Football Season Guide

Toronto endured a disastrous season last time around, having kicked the campaign off as the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield winners but finishing 14 points short of the playoffs spots in the Eastern Conference and 19th in the Supporters' Shield standings. Despite falling well short of expectations, Greg Vanney has kept his job at the helm but has been handed a couple of blows during the off-season, the biggest of them being Sebastian Giovinco's departure. Gregory van der Wiel has also said his goodbyes and is expected to leave following a fight with coach Vanney. Toronto have also decided to refresh their squad depth with the likes of Victor Vazquez, Nick Hagglund, Clint Irwin, Tosaint Ricketts and Jason Hernandez also leaving. Toronto are yet to announce a big name replacement for Giovinco though they have boosted their attacking options by bringing in Terrence Boyd on a free transfer. Former Montreal Impact defender Laurent Ciman will provide the necessary steel to the defense while other arrivals include Nick DeLeon and Tsubasa Endoh. Toronto have held on to the spine of their team with Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Drew Moor, Justin Morrow and Jonathan Osorio all staying but their ability to cope with Giovinco's loss will be key to their prospects this season and, while they are unlikely to challenge for both the top spot in Eastern Conference and the MLS Cup, they do have enough quality in the squad to be considered as favorites for a top four finish.