Toronto FC Takes a Chance on Former MLS MVP Amado Guevara

Although you probably couldn't tell from the consistent attendance of 20,000 every week at BMO Field, Toronto FC has had their fair share of troubles competing with the big dogs as they enter their second year as an expansion franchise in Major League Soccer with two defeats already under their belt to start their campaign.

Injuries woes, depth questions, defensive liabilities, goalkeeping concerns were all just a mountain of problems that Mo Johnston had to face when he saw his side slip to the bottom of the Eastern Conference and the overall MLS Standings with a 6-17-7 record, a season in which they only earned 25 points.

But perhaps the greatest weakness Toronto faced throughout their disappointing first season was their inability to spark attacks with their flair or creativity. While nobody could really accuse the team for their lack of professionalism or work rate, even the most die-hard supporters in the U-Sector would have trouble denying that their midfield had trouble using their technique or skill to create that dangerous opportunity.

And following a relatively quiet off-season from the managerial end, Mo Johnston, now Manager and Director of Soccer, some critics were left scratching their heads. Ronnie O'Brien was sent to the San Jose Earthquakes for allocation money and a first-round draft pick while Julius James was acquired through the MLS Superdraft. Andy Welsh also followed in O'Brien's footsteps after found his way back into English football after he left TFC for a chance to play in the English Championship with Blackpool. In a squad where injury and depth concerns are never out of the question, fans were waiting on Mo Johnston to make his move.

And now, low and behold, Johnston has followed up on his words with action.

After officially rolling up his sleeves and sending a message out to the rest of the teams in Major League Soccer that Toronto was for real, Mo Johnston made his biggest splash to date following the signing of former Newcastle and Paris Saint Germain man Laurent Robert. Robert, 32, was finding it difficult to crack Paul Jewell's squad before opting out of his contract to sign with TFC. Some have questioned Robert's character but with a player of his quality in MLS, Toronto looks set to have locked up a solid acquisition in the former French international.

Less than a week later, Johnston took an even bigger chance. One that makes Robert's character questions look minuscule or irrelevant.

Mo Johnston has officially rolled up his sleeves and rolled the dice after he traded away two conditional picks in 2009 and 2010 for Chivas USA bad-boy Amado Guevara -- a player that he had run-ins with himself during his time with the New York MetroStars as head coach. That's not mentioning how Guevara once turned down an opportunity to join Toronto FC after he blocked previous trade attempts from Chivas. Instead of remaining in MLS, the Honduran elected to head back to his native country with Motagua on a season long loan.

Johnston's move for Guevara can be looked up on as your typical boom or bust situation.

On the brighter side of the spectrum, Toronto FC knows what Guevara can provide. He's a big-name player that John Carver's squad desperately need to deliver through his flair down the flanks opposite of Laurent Robert and if he's motivated he can be a hell of a threat. When he wants to play football, Guevara's up there with the likes of a Dwayne De Rosario, Marcello Gallardo, or Guillermo Scheletto in terms of overall ability.

Guevara's presence adds immediate credibility to a Toronto squad that looked wayward at best in the midfield. With Carl Robinson and Maurice Edu manning the middle of the pitch and the two recent additions on the flanks, Toronto's midfield could potentially go from weakness to strength -- at least, that's how it looks on paper after Carver hinted at placing the new addition on the flank. Of course, during his days with New York, he was deployed as a central attacking midfielder, so it will be interesting to see whether Carver would be willing to drop either Edu or Robinson to make way for Guevara. He also has the option of putting in former Tottenham Hotspurs' man Rohan Rickets after he was acquired on a free transfer. Trididad striker Colin Samuel was forced to make way for the new man, as Johnston and Carver deemed him excess to the squad.

And at 31, he's proven in the past that he's more than capable of achieving great things as a footballer. His track record is as about established as they come as he has proven to be a success at both the club level and the international stage. With 106 caps to his name, he's also the Honduras captain and once came away with the Copa America MVP award in 2001 as the tournament's most valuable player.

He's played in Honduras, Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica, the United States, and more recently Canada with Toronto FC. During his time in MLS, he came was awarded for his fine efforts with the New York MetroStars/Red Bulls for his efforts in the 2004 season when he came away with as the league's MVP.

So, if Guevara's so talented, why was the Chivas USA management so eager to dump the once prominent Honduran talent?

Well, as Chivas USA found out the hard way, there's another side to the Honduran that can leave you shaking your head. Fans ask themselves how a talent like Guevara can go to waste when he chooses to act lethargically when he comes across a loose ball down by the corner flag and refuses to put in a good work rate when upset or angry. He's often been accused of losing focus when an official's call didn't go his way and maybe even getting caught up in an argument or two with the opposing team.

Following the 2006 season, Chivas had great expectations for the former Red Bull as he was given a designated player slot. However, Guevara proved to be more of a volatile addition to Preki's squad as he failed to impress upon his manager and teammates -- very much the same way he ended up finishing his career in New York after conflicts with Johnston and former Metros GM Alexi Lalas. Now, without Guevara, Chivas has excelled and could prove to be a playoff contender in a fairly competitive Western Conference. However you want to look at it, it was an addition through subtraction after Chivas finally managed to pull the trigger on move to get rid of their former Designated Player.

To say that Guevara was a bit temperamental would be an understatement. It's hard to argue against the consistent cases of controversy and if Toronto FC are to qualify for the playoffs in the not-to-distant future, Guevara needs to maintain his cool and lead his team during those long road stretches through his play. Getting sidetracked by decisions from the referee isn't going to help Toronto win matches.

Others may think otherwise but John Carver has had all kinds of experience with impulsive players and should be able to keep any possible complaints from Guevara to a minimum. He's had to deal with the likes of Craig Bellamy throwing a chair at him during his time at Newcastle United, although the two looked to have patched things up after his outburst. Carver is man that's had quality experience as a coach over in Europe and has dealt with big-name acquisitions on more than one occasion while at Leeds United and Newcastle. 

Perhaps a bigger challenge than Carver maintaining authority is for Guevara is to put his ugly disciplinary record and troubles behind him so he can start with a fresh new slate in a new country. In what some regard as his final chance to redeem himself, Guevara has the opportunity to bring success to a city filled with passionate supporters who are craving success for a club that has failed to achieve anything thus far.

And for Toronto FC, it's really a matter of whether Guevara can keep his head on straight and let his play to do the talking. After all, that's what he's being paid to do. Mo Johnston can only hope that it was money well spent after he sacrificed a whole lot more than the two draft picks to get his man.