Sad to see Akinola leave TFC
Deep in the recesses of the BMO training ground, there are presumably members of the Toronto FC staff wondering what could have been for Ayo Akinola.
The fact that it didn’t work out, as the two sides mutually parted ways this week, is a damn shame.
Akinola is a local boy, discovered through the Brampton soccer factory that has seen the likes of Atiba Hutchinson, Cyle Larin and TFC captain Jonathan Osorio emerge in recent times. He cut his teeth in the TFC Academy, enjoyed a MLS breakout in 2020 in the COVID bubble when he shared the team lead with nine goals, and promised so much.
How painful it must have been for coach John Herdman, who was the man who rewarded Akinola with his first Canada cap in 2021, to finally give up on the player.
It is a ruthless sport, and in a league where every dollar on the cap counts, patience can wear thin quickly.
Survive or die; those are the options for most professional footballers, especially the young ones.
In Akinola’s case, it was an ACL injury while on Canada duty in 2021 that derailed his career. He was never able to rediscover the form that made him as close to a surething prospect that TFC had seen in a long time.
At 24, there is still plenty of runway in professional soccer for Akinola. There is clearly interest in such a player within the ranks of the Canadian Premier League, not to mention the USL south of the border. An MLS club may well take a flyer. There is still lots to like about Akinola, although presumably trade scenarios within the league came to nothing prior to last month’s deadline.
Murmurings that a lack of commitment to training and team concepts have followed Akinola since early in his career. Such tags are tough to shake but the talent is the most important thing, and that will likely be enough to convince a club to take a chance on the forward. For the good of Canadian soccer, let’s hope so.
The magic of Davies
It is an annual occurrence to see Real Madrid do the impossible, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, just as they did on Wednesday when beating Bayern Munich in their Champions League semifinal with two goals after the 88th minute.
The world stood in awe, as Joselu capitalized on a rare howler from arguably the greatest goalkeeper in modern times, Manuel Neuer, and then slotted home another soon after. Real qualified for its 18th final, and its sixth in the last 11 years.
Over here in Canada, all that was lost amidst the latest head turning display from Alphonso Davies. He had been a huge part of the prematch discussion; a summer move from Bayern to Real Madrid is not only hot on the rumour mill but fully expected. And as the Canadian took to the field at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the 27th minute for an ailing Serge Gnabry, you could have forgiven Davies if the moment proved too big.
As he has proved time and time again though, no stage is too big for Davies. The goal he scored — consuming all the space he was afforded at full speed, delicately controlling the ball before cutting inside, terrifying his marker and then curling the ball into the far side — put Bayern ahead. It was one the incoming Canadian men’s team coach will study and try to replicate.
These are the facts: A Canadian just scored an absolute screamer in the Champions League semifinal and is possibly on the verge of joining arguably the greatest sports club in the world. We shouldn’t take Davies for granted.