The harsh realities of training camp set in today, as Aron Winter got in touch with his ruthless side and cut 4 players from Toronto FC's training camp roster after less than 2 weeks . The 4, Arthur Ivo, Michael Mazzullo, Nickardo Blake and Mykell Bates were all picked up in the 2012 supplemental draft, and that means there is just one Supplemental draftee left looking nervously over his shoulder, Michael Green. I didn't really know much about them at the time they were drafted, and that's still the case really, so I wish them well in the NASL or wherever else their careers might take them. They were always long shots to make the team, though it seems a very short time to evaluate them all in, but I guess that's the reality of life in the MLS.
Arthur Ivo was the one who stuck out the most back in those oh so hopeful days a couple of weeks ago when they were all potential diamonds in the rough. He was Brazilian after all, and had his own website, that assured us that he 'dominates well all the soccer skills', but it seemed like his skill of coping with the unexpected wasn't quite dominating enough. With TFC's depth at forward/attacking midfield looking good, but Left Back being a little thin behind Ashtone Morgan, it seems he was tried out as a Left Back, much to his oft tweeted chagrin. It seems a tad unfair to bring in a young player and ask him to play out of position then give him less than 2 weeks to make an impression, and given his international status, it seems like Ivo really had little chance of making the team. It begs the question, if TFC needed a Left Back, why not draft one?
The moves bring the size of Toronto's training camp squad to 38 including injured Adrian Cann, Dicoy Williams and Nicholas Lindsay. Now there's just 9 academy players, the last supplemental draftee standing Michael Green, and 2011 Superdraftee Efrain Burgos Jr still playing for contracts, or at least the chance to stick around long enough for a trip to Orlando for the Mickey Mouse Cup.