants the players to express themselves, and not be afraid to make mistakes. With the system John is trying to bring in, we are going to make mistakes. We have to learn to be better.”

Mozzi Gyorio came from the former Yugoslavia to Hungary to Prince Edward Island. He’s played in the Netherlands, the NASL and in England. As he looks to re-fire his career as a member of Minnesota United FC, the midfielder talks about his hopes, dreams and the loss of his brother...

Sources close to Gyorio have told The 11 that the midfielder is simply waiting on his paperwork from the Canadian Soccer Association so he’s eligibile to play for Fleetwood, which plays in nPower League 2, or the fourth tier of English football.

"It was a bit of a nothing match, to be perfectly frank," said TFC head coach Paul Mariner.  "It was a bit of a stalemate and then suddenly they got the goal."

The skies opened up in Cyprus Tuesday, bring a mix of rain and hail — forcing Canada to adjust its training routine ahead of tomorrow’s friendly with Armenia.

When the Canadian men’s national team faces Armenia next Wednesday in Cyprus, it will bring a squad of just 17 players. Meanwhile, the Armenians will bring 31 players.

FK Rad confirmed Wednesday that Canadian national-team keeper Milan Borjan has signed a contract with Turkish side Sivasspor. The club announced on its website that Borjan was in Turkey and signed a deal for an undisclosed fee.

Canadian national team keeper Milan Borjan hasn’t yet put a signature on a four-year contract offer from Turkish side Sivasspor. Last week, the Turkish side announced that it had brought Borjan into the fold.

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.