Die Macht » Starlin Castro and first baseman Anthony& Rizzo

TORONTO -- For once, expectations are sky high at the start of Toronto FC training camp. A team that has long been the MLS doormat --Toronto has won six, nine, 10, nine, six, five, and six games since coming into the league in 2007 -- enters the 2014 season as a shooting star thanks to the hoopla over high-priced signings Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley and Giberto. "Its a bloody big deal" is the already tired slogan around the acquisition of England striker Defoe. But the atmosphere is unmistakable. "Theres a buzz," said general manager Tim Bezbatchenko. The players started arriving late this week and most trained indoors Friday, although manager Ryan Nelsen did not involve those who were are the recent Canadian national team camp in Florida. He also gave Bradley a pass, given his recent involvement in Serie A. "Michaels had a lot of football," Nelsen said. "He doesnt need it now. He just probably needs a little rest." Captain Steven Caldwell sat out with a minor calf knock while the club waited on visa paperwork for Brazils Gilberto and Jackson. Toronto leaves Sunday for Florida. The 31-year-old Defoe will remain with Englands Tottenham until the end of February. Toronto opens the season March 15 in Seattle. Nelsen says the team will give Defoe time to bed in when he gets here. "We have to be very careful and we have to judge it. Hes here for four years, its not like were going to rush him back, patch him up if we have to and throw him out on the field. We have to think long-term. "So when hes ready to play, hell be ready to play. If thats Game 1, then brilliant. If its Game 4, so be it." In his second year on the job, the 36-year-old Nelsen finds himself in a totally different situation. He arrived last year with minimal knowledge of the talent that awaited him. He has the squad of his choice largely in place this time. "In all honesty I thought it might take a couple of years to get to the situation where we are right now," said Nelsen. There was short-term pain for long-term gain last season. Some 27 players came in -- if you count Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim whose loan deal from QPR never quite happened -- and 26 exited. The revolving door has slowed ahead of 2014 but those coming in have been quality additions. The three DPs are joined by American Justin Morrow and Englands Bradley Orr on defence, Jackson and Canadian star Dwayne De Rosario in midfield and teenage Canadian forward Jordan Hamilton. The team still has some roster work to do on the status of Argentine midfielder Matias Laba and English fullback Richard Eckersley. Laba is in camp while Eckersley, with the teams blessing, is not. Laba also has a designated player deal, meaning Toronto is one over the three DP limit. So the club has to find a way to restructure his contract or move him on. The club likes the Argentine, who at 22 has many years ahead on him. Heres guessing the team finds a way to farm him out without losing track of him. Eckersley is a victim -- sort of -- of a rich contract that grew fatter this year when the team was forced to restructure his deal to help ease its salary cap burden last season. Toronto could take a one-time contract buyout to get out from under the Eckersley contract burden without taking a salary cap hit. Toronto can also reach a settlement with Eckersley or deal him while eating some of the contract, which would impact the cap. Other MLS teams are unlikely to take Eckersley at his current number. Still, Bezbatchenko is confident he can find a way. Given his background as a former MLS insider and the leagues seemingly fluid rules, he is likely to succeed. When it comes to his starting lineup, Nelsen often says his players -- not him -- pick the team with their performance on the pitch. When all his pieces are in place, one would expect a likely starting 11 of Joe Bendik in goal behind a backline of Morrow, Caldwell, Canadian Doneil Henry and Orr, a midfield of Jackson, Bradley, De Rosario (or fellow Canadian Jonathan Osorio) and Alvaro Rey with Gilberto and Defoe up front. Its a good-looking team sheet, although the rest of the roster is young. Nelsen likes what he sees but is realistic. He knows it takes time to turn around a franchise and establish a winning culture. "It doesnt matter who you put out on the field, the clubs got to learn how to win ... we know weve got a long way to go." Nelsen adds: "I say that with one side of my face. The other side says if theres a group of guys that can live up to any expectations, I feel like these guys will really enjoy it and will enjoy the pressure. "It will be different for them because we will have a target on our back. Everybody will want to beat us. Everybody wanted to play us because they knew they could beat us in the past. Now theyll want to play us because they will want to try to prove a point to beat us. "Its a different mentality and its going to be difficult. But its a lovely challenge to be in." A one-year partnership with the North Carolina-based Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Pro League gives TFC a place to give some of its younger talent a chance to play. Toronto may also look to loan a player within MLS. Bezbatchenko was part of the process in getting the newly installed loan format approved while he was working in the league office. Canadian international Issey Nakajima-Farran is in the Toronto camp on trial. Will Middlebrooks Jersey . The Blue Jackets announced the injury through their official Twitter account Friday afternoon. Gaborik, 31, has scored five goals and six assists in 17 games with the Blue Jackets in 2013-14. Greg Luzinski Jersey .Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday it is inevitable that the league will one day take after European sports and have sponsor names on team jerseys. http://www.philliesrookiestore.com/Customized/ . With the suspension, Nigeria is unable to take part in any kind of international fixtures. FIFA had issued a warning to the NFF last week after the federation was served with court proceedings from the government that prevented the NFFs president from running the NFFs day-to-day affairs. Jimmy Foxx Jersey . Charlottetown scored four times in the third period en route to a 5-2 win over the defending champion Halifax Mooseheads on Friday. Lenny Dykstra Jersey .com) - The Vancouver Canucks will try to win two straight games for the first time since mid-January on Monday night as they play host to the struggling New York Islanders.CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs are set to hire San Diego Padres bench coach Rick Renteria as their manager, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the hiring has not been announced. The team was expected to make it official on Thursday. The move ends a long search that began with the last-place Cubs targeting New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, only to be denied a shot when he decided to stay put. Instead, the Cubs are hoping Renteria can help develop their young players and lead them to their first championship since 1908. He replaces Dale Sveum, who was fired after two seasons. The Cubs went 66-96 this season and finished at the bottom of the NL Central. A former major league infielder, Renteria spent the past six years on the Padres staff and had been their bench coach since 2011. Before that, he coached and managed in the San Diego and Florida Marlins organizations. Renteria also managed Mexico in the World Baseball Classic in March. The Cubs are counting on him to get the most out of young players such as shortstop Starlin Castro and first baseman Anthony& Rizzo, along with prospects such as Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Albert Almora and Kris Bryant.dddddddddddd The lack of development by young players on the roster was a major sticking point with Sveum. And with more young players on the way, the front office decided it was time for a change. The Cubs were 127-197 under Sveum and finished in last place for the first time in seven years. They had targeted Girardi, a Peoria, Ill., native and Northwestern product who played for them. But the former catcher signed a four-year contract worth up to $20 million to stay with New York through 2017. That forced the Cubs to look elsewhere. Besides Renteria, they interviewed former Mariners and Indians manager Eric Wedge, Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, former Nationals and Indians manager Manny Acta, former Diamond-backs manager A.J. Hinch, and Brad Ausmus, who was hired by the Tigers on Sunday. They were also interested in talking to Boston bench coach Torey Lovullo. But according to reports, the Red Sox invoked an agreement banning Cubs president Theo Epstein from hiring any of their employees over a three-year period. ' ' '