If it’s January, it must be soccer

Reds open their training camp just 44 days after Cup loss

Steven Beitashour spent much of Toronto FC’s short 44-day off-season soaking up the sunshine in California but agreed that, despite the wintry weather awaiting them, there was a tinge of spring in the air when he and his teammates reported for the pre-season this week.

“It’s a little colder than where I was before,” the defender joked. “But honestly, I missed it. I’m not just saying that. I missed being back with the boys and the coaching staff and everyone around here.”

The rejuvenation that comes with the new season — both sports-wise and weather-wise — was evident Tuesday morning as players prepared to check their fitness with speed and jump testing.

Defender Ashtone Morgan drew the loudest cheer of the day from one group of teammates when showing off his standing long jump abilities, while another group made noise for striker Sebastian Giovinco as he crossed the finish line following a sprint.

The happy squad, which includes five new draft picks, three players on trial and some TFC II players, was a far cry from the dejected faces that peppered the Reds’ training ground following the team’s MLS Cup final loss to the Seattle Sounders last month.

Athletes are creatures of habit, defender Drew Moor explained. As much as he enjoyed visiting family in Texas and New Jersey, celebrating the holidays and catching some English Premier League and National Football League games, it wasn’t long before he was missing his routine.

“After about two weeks, you start to get the itch to have a purpose in life,” he said. “I’m definitely happy and know everybody’s happy to be back here.”

That includes Giovinco. The striker said he made it clear to friends he visited in Italy over the break that he’s enjoying life in Toronto.

“I say the same thing. I like (it) here and I’m happy,” he said.

Those sentiments came around the same time the website Football Italia published a story reporting that Giovinco’s agent, Andrea D’Amico, told Sky Sports Italia the forward had received an “important offer” from China that he would need to discuss with TFC.

“The Chinese club seems to be very interested, but I don’t think it’ll be easy to take him away from Toronto,” D’Amico said in the article.

A Toronto FC spokesperson told the Star nobody has contacted the club.

In the meantime, the squad is largely intact after last season, though a number were missing Tuesday. Midfielders Michael Bradley, Jay Chapman, Jonathan Osorio and Armando Cooper and strikers Jozy Altidore and Tosaint Ricketts were still on, or returning from, international duty.

Midfielder Will Johnson and defenders Mark Bloom and Josh Williams, who moved to Orlando, Atlanta and Columbus respectively, were the biggest names to leave Toronto in the off-season.

Midfielder Benoit Cheyrou is not yet signed to a new deal after Toronto declined the option on his contract in December, but he is participating in drills and coach Greg Vanney expects he will officially be a Red again soon.

With the core of the team returning, the disappointment of last year’s loss in the final isn’t far from the surface, despite the sunny dispositions Tuesday.

The loss of Canadian midfielder Will Johnson, who signed with Orlando City as a free agent in December, was disappointing for coach Greg Vanney. But the Reds boss said Tuesday that he respected the player’s decision to move on.

“It’s a deep midfield so in the end I can’t promise anyone any specific amount of minutes or any specific role in the grand scheme of things,” Vanney said. “I fully understand Will’s position and interest in wanting to be a bigger part of an organization.”

The coach’s remarks come a little more than two weeks after Johnson told the Star he was disappointed to leave the club, but not because he wanted guaranteed playing time.

The midfielder said his decision came after he felt disrespected by Reds brass, who he believes didn’t give him a fair chance to return to Toronto’s starting lineup after he suffered an injury in June.

Johnson, a two-time MLS Cup winner, joined TFC in December 2015.