Newly exiled from Europe, Edson Buddle will return to Toronto on March 7 to play in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal first leg match.
The problem is that the former TFC striker will be sporting an LA Galaxy shirt.
After an offseason that started with uncertainty, Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles squad is coming together almost as good as it has been at anytime in their two consecutive league championship years.
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Buddle was goal-shy in his short tenure in Toronto, but over 87 games for Los Angeles, the American international struck 42 times.
There is no question that Buddle’s goal ratio was helped by the service of David Beckham, and luckily for the striker, the Englishman with the golden right foot has also returned to Carson.
Buddle will form what looks like a menacing strike partnership with Irish international Robbie Keane. With Landon Donovan playing behind the duo and Beckham on the right, LA has an explosive attack that will need to be tamed.
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But Toronto too has been a player in the offseason market. To counter LA’s offence, the Reds believe they have shored up a backline that required upgrades to compete in MLS, the current Champions League campaign and another defence of the Voyageurs Cup (Canadian Championship) for a return to CCL.
This week TFC head coach Aron Winter said “[Bolstering the defence was] important because last season, we had so many goals against – it was a position where we were weak.”
The addition of versatile, left sided Chilean dead ball specialist Miguel Aceval, Ecuador international centre back Geovanny Caicedo, the return of right fullback Richard Eckersley and the promising rehabilitation of former team-MVP Adrian Cann are all signs that Toronto has been preparing to combat the LA assault.
Winter said he is “very satisfied” with the additions to his backline and his confidence will soothe TFC fans, because that barricade will be severely tested right out of the gate on March 7 & 14 in the latest ‘biggest game’ in Toronto FC’s young history.
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