Leiweke says Reds fans deserve playoffs
MLSE CEO praises TFC faithful for their loyalty, patience during lean years
While Toronto FC’s job is not yet done this season, Tim Leiweke likes what he sees with the playoff-bound MLS franchise.
And the outgoing president and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment takes particular pleasure in the fact that TFC, on the field, is finally repaying long-suffering fans who have stuck with the team.
“I’ve never seen a more loyal and battered group of fans than the TFC fans,” Leiweke said Saturday.
“And I think we got their expectations and their spirits very high last year. And when that didn’t work out . . . the only thing worse than getting your hopes up is getting your hopes up on an annual basis, only to have the rug pulled out from underneath you.
“So I’m very pleased for them because this is really what they live for and what they’ve always wanted. It shouldn’t have taken us nine years but all that really matters now is we’re there.”
Toronto FC (15-14-4) clinched its first post-season berth with a 2-1 win over the East-leading New York Red Bulls on Wednesday.
They lost to Columbus 2-0 on Saturday, and Greg Vanney’s team wraps up the regular season Oct. 25 in Montreal, looking to remain in the top two to ensure a first-round playoff bye.
Toronto’s designated players have all stepped up this season, led by the marvellous Sebastian Giovinco. Giovinco (22 goals), fellow forward Jozy Altidore (12 goals) and captain/midfielder Michael Bradley (five goals) had combined for 39 goals.
Leiweke praised MLSE ownership for not recoiling from such major player investments after getting burned by English star Jermain Defoe, who left after just one year.
“We learned our lesson on Defoe. We got up off the mat and brushed it off. There were some tense moments. We had some friction at the end of the Defoe experiment. And again it would have been easy for our owners to say call it a day.”
Leiweke notes not only did ownership commit to Giovinco, they dug into their pockets to take him from the start of the MLS season when the original plan was to have him join mid-campaign from Juventus.
“To me that is the big difference. We got him in early.”
With 22 goals and 15 assists, Giovinco has been directly involved in 65 per cent of Toronto’s 57 goals this season.
And he has scored from all over the place. Ten of his goals have come from outside the penalty area, which is six more than any other player in MLS.
Leiweke also credits GM Tim Bezbatchenko and Vanney for targeting Giovinco as the creative attacker they wanted. “From Day 1, they called it,” he said. Giovinco, who is signed to a six-year deal, is drawing headlines outside of North America these days and is back in the Italian national team fold. Leiweke, who helped bring David Beckham to MLS, calls Giovinco “maybe the best player the league’s ever seen.”
“More importantly this kid loves Toronto. He loves the Blue Jays. He loves the Raptors. I can’t imagine having someone that fit as well as he has fit into Toronto. And this is a kid that doesn’t want to leave and my guess is he’ll never leave here. I think this is a guy who will be here longterm.”
The issue was discussed at the last MLSE board meeting and the own-
“I’ve never seen a more loyal and battered group of fans than the TFC fans.” MLSE CEO TIM LEIWEKE
ership group has “zero interest, zero, on even hearing about Seba moving,” Leiweke added.
Leiweke also talked up new TFC president Bill Manning, calling him a “soulmate” in terms of his passion for the MLS club and the city.
“I think the team of Bill and Tim and Greg puts this club in very good standing long-term.”
The goal for the franchise “is to be great not today, but to be great every day,” he added.
“The real opportunity for TFC is can we be a club that competes for a championship each and every year,” he said.
Leiweke believes Manning and Bezbatchenko can build on the existing foundation and take the club to a level where it “can be very good for a very long time.”