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CHARLESTON, S.C. — Toronto FC head coach John Carver has had a chance to see some Major League Soccer teams first-hand in exhibition games leading up to the season opener on March 29.
What he has seen so far has confirmed his impressions of MLS when his hiring was announced on Feb. 1.
"It's exactly what I thought it was," Carver said yesterday after training at Charleston Southern University. "Teams are very well organized, physically quite strong and demanding and one or two teams have one or two players with individual flair. And that's what I thought before I came here. It hasn't changed.
"The one thing I will say is that there hasn't been anybody who's jumped off the page and hit me in the face yet. That's why we're trying to get one of those players."
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One of those players could be midfielder Amado Guevara, 31. Reports have emerged that Toronto FC is after Guevara, the 2004 MLS most valuable player. Guevara is playing in his native Honduras with CD Motagua.
Chivas USA hold first rights to Guevara in MLS, but that probably won't be an obstacle. And Chivas tried to trade him to Toronto last year, but the deal fell through.
Toronto manager Mo Johnston said yesterday he had no comment on the possibility the midfielder would join the team.
Guevara played four seasons with the New York MetroStars, now the Red Bulls, where Johnston was a coach.
New York traded Guevara to Chivas USA after the 2006 season for a designated player slot, but he played only four games for his new team because he did not get along with head coach Preki. Guevara balked at a trade to Toronto and was sent to Motagua. A settlement would need to be worked out with that club before Guevara could join Toronto FC.
A quotation from Preki in the Los Angeles Times last year might be telling.
"I don't think Amado was sharp from the first minute," Preki said. "He couldn't find the ball. Defensively, he wasn't just working hard. In a game like this, we need 11 guys to fight for each other."
Guevara would not take a designated player slot with Toronto.
With or without Guevara, Toronto FC will open the season at the Columbus Crew in less than two weeks.
