Frei, Kocic battle for ‘keepers job at TFC camp
Posted February 24, 2012 10:29 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
ORLANDO, Fla. — Two guys who are friends off the field are locked in an intense battle for the job as the starting goalkeeper with Toronto FC.
The incumbent Stefan Frei and the upstart Milos Kocic both played well enough on a weak defensive team last season to deserve a shot at being No. 1 when the club starts playing games that count on March 7.
So far, coach Aron Winter isn’t saying who it will be.
“If you have two goalkeepers, you have to have a number one and number two,” Winter said Friday. “We are still in pre-season.
“At the end, we have to make a decision. It doesn’t mean the other goalkeeper’s not going to play because we’re playing in three different (competitions): in CONCACAF (Champions League), in the (Amway Canadian Championship) and Major League Soccer. We’re going to play a lot of games.”
Both keepers got vigorous workouts in the Florida heat as Toronto held a 90-minute practice to prepare for their opening game of the Disney Pro Soccer Classic pre-season tournament on Saturday against USL club Orlando City.
They will play Swedish league club BK Hacken on Tuesday and close round-robin play against fellow MLS side Dallas on Thursday. The final is March 3.
Frei, the longest-serving player on the squad, has been the starter since early in his first year after he was drafted 13th overall in 2009. But everything changed when the 25-year-old Swiss keeper injured a knee in August, opening the door for backup Kocic.
The 26-year-old Serb helped Toronto save a dismal 6-13-15 campaign by leading the club through the group stage and into the quarter-finals in CONCACAF Champions League play.
The team’s first real game of 2012 will be on March 7 when they play host to the first leg of the quarter-final against the MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy before what is expected to be a crowd of about 45,000 at Rogers Centre.
Toronto’s regular-season opener is not until March 17 against Seattle.
By then, the goalkeeping question may be answered.
“Nobody deserves anything,” Kocic said of the battle. “You have to prove yourself every year and every pre-season.
“It’s up to the coaches to decide who is going to be No. 1, so you just try to improve your game. I know where I have to improve my game and I’m working hard. If the coaches think that’s enough for a start then that’s good. Otherwise, work harder every day, push each other and compete to the best of your ability.”
Frei said competition is good at any position and that any player can be named as a starter, but keeping that spot is just as much of a challenge.
“It’s nice to get a bit of confidence from your coaching staff, but you should never take anything for granted,” he said. “For me personally, I know that I want to get better. Just for what I want to do for the future with my career, I need to get better. Hopefully that way I can show the coaching staff that I should get playing time.”
Frei is said to be the better shot blocker, with Kocic the better at managing the box, but both are adjusting to new goalkeeping coach Stewart Kerr’s ideas on how the position will be played.
“Angles especially,” said Kocic. “And where to stand in the goal and be a better shot-stopper. Working on positioning. I think we’ll improve that aspect of the game tremendously from last year.”
Toronto allowed a league high 59 goals and had an MLS-worst goal differential of minus-23 in 2011.
Part of that was adjusting to Winter, the team’s sixth head coach in as many years. He brought in a 4-3-3 system that favours possession and quick ball movement.
But mostly it had to do with woes in the central defence after both Adrian Cann and Dicoy Williams went down with knee injuries. Cann is in camp and may be ready to play soon but Williams remained back in Toronto to continue his recovery.
The club bolstered those spots with the signings of two veteran central defenders from South America, Chilean Miguel Aceval on the left side and Geovanny Caicedo of Ecuador on the right.
Either goalkeeper should benefit from tighter defence.
“In this league, the way we want to play, it’s always good to have two good goalkeepers and two good players at each position,” said Winter. “They keep each other strong.”
Winter is confident his team will improve because most of the squad have had a year together and should be more effective from the start.
The big changes were made last season, particularly the addition of midfield leader Torsten Frings and big striker Danny Koevermans.
It has given the entire team optimism that they will finally snatch the playoff spot that has eluded them thus far.
“We started last year to build a team and a way to play,” said Winter. “Now we’re starting the season with the major group from last season and we’ll try to make the playoffs.
“But I don’t feel like it’s pressure. It’s normal. Last season when we came we made plans that the first year we were going to rebuild, the second year were going to try to get to the playoffs and then we have to ready for the year after that.”
Midfielder Julian de Guzman was still in camp but is to leave soon to join the Canadian national squad in Cyprus for a friendly Feb. 29 against Armenia. National coach Stephen Hart had hoped not to use any MLS players but injuries forced his hand.
De Guzman is suspended for the CONCACAF game, so he will have plenty of time to recover from the travel.
“Julian is completely fit and it’s normal that he plays for the national team,” said Winter.
