Toronto FC Add Will Johnson, Drew Moor And Steven Beitashour

Toronto FC is looking to improve for the 2016 MLS season after making the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time ever in 2015. Outside of Sebastian Giovinco, there weren’t a lot of good things that happened for Toronto’s players during last season. Giovinco won the 2015 Landon Donovan MVP award as well as the 2015 Gold Boot. U.S. internationals Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley both had up and down seasons.

Toronto added three new players to their squad this week. First they added Will Johnson from the Portland Timbers in exchange for Targeted allocation money (TAM) and a conditional second round pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. Then they added Steven Beitashour from the Vancouver Whitecaps in exchange for the second round pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. They also added Drew Moor from the Colorado Rapids as a free agent on December 16th.

Toronto will be Johnson’s fourth MLS club since joining the league back in 2005. He was signed by the Chicago Fire as a discovery player. After just six appearances in which he scored one goal, Johnson went on trial with Heerenveen. After his successful trial, they signed him to a one-year deal with a club option for two more years. He made 14 appearances, all as a sub, and scored one goal.

For the 2007-2008 season, he was sent on loan to Doetinchem side De Graafschap. Just like his time at Heerenveen, most of his appearances were as a sub and he scored two goals for Doetinchem.

Prior to the start of the 2008 MLS season, he signed with MLS and his rights were traded to Real Salt Lake. He spent the next five years in Sandy, UT and helped the team win the 2009 MLS Cup and reach the CONCACAF Champions League final in 2011 that they lost to Liga LX side Monterrey by an aggregate score of 3-2.

At the end 2012, he was traded to the Timbers and was made Captain of the club by Head Coach Caleb Porter. He would be a mainstay in the Timbers midfield until he suffered a broken leg against Toronto in September of 2014. Even though he lost his spot in the lineup, he helped Portland win their first ever MLS Cup at the end of the 2015 season.

Toronto GM Tim Bezbatchenko in a statement. “We are pleased to add another Canadian international and veteran player with MLS experience that has won two MLS Cups with two different clubs in his career. The addition of Will Johnson will help strengthen our goal of developing a winning culture and spirit here at Toronto FC. He represents another significant piece as we continue to build a championship-caliber club.”

Beitashour, 28, joins Toronto after spending the last two years in Vancouver. Previously he was also a member of the San Jose Earthquakes.  In his last four years, he appeared in 89 matches scoring two goals and assisting on 16 others. Overall in his career, he has appeared in 145 matches with two goals and 24 assists. He should slot in nicely at the right back position for Toronto.

“The right back position is one we struggled to fill at times this past season due to injury and available personnel and Steven more than fills that void. He is one of the top right backs in MLS,” said Bezbatchenko. “Steven brings valuable league and international experience to our defensive group. We are very happy that he wanted to come to Toronto FC and that we were able to finalize this deal.”

Moor, 31, has appeared in 282 matches with FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids combined and has scored 21 goals.  He should be a much better fit at center back for Toronto compared to what they have on the roster right now. They have a lot of players that could be on their way out of Toronto. Ahmed Kantari is more than likely one of those players. They also have Eriq Zavaleta and Clement Simonin, but neither is really athletic. Josh Williams has filled the spot in the past, but he is not really a center back at heart.

The one other player that can play the position is Nick Hagglund. His major issue is the turnovers he creates. Moor will end up being the leader of that back line and if anyone gets hurt, they will be in a lot of trouble.

Moor and Beitashour will be a sudden upgrade at what Toronto has in those current roster spots. Johnson is a little more surprising. He’s a good player, winner and a Canadian international however, he may not quite be a good fit for the team.

Here is a possible Starting XI for Toronto on opening day of the 2016 MLS season barring goalkeeper as they have a Generation Adidas player in Alex Bono and Homegrown Player Quillan Roberts on their roster.

GK

Morrow-Moor-Perquis-Beitashour

Johnson-Cheyrou-Bradley-Osorio

Giovinco-Altidore

Toronto has a lot of talented players, but they can’t seem to get them in the right spots to make the team work well. It will be interesting to see what Head Coach Greg Vanney will do with the lineup.