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Toronto FC's recent five-match winless skid has crippled the team's playoff hopes, with last week's shocking home loss to D.C. United providing the lowpoint for the season.
That was enough for TFC ownership to decide changes were needed.
Toronto has scheduled a press conference for 12:30pm today where the club is set to announce the firing of head coach Preki and director of soccer Mo Johnston. According to sources in Toronto, TFC ownership decided to make the changes after the team's embarrassing 1-0 loss to last-place D.C. United at BMO Field last Saturday.
Assistant coach Nick Dasovic is set to take over as interim head coach, and will be introduced at the team's 12:30pm press conference.
What do you think of this development? Think it was time for a change? Surprised to see Preki fired after less than a year? Think Dasovic can turn things around?
Share your thoughts below.
What the heck does crass mean?
Too bad Canada FC.
hahaha
On behalf of Section 110 we thank…no praise the concrete Tom Anselmi & Paul Beirne walk on this long over due termination of Johnston. Preki was never comfortable with all the media attention and support the team recieves. I guess after playing and coaching in KC/Miami and LA it must be hard to adjust to the Toronto experience.
It’s about time Mo Johnston got fired from TFC!!
If only! 😀
From an outsiders perspective, I just like to see clubs taking control like this. Bottom line is the TFC front office clearly has standards and expectations for that club, and Preki wasn’t giving them what the want. I say kudos to the suits for taking charge of a downward spiral before it got too out of hand.
Good to see in this league.
Hyperbole aside, you get my point.
Chivas USA is at 25 points which is more than the Houston Dynamo, Philly, New England, and DC United. I would hardly call that doormat or dormant or door mat.
We also tried to recover from losing Jesse Marsch, Pablo Nagamura (early season loan to Tigres), and Carey Talley. All of which contributed to our success last year.
Good day.
But Preki also coached a very attack-oriented Chivas side (Galindo’s rookie year plus Razov) that lost all the goal scorers going into the playoffs and got knocked out. So I don’t think it’s so fair to say he only plays 1-0 soccer.
Nah–I don’t think that’s unlucky. For instance, being in the East this year is lucky–the East is mostly a collection of weak sisters–I’d much rather be trying to make the playoffs here (with DCU and Philly–an expansion team) than out West.
It is harder to make the playoffs now than 4 years ago. But that’s not really about being unlucky (I know you said “a little bit unlucky”). I think it marginally benefits TFC and here’s why: it makes every match more important (ie: you can’t afford to take a break for 4-5 games or write off most road games). And Toronto should be competitive in every home game at BMO field regardless of who they’re playing and regardless of the shape of their team–BMO is a HUGE advantage. And in a more competitive league, such an advantage (home field edge like BMO) matters a lot.
We’ve regressed.
Ummm, Chivas was in the playoffs last year.
This year ?
They must be 6 games behind last years pace…and their are only 30 games. They are on pace for 30 points, last year must have been over 40.
They are all but a doormat this year. They have lost 12 games.
Mo had plenty of time and freedom to build a winner in 4 years. The blame has to land squarely on him. I’d have done the same if I owned Toronto FC. And as for Preki, like others have said, who knows.
Hey Ives,
Still feel Chivas USA screwed up for firing Preki?
Make no mistake, we’ve regressed, but Preki is not the “soccer genius” you made him out to be.
It was very smart ot TFC to figure it out so fast.
Kudos to them.
TFC manangement has been too patient imo. They should have fired Mo last year. The reason for Preki is he was brought in by Mo and the new GM will want the freedom to pick his own coach.
It was time to act – all the turn over at TFC hasn’t been from the FO, rather Mo so I don’t think they’ll have a hard time explaining that.
I think Sven or Jurgen would end up like Ruud Gullit at LA Galaxy. They don’t understand or respect MLS.
ahahaha Terrible FC is such a mess.
they couldnt find a spot for him in the St. lawrence river?
they had maurice edu
Stability matters. If you keep hitting the reset button you regress. I’m not saying this wasn’t the right move, but TFC has a history of impatient management.
Would you go coach for that ownership? Me neither.
Try telling the owners of clubs that don’t make/barely make money that they shouldn’t focus on winning and just ‘quality of play.’ Oh and give that a try with TFC fans too, I’m sure they’ll love that one.
I get what your saying, and agree in my heart, but business is business.
Agreed. Wish Benny would stay on full time but DC already said it wasn’t an option.
That’s the problem Nick, he only wants to work with underachievers, he can’t manage talent.
His moto is “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t try” The problem is that when the talent does try, Preki’s teams lose.
His tactics were nothing more than parking the team bus infront of the goal and telling the players to run until they puke. He’s no Bruce Arena.
De Guzman is a an underachiever since coming to TFC. Every time I see him play, he does not want to do more, considering he’s a DP, but rather is content being a just a role player. I don’t think TFC paid him a lot of $$$ to be just a role player.
Yeah i think it’s more likely the team that hires Preki next will regret it more.
You want extremely boring 1-0 0-0 0-1 soccer where your team is made up of a bunch of grinders who have a fear of god and crash out in the first round of the playoffs every year … preki is your guy
I like Preki.
Makes you wonder if the fans in Toronto are getting impatient. I don’t know what game, but I remember seeing a empty seats for the first time.
They need to make the change to keep the fans.
i didn’t mean firing them was crass, that wasn’t really that surprising and not unjustified. i’m saying that the production that went into announcing the firings was a bit crass, at least in my opinion. but whatever it can be seen as announcing Nick Dasovic as coach too i guess.
Good moves. I think it’s time for MLS to stop recycling coaches if they want this league to really progress.
I think it was a mistake to fire Preki in much the same way I think it was a mistake for the Red Bulls to fire Bruce Arena. It was less about the coach and more about the organization and the players.
Preki is an excellent coach, who has a number of underachieving players to work with. I don’t know how many coaches in MLS would be successful when given Mista and De Guzman as their DPs.