Lewis: Top pick gives Seattle options

ST. LOUIS -- Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

Perhaps no other MLS team has more decisions to make at Thursday's SuperDraft than Seattle Sounders FC. As a first-year expansion team, the Sounders face the challenge of stocking their team with as many decent players to be competitive.

So, they face some intriguing decisions as owners of the very first pick in the draft.

Do they keep the pick and select a promising college player, such as what Toronto FC did in 2007 with midfielder Maurice Edu?

Or do they trade it away, which was exactly what the San Jose Earthquakes did last year to obtain veteran defender Nick Garcia from the Kansas City Wizards.

No decision has been made yet and club officials are willing to listen to all offers until the draft begins at 2 p.m. ET Thursday.

If he was leaning one way or the other, Seattle coach Sigi Schmid was keeping his best poker face.

"My philosophy is to make sure through the draft that we can help our club in the best and strongest possible manner," he said. "That might be keeping that picking and taking that player if we think that is the solution. Or that we've been made an offer that makes sense, just like San Jose last year.

  • Draft Tracker >
  • Full coverage >NEWS • Seattle makes Zakuani No. 1
• Zakuani embracing Seattle
• SuperDraft notebook
• Davis: No surprises
• Zakuani hails Gen. adidas
• RSL get athletic Alexandre
• Husidic goes home
• Rapids, Revs take big hauls
• Quiet Quakes add value
• Sounders attack two fronts
• St. Louis fans stay vocal
• Draft deals roundup
• Galaxy turn to Terrapins
• United flesh out roster
• Wizards accomplish mission
• Crew select Gerstenberger
• Cruz falls to round three
• Hoops address needs
• Chivas deal for LA's Jazic
• Prospect bios, stats
VIDEO • SuperDraft first round

• Zakuani on Seattle

• Garber on SuperDraft

• Zakuani taken at No. 1

• Cronin to TFC at No. 2

• Gonzalez to LA at No. 3

• Reds add White at No. 4

• Hoops nab Marosevic

• Wallace to D.C. at No. 6

• United select Pontius

• Besler goes to Wizards

• Lahoud goes to Chivas

• Revs get Alston at 10

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"Getting a veteran player is going to help our club more than taking a college guy. It might be a situation where two players make more sense than one. The one thing I can tell you is that we're going to keep all our options open going into the draft."

Sounders FC technical director Chris Henderson said the team has had some offers but wasn't about to rush into anything. Right now, the Sounders could find themselves among as many as 14 suitors, as in the number of the other teams in the league.

"If it plays out with the positions [that the Sounders want to fill] and some of the players we're going to be looking at, it will become more clear on what we're going to do," he said. "We still have other things that we're working on that could change who we can pick up. We're weighing the options."

Henderson said the Sounders researched the way previous expansion teams approached stocking their teams.

"You look at San Jose. They went a little more defensive," he said. "They chose a lot of midfielders -- one forward -- and defenders. Toronto getting Maurice Edu was a great pickup for them.

"Every year the draft is different. The crop of players coming out [this year] is ... stronger."

Two years ago, Toronto made Edu the very first pick. It certainly turned out well for the club as the former University of Maryland standout climbed the U.S. national team ladder, winning a regular spot with the national team and playing in last summer's Olympics in Beijing. He was so good that Glasgow Rangers (Scotland) gobbled him up, buying his contract from MLS and Toronto last year.

In that draft, looking to build a squad from scratch, Johnston didn't tip his hand before the draft in saying he keep or move the top pick -- and that reticence to speak before the draft has continued through the present day. But they also traded for a later first-round pick and selected defender Andrew Boyens; both he and Edu were regular starters throughout TFC's inaugural season.

"We traded up because we wanted to get two first-round draft picks and we achieved that," Johnston said after the 2007 draft. "We have got two main starters who can start straightaway. We are happy."

Instead of taking a college player last year, the San Jose Earthquakes opted to deal away the pick for veteran Nick Garcia. The Kansas City Wizards, who were on the other side of the trade, used that selected to choose UCLA defender Chance Myers.

For the expansion Earthquakes in 2008, it was a no-brainer.

"You have no players, no veteran players," Earthquakes general manager John Doyle said. "To surround a No. 1 draft pick without any veteran players, it's difficult, it's hard to succeed. Teams that are established, like Houston or Kansas City, you have a group of players. You bring in one or two college kids. They don't have to make an immediate impact. They don't have to step up and be a leader. They can fit in and learn MLS and be a good professional.

"We really didn't have that opportunity. to put someone into that situation -- I don't think it's fair to the player. I wanted to make sure we had veteran leadership and it's hard to get veteran leadership. So we had a chip to be able to get it."

That chip turned into Garcia, an eight-year veteran entering last season.

"Nick had a good season," Doyle said. "He solidified the defense and did a good job. We wanted to have a solid base."

The Wizards got someone for the future. Myers, then 20, did not play that much, due to injuries. He performed in 681 minutes over seven starts and 10 matches.

K.C. coach Curt Onalfo said that it didn't hurt that defenders Aaron Hohlbein and Tyson Wahl had developed and were ready to take their game to the next step.

"We felt we could make a move that would bring a young guy to the starting lineup," he said. "At the same time, get a young guy who can help us for the future."

"We were in the process of turning over our roster. We felt it was an opportunity get a young player with a bright future. We said it from the beginning. We took Chance for the future. We never expected him to make an immediate impact."

Henderson wouldn't say which college player the Sounders might select as No. 1 if they kept their pick, although if he had his way, he would take a young stud in the mold of an Eddie Johnson or Jozy Altidore.

"You're always looking for attacking-type players, that special player who can come in in their rookie year and score five to 10 goals," he said. "Someone who's going to develop into a true goal-scorer."

So, what advice do some recent MLS coaches and general managers have for the Sounders as they ponder their options?

While Johnston wouldn't comment on anything about this year's draft, he did give this little bit of advice through a club spokesperson: "I'd tell Seattle to give us the first pick."

Johnston might be considered a draft glutton because Toronto already has three first-round selections -- the second, fourth and 13th overall picks.

The same question was put to Doyle.

"I wouldn't ever want to ... [give] advice to anybody," he said. "They did a great job by putting Chris Henderson in there. they did a good job in putting Sigi Schmid in there. I think Seattle is going to be just fine."

MLS stars team up to help kick malaria

ORLANDO -- Kansas City Wizards teammates Jimmy Conrad and Kevin Hartman joined fellow MLS W.O.R.K.S. and Nothing But Nets ambassadors Dwayne De Rosario and Diego Gutierrez to help support the Nothing But Nets campaign at the Kick It 3v3 World Championships held this past weekend at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

For the second consecutive year, MLS W.O.R.K.S. partnered with Kick It 3v3 to raise awareness and support Nothing But Nets, a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria. The event hosted close to 25,000 attendees, including more than 6,000 youth soccer players who participated in the three-a-side competition.

Conrad was excited to be on hand to support the efforts and partake in the festivities. The 10-year MLS veteran credits De Rosario and Gutierrez for his involvement with the initiative.

"Both De Rosario and Gutierrez are very passionate about the cause," said Conrad. "They do a great job of spreading awareness of the malaria disease amongst players. This is something that's very important to them. There are many charities you can attach your name to but once I saw their passion that just made me a believer."

Team Buzzkill from Chicago, the winners of the 2008-2009 Kick It Malaria Challenge, raised enough funds for 210 bed nets to be purchased. The on-line challenge, spanning from Nov. 24-Jan. 1, encouraged all competing Kick It 3v3 teams to start their own fundraising efforts to increase awareness and raise funds to purchase life-saving bed nets.

The winning team, as well as other top fundraisers, got the chance to meet the MLS stars during a private meet-and-greet at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort.

The MLS players participated in an autograph session followed by a skills demonstration in front of thousands of youth soccer players and spectators. The fans cheered on the players and Team Buzzkill as they showed off their juggling, shooting and passing skills. After De Rosario addressed the crowd about his involvement as ambassador for the Nothing But Nets campaign, the group took rapid-fire shots on Hartman and then played a 3v3 game where Team Buzzkill came out on top.

Conrad hopes to continue working with MLS W.O.R.K.S. on the Nothing But Nets campaign and other initiatives throughout the year. He credits MLS for putting a program in place that's dedicated to addressing important social issues affecting young people.

"From a player's perspective, it's nice to see that the league is trying to match our enthusiasm and intensity to make a difference not only in the local communities but nationwide and globally as well," Conrad said.

A donation of $10 to Nothing But Nets goes directly to cover the cost of purchasing and distributing a life-saving bed net, as well as educating a family on its use. The motto of the movement: SEND A NET! SAVE A LIFE!

For more information, visit www.nothingbutnets.net.

Crew add Iribarren to coaching staff

COLUMBUS -- Ricardo Iribarren didn't know when he first joined the Columbus Crew midway through the inaugural 1996 season that some of the traits the fiery Argentinean defender displayed would eventually lead to his rejoining the club as an assistant coach more than a dozen years later.

The announcement Thursday that Iribarren, 41, was hired as an assistant to new head coach Robert Warzycha brings him full circle.

Iribarren (pronounced ee-REE-bah-REHN) signed with the Crew prior to its game on July 4, 1996, in Tampa against the Mutiny. The 11-year pro in Argentina and Ecuador was with the team for several days of training in Florida but seemed out of place everywhere but on the field. He was coming to a new league with new players who barely knew each other, much less one who spoke no English.

In one of the scrimmages, Iribarren was paired on the backline with Crew general manager Jamey Rootes. It didn't make a difference to Iribarren, who pointed and yelled and eventually pushed Rootes into what he believed to be the proper defensive position.

Even then, Iribarren had an eye for the game and no stomach for losing.

"I remember Tampa," said Iribarren, who eventually mastered English. "I knew Jamey was GM. He didn't seem to mind. He wanted me back the next season."

He moves into the slot vacated by Warzycha, who replaced Sigi Schmid as head coach in December less than a month after the Crew won its first MLS Cup.

"I'm happy to be back in Columbus," Iribarren said. "I'll be working with the best team, a team that won the championship and most of the guys are coming back. I already know the coach, Brian (Bliss) is there, Mike Lapper is there, too."

Iribarren played 16 games for Columbus in 1996 with Warzycha and Crew technical director Brian Bliss. Visa problems prevented Iribarren from playing in MLS the following season but he was a teammate of Warzycha and current Crew assistant Mike Lapper in 1998. Iribarren then played for Milwaukee of the A-League in 1999 before finishing his MLS career with the Dallas Burn in 2000.

His lone goal in the league came Aug. 10, 1996, against D.C. United when he scored on a bicycle kick in Ohio Stadium. Brian McBride had one assist. Who had the other? Warzycha.

After Dallas, Iribarren concluded his career with the A-League's Pittsburgh Riverhounds from 2001-03. He retired and became the team's technical director and head coach in July 2003 through 2005.

He led the Riverhounds to a 35-16-4 record in the USL1 and USL2 divisions. He also coached women's soccer at Chatham College in Pittsburgh from 2001-03 and held several other youth and high school coaching positions.

The past 2-1/2 years he was head coach and director of soccer for the American School Foundation in Mexico City.

"We competed against professional teams there," he said. "I watched a lot of soccer. They play year around so I learned a lot. I had to a chance to watch a lot of practices, training for different coaches. It was good for me.

"Hopefully, I can help the team wherever I can with my experience. I'm willing to do whatever Robert wants. I love soccer. It's been my life."

Iribarren traveled to Columbus from Pittsburgh Thursday night and will be on hand when training begins Monday.

"It is a pleasure to welcome Ricardo back to the Crew," Warzycha said. "His experiences and success in different environments and different parts of the world will be a great asset to our staff and we're all looking forward to getting started next week."

Iribarren adds to the Crew's Argentinean connection that includes league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto and defender Gino Padula.

Although Iribarren is about six years older than Schelotto, they faced off many times during their playing days in Argentina and have several mutual friends.

"He's a great player who still wants to prove he is a great player," Iribarren said. "After winning 16, 17 championships with Boca Juniors, one of the best teams in the world, he came to the States and won a championship and had a great season."

Iribarren hopes more players from his homeland will come to MLS, specifically the Crew.

"I know people there (Argentina), depending on what the Crew needs and the expectations they have. I know a lot of coaches and people I used to play with. They're good friends," he said. "I also made many friends in Mexico. I'll do anything I can to help the team."

Five-a-side: What's hot around the league

MLS Five-a-side:Five things you should know about as the offseason moves forward:

1. Equal and opposite reactions: The laws of physics apply ubiquitously. Even in matters of MLS personnel, the tenets of science are in effect: To every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.

Recently some fairly high-profile players have vanished from MLS rosters. That's the action.

What's the reaction? For starters, it's an opportunity for someone else.

Kenny Deuchar was recently bought out at Real Salt Lake. "Dr. Goals" arrived in Utah amid much hoopla a year ago, but never quite tamed the MLS defenses. His sum contribution: three goals and two assists. Three words: not good enough.

About the same time, word emerged that RSL strike-mate Fabian Espindola had also been released. The Argentinean forward was more productive, with five goals in 12 appearances, and often looked more dangerous that Deuchar, a target forward whose performance was overly dependent on pinpoint service.

But Espindola struggled to stay healthy, a misfortune exacerbated -- queue the collective groan -- when he broke his ankle during a showy goal celebration late in '08. So who will benefit from the flux?

Yura Movsisyan's late-season scoring heroics have probably bought the young striker a starting role. The confidence gained from the heightened expectations of a full-time starting assignment could indeed elevate the fourth-year striker to difference-making status.

And Robbie Findley will surely benefit as well. Even if RSL imports another showy striker, Findley would likely be no lower than third on the depth chart.

In San Jose, Francisco Lima has taken his extended career -- the man is about to turn 38! -- to Italy. Don't underestimate Lima's contributions to San Jose's big push for the playoffs over the back half of 2008. Darren Huckerby contributed the goals and scooped up more acclaim, but Lima's smooth passing out of midfield and savvy positioning in a holding role was perhaps equally invaluable, if less easily noticed.

So Brad Ring, a rookie draft pick from Indiana, could gain minutes at Buck Shaw. Or Dax McCarty could eventually be the benefactor if several dominoes fall. FC Dallas officials are aggressively shopping the unhappy midfielder, and San Jose is among the teams reported to be involved in talks. McCarty seems like the ideal two-way midfielder that Frank Yallop needs in that spot in his preferred 4-4-2.

At RFK, it's difficult to say who might benefit most from D.C. United's ongoing (and much needed) backline makeover. Gonzalo Peralta has been loaned to Argentina's Santa Fe and is not expected to be available for manager Tom Soehn this year. Gonzalo Martinez's status remains unclear, and his days in the nation's capital could be numbered.

So all that could spell opportunity for Greg Janicki, who exploited his late-season loan from USL Second Division Pittsburgh through promising performances. Or it could mean additional opportunities for free agent trialist Kyle Veris, who played for the Galaxy last year, or for first-round draft pick Rodney Wallace.

2. Hot spots of the preseason: To broaden your MLS preseason knowledge, you may want to check on flights into Charleston, S.C., Austin, Texas, Bradenton, Fla., or any number of California airports. MLS preseason schedules -- always a surprisingly well-guarded secret -- are finally trickling out, and those are some of the prominent gathering spots.

Bradenton is the place to be in early February, as Chicago, Columbus, D.C. United, Kansas City and New York have booked trips to train and engage in friendlies in the city outside Tampa Bay.

Shortly thereafter, San Luis Obispo, about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, will be the center of attention. San Jose, Seattle and Houston will gather at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo from Feb. 12-15.

Between late February and early March, New England, Houston and Columbus will deploy to Austin for training and matches against the Aztex, a debuting USL1 club.

Also in early March, San Jose and Colorado will report to The Home Depot Center (home of Chivas USA and the Galaxy) for matches and training.

Finally, as the regular season draws nearer, D.C. United, Toronto and Real Salt Lake will join the USL's Charleston Battery in the annual Carolina Challenge Cup, March 7-14 at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston.

Other MLS clubs could pop up at any of these locations -- some have yet to reveal their preseason plans.

3. Galaxy, you're on the clock: The LA Galaxy makeover is surely one of the most evocative MLS story lines for 2008. As Bruce Arena strives to toughen up and super-size a defense that, he says, got pushed around a bit in the forgettable 2008 campaign, here's something that will surely turn up the pressure:

If the Galaxy fail to make the playoffs once again, it will join "San Jose 1.0" as the only club to have missed the postseason four years running.

Other teams have missed the regular season after-party for three consecutive years, including D.C. United, Columbus and Real Salt Lake (and now the Galaxy, of course). But only the Clash/Earthquakes, playing under four different managers between 1997-2000, missed in a quartet of consecutive seasons.

4. Watching Kljestan with special interest: With perhaps eight or nine MLS players set to start for Bob Bradley's U.S. national team in Saturday's friendly against Sweden, many eyes will be on a certain midfielder, who just happens to be playing on his home ground.

Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan has just returned from a training spell with Celtic in Scotland. A big performance at The Home Depot Center on Saturday can only elevate the chances the Scottish giants will proffer an offer before January's transfer window closes.

European overtures shouldn't surprise anyone; 2008 was a breakout year for Kljestan, the smooth attacker who gets better and better each season. He'll turn 24 this year, with three years pro experience already. Whether a move happens sooner or later, if at all, is up to MLS headquarters, Chivas USA and any European pursuers.

It should all be concerning to Preki and the rest of Chivas USA's management, as so much of the Red-and-White's attacking muscle may disappear. Francisco Mendoza has already been recalled to Chivas de Guadalajara; the technically gifted midfielder had been with the U.S.-based sister club on a series of loans.

Mendoza played as a left midfielder for Preki (with some fill-in duty at left back). Kljestan has been a fixture on the right. And the way Preki ran matters last year, holding midfielders Jesse Marsch and Paulo Nagamura provided some of offensive push, but most of the attacking verve emanated from the outside spots.

(FYI: Mendoza made his Mexican league debut last Saturday as Chivas de Guadalajara opened the 2009 Clausura in a 3-3 draw with Cruz Azul. Mendoza, introduced as a 74th-minute substitute, made an immediate impact by drawing a red-card foul.)

5. The downlow on De Ro: Still not much word coming out of Toronto on where Dwayne De Rosario fits into an increasingly crowded TFC midfield. Carver hasn't spelled out exactly where the former Houston Dynamo attacker, now fulfilling the dream of playing in his cherished hometown, will line up, other than to say he knows "De Ro" prefers a midfield role.

That may be a tall order considering that the center of the park at BMO is already an address for MLS A-listers Carl Robinson and Amado Guevara. Plus, Carver and technical director Mo Johnston have high hopes for midfielder Sam Cronin, the No. 2 overall pick in last week's draft. De Rosario, for his part, says he doesn't care where he plays, even joking about playing center back or in goal.

Not to worry there; it's quite unlikely starting backstopper Greg Sutton is losing any sleep over that one.

De Rosario could perhaps line up on the left in a 4-2-3-1 alignment, with Guevara as the central attacking fulcrum. Carver used that formation at times last year in deference to departed French midfielder Laurent Robert, who is now with Larissa in the Greek Super League. Robert was relatively effective going forward but not such great shakes at chasing back on defense. Thus, Carver carved out a formation where the Frenchman didn't need to do as much tracking back.

De Rosario is a more willing worker in midfield. The Canadian international, just signed to a four-year deal at BMO, wouldn't have held up so well as a central element in Houston's 4-4-2 otherwise. The problem is that he and Guevara probably couldn't share central roles, as that might tip the balance too heavily toward the attack. Robinson, among the league's better holding presences, must be in the mix.

We'll find out more as TFC reports next week.

Hoops in need of new captain

FRISCO, Texas -- When FC Dallas and center back Duilio Davino parted ways in the offseason, it didn't just mean that the Hoops would have to find a replacement for him in the back line, it also signified that FCD would have to find a new captain for 2009.

Head coach Schellas Hyndman admitted after his team's first training session of 2009 on Wednesday that he already had some candidates for the position and would quickly reach a decision.

"I have three people in mind and I think all three would be very good," he said. "What I would like to do is look at the three through the next week of training. Then, it will be my decision and my decision only to select the player that I think would be the best representative of this team."

Hyndman's expectations for that individual are simple.

"To be able to carry the armband is a simple job for any captain," he said. "You put it on and you get recognition. But there are a lot of things that I need to ask the captains to do. I thought last year, there were some issues on the team that if we had the right leader or right person wearing the armband with the communication ability and the respect of the players, some of those issues might never have developed."

Last season, then-head coach Steve Morrow waited until just before the start of the regular season to name his captain when he tabbed Davino. It appears that Hyndman has adopted a different methodology.

"I don't know if there's a right or wrong way," he said. "The sooner you have a captain, the sooner that captain can have an influence on the team and players. One of the responsibilities of a captain is to work and be a mediator for the coach. Not all players are going to be happy all the time. I think it's important that we get some leadership sooner rather than later."

Hyndman wouldn't name the three candidates but he did say that veteran midfielder Pablo Ricchetti was one player under consideration. The FCD boss added that any ill will over the Argentinean asking for a new contract after last season was well past.

"Everything is great," Hyndman said. "I think Pablo has been fantastic. He was a valuable player for us last year and had a good year. But at the same time, the team didn't have a good year and didn't get into the playoffs. I think he likes Dallas, this team and the ownership. To leave that would have been a mistake on his part but he had to make that decision. He's really glad to be here and will do everything he possibly can to find success for the team."

Other candidates include defender Drew Moor, recently acquired midfielder Dave van den Bergh and defender Adrian Serioux.

Along with Aaron Pitchkolan, Moor is FCD's longest-tenured player, having been with the club since 2005. The 25-year-old defender wore the armband in place of Davino on several occasions last season and would embrace the role should it come his way.

"I think no matter who Schellas gives the armband to, I still see myself as somewhat of a leader on this team," Moor said. "It's definitely a role that I would love to take. I would take a lot of pride with it. But we don't know who he's going to give it to. Whoever he gives it to will be the right choice. If he gives it to me, I will be happy with it. If not, I'll continue to be a leader without the armband."

Another possibility is van den Bergh, who was recently acquired in a trade with New York. However, the 32-year-old Dutch international is more focused on adjusting to his new surroundings instead of whether or not he could be named captain.

"I haven't thought about it," van den Bergh said. "There are some guys that have been here for a while now and we've got some veterans in the locker room. My coach hasn't talked about it either. We'll see what he's got in mind. I'd be very honored but there is more than one leader in the locker room."

Serioux is another possibility. The 29-year-old Canadian international just completed his second season with FCD and third in MLS, a member of Houston's 2006 MLS Cup championship team.

No matter which player he chooses, Hyndman has specific criteria in place for that individual.

"I think it's somebody who has to have the leadership qualities that the team will look at and say that they respect this guy," Hyndman said. "He's not only telling us what we should be doing, he's doing it himself. He has to be a person of influence, who can have influence on a player that is disgruntled to look at things in a positive mentality. He also has to be someone the coach can trust to say the right things when the coach isn't around. It's somebody who will take the place of the coach on the field and have the respect of their teammates. I think we have three people who can fill those qualities."

Rebuilding in Dallas accelerates

FRISCO, Texas -- The rebuilding of FC Dallas has taken a real step forward this week as the team has looked to strenghten each line in the squad.

The club addressed one offseason need, on the left side of the midfield, by trading for ex-New York Red Bulls winger Dave van den Bergh. The team signed center back Steve Purdy, then drafted another center back in George John in Thursday's SuperDraft. Forward depth came in the draft when the team selected Peri Marosevic and Brian Shriver.

"One of our goals this offseason was to get more size, more strength and more speed in the backline. We wanted to tighten up the backline, add a left-sided midfielder and a No. 10 to complement a great team that we have," FCD president/general manager Michael Hitchcock said. "In Purdy and George (John), we're adding two very good players that have the potential to be great center backs in this league."

After the van den Bergh trade set the stage for draft day, the addition of Purdy almost sailed under the radar.

"Purdy is a player that a couple of years ago would have been one of the top center backs in the draft," Hitchcock said. "He decided to sign in Germany. For us, we think there's a ton of upside with that acquisition. He's big. He's strong. He's fast and has got all the characteristics of a good defender.

FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman, who at this time last year was coaching Southern Methodist University before taking over the Hoops at midseason, was well acquainted with the draft pool.

"One of the advantages of coaching college is that I saw George John play last year against SMU, and I liked him," Hyndman said. "I think maybe at the next level, he'll be a center back. He came in (to the combine) with a torn meniscus and was probably 85 percent. As I continued to watch him, he didn't lose a head ball in three games. He very seldom made a bad pass. He's a possession type of player and he's been coached very well at the University of Washington."

Hyndman was equally pleased about his two newest additions up top.

"What Peri (Marosevic) offers is that he's a very good finisher of the ball. He makes great runs, he's a great passer, he holds the ball well and he seems to have a really good spirit about himself," Hyndman said. "When we created our list, I had Peri No. 1 and (Steve) Zakuani No. 2 and as it turns out, it worked the other way. But the way the draft fell for us, Peri was still available when we had the fifth pick.

"Brian (Shriver) was here at the College Cup and had a great two games," Hyndman continued. "He's a very active player, has good speed. He was a player that we identified earlier. I was very impressed with him as far as consistency and hard work. His coach at North Carolina is a good friend and we talked a couple times about him. In fact I called him the other day and asked why he wasn't at the combine. I think everybody was shocked that he wasn't at the combine."

Even with these additions, one need remains unfilled -- an attacking midfielder. That role was held by two-time MLS all-star Juan Toja until he left for Romania last August. Since then, rookies Eric Avila and Bruno Guarda manned the No. 10 spot with mixed results. And after the end of the season, Hyndman expressed a desire to bring an attacking midfielder in during the offseason, whether it was by trading with another team in the league or by signing an international.

Preseason practice starts for FCD next Wednesday and they have yet to sign that player.

"We need to go sign that No. 10," Hitchcock said. "If we can't bring in that top-class No. 10, we certainly have players who are capable, can play that position, will do well and will continue to get better. If we can bring in a top-notch, international No. 10, we feel like we're going to be a team to reckon with."

Hitchcock added that the club is currently in negotiations with a pair of attacking midfielders, both from South America, but nothing has been finalized of yet.

"There is a chance that the deal could be done or that we know the deal will not happen with the No. 1 player we have identified and a couple of other players out there," Hitchcock said. "It's possible that the deal could be done but that doesn't mean we'll have the player at Pizza Hut Park for the first day of training. We certainly are using that as the logical deadline to make a decision and to know exactly whether the player will be here or not."

De Rosario excited to return home

TORONTO -- As the most decorated Canadian player in Major League Soccer history, Dwayne De Rosario inevitably had to face the "would you like to play for Toronto FC?" question whenever he visited Toronto as a member of the Houston Dynamo.

The Scarborough, Ontario native unfailingly delivered the same answers every time. Yes, he was proud that his home area had proven to be such a booming market for Major League Soccer. Yes, he was pleased to receive an extra round of applause from the appreciative fans at BMO Field. And, yes, he would like to play in Toronto "one day," though De Rosario always stressed that his first order of business was to continue helping the Dynamo challenge for the MLS Cup.

The "one day" turned out to be Dec. 12, when De Rosario came to TFC in a blockbuster deal for defender Julius James and an allocation fee. After two years of giving the same answers, in his official presentation to the Toronto FC community on Thursday, De Rosario was free to express just how much he looked forward to playing in front of his native fans.

"It's a dream come true," De Rosario said. "I think that's the goal of every kid growing up aspiring to be a professional soccer player -- you want to play in your hometown and carry on your career playing professionally at home. Now all the kids growing up have something to aspire to [...] and that's Toronto FC.

"I said I wanted to play for TFC one day and that day has come. It's a proud moment for me not only as a player in MLS but as a Canadian. Hopefully this whole thing will help not just TFC but the national team as well."

Thursday's press conference at the Air Canada Centre was delayed due to negotiations between De Rosario and TFC manager and director of soccer Mo Johnston on a contract extension. That deal was finalized this week, meaning Toronto fans will see De Rosario in TFC red through the end of the 2012 season.

De Rosario's arrival represented a personal achievement for Johnston, who said he had been trying to acquire the midfielder "for two years."

"The process you have to go through is difficult when you're going after a player of Dwayne's caliber," Johnston said. "Up until now, [Houston] wasn't willing to let him go. It was at [last December's NCAA College Cup] in Dallas when we made the final breakthrough.

"What we've brought here today is a wonderful talent, an All-Star. I think he'll help our team immensely on and off the field."

De Rosario brings to Toronto one of the deepest resumes of any player in the league. The 30-year-old has been named to the MLS Best XI three times (from 2005-2007), and has been a member of the MLS All-Star Team in each of the past three seasons. De Rosario, in fact, scored the game-winning goal for the MLS All-Stars in front of the BMO Field fans at the 2008 All-Star Game to lead the MLS side to a 3-2 win against West Ham United.

Even more impressive than his personal accomplishments, however, is the number of club honors that De Rosario has accumulated. He has never missed the playoffs in any of his eight MLS seasons and has played on four MLS Cup-winning teams (two in San Jose, two in Houston). De Rosario is also a two-time MLS Cup MVP, winning the trophy in 2001 and 2007.

This championship pedigree and the ability to deliver in clutch situations are what head coach John Carver fancy most about his new midfielder.

"He's a winner," Carver said. "He's won the championship four times. That experience is vital for the guys in the dressing room. I'm looking forward to him giving that experience and hopefully it'll rub off on the other guys on the team.

"He can open teams up and that's what we need. There are a lot of games in this league that we are very tight and we have a special quality in Dwayne who can open that up for us."

As TFC enter their third season still looking for their first postseason berth, De Rosario made it clear that he expects to continue his streak of never missing the playoffs.

"My goal here is to win championships and win titles," De Rosario said. "That's what I play for and I think that's what the coaching staff and the fans expect. It's a huge task ahead of us but [...] I believe John Carver is the coach that will lead us to the playoffs."

De Rosario thanked the Houston fans and organization for their support, particularly head coach Dominic Kinnear, and said he had a wonderful time playing for the Dynamo. Still, he admitted that even from Houston, it was hard to ignore the soccer phenomenon that was developing in his hometown. The midfielder got a taste of having all of BMO Field at last year's All-Star Game and in international games with Canada, but he is looking forward to seeing the fans' enthusiasm on a weekly basis.

"Being in Houston [and] watching that first inaugural game here at BMO Field was, as a passionate fan and proud Canadian, a great day for me. [...] I want to thank [the fans] for their continued support for myself and for soccer in Canada. They're the ones that make this possible. They're [...] why we have a professional team in MLS, because of the fans and because of the huge, diverse soccer community we have here in Toronto. It's a great atmosphere."

It was that multiculturalism that De Rosario feels aided his development as a young player growing up in the city. De Rosario spoke fondly of his days playing for local clubs and for the Scarborough National Malvern Soccer Club.

"It toughened me up," De Rosario said, chuckling. "I had the opportunity to play with some great talent. [...] Toronto is a great diverse community and you adapt to many different styles from different places around the world and use them to benefit your game. I learned a lot of things in Scarborough and it definitely helped me."

Toronto FC's training camp begins next month in Florida, and De Rosario said he is excited to meet his new teammates and beginning his reign as Toronto's newest hometown sports hero.

"I think John and Mo have put together a great team this year and I'm looking forward to getting the season going," De Rosario said. "I'm proud to wear the red, white and black."

That's the answer TFC fans have been waiting to hear.