VOTE: Waking the Red Toronto FC Awards 2023 – Part 2 (of 3)
Our sixth annual blizzard of only the hottest takes. Check out Part 1 here.
This might be the best one yet, or the worst. It will hopefully give us all a much-needed smile after enduring the single-worst campaign in franchise history. Make sure to get your votes in the polls, and by all means, hit us with your long-form scorching magma takes and any/all cries for help/yells at clouds in the comments!
This year, we’ve split the awards out over three parts, which should allow for more action in the comments. In Part 1 of our 2023 Awards series, we picked our favourite moments — which was difficult — our worst moments, which was also difficult because there were so many, and our favourite Sebastian Giovinco moments, amongst others.
Let’s start the healing process? If the first step of healing is admitting you have a problem, then, by all means, read on… if you dare.
The Steven Caldwell “Quality” Award — Favourite Player
Jeffrey P. Nesker (JPN) – Victor Vazquez (edit – forever and ever, amen)
Adam Palermo (AP) – Kobe Franklin
Corey Brady (CB) – Kobe. He’s a baller
Andrew Hockridge (AH) – Deandre Kerr
Tomas Karageorgos (TK) – Deandre Kerr
Brendan Dunlop (BD) – Jonathan Osorio
The Steven Caldwell “Quality” Award — Favourite Player
Kobe Franklin
Deandre Kerr
Jonathan Osorio
The Danny Koevermans Award — Favourite Opposing Player
JPN – Insigne, Lorenzo & Bernadeschi, Federico
AP – Cucho Hernández (Columbus Crew)
CB – Richie Laryea (sigh. Vancouver Whitecaps)
AH – Lucho Acosta (FC Cincinnati)
TK – Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United)
BD – Mikael Uhre (Philadelphia Union)
The Danny Koevermans Award — Favourite Opposing Player
our own guys
Cucho Hernández
Richie Laryea
Lucho Acosta
Giorgos Giakoumakis
Mikael Uhre
The Stefan Frei Award — Favourite Opposing GK
JPN – Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union)
AP – Jonathan Sirois (CF Montréal)
CB – Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United)
AH – Matt Freese, for Freese-ing our attack on two separate occasions. (NYCFC)
TK – Chris Brady (Chicago Fire)
BD – Yohei Takaoka (Vancouver Whitecaps)
The Stefan Frei Award — Favourite Opposing GK
André Blake
Jonathan Sirois
Dayne St. Clair
Matt Freese
Chris Brady
Yohei Takaoka
The Maxi Urruti Award — Most Underrated TFC Player
JPN – Deandre Kerr, but there are a metric ton of people too quick to dismiss the obvious talents of Kobe Franklin.
AP – Kosi Thompson
CB – Luka Gavran
AH – Gavran – going from two useless options at goal to two solid ones is perhaps one of the only silverlinings of this season.
TK – Deandre Kerr — so versatile and still doesn’t receive the credit he deserves.
BD – Aimé Mabika. People are angry about the NYCFC game, and a few others, but he has tremendous potential to at least have the career that Chris Mavinga did in Toronto.
The Maxi Urruti Award — Most Underrated TFC Player
Deandre Kerr
Kosi Thompson
Luka Gavran
Aimé Mabika
The “All For Me” Award — Most Overrated TFC Player
JPN – LOL. LMFAO. AHAHAHAHAHA!
AP – Lorenzo Insigne
CB – Can I copy and paste most of the roster?
AH – Lorenzo Insigne
TK – Insigne, no doubt.
BD – Franco Ibarra
The “All For Me” Award — Most Overrated TFC Player
Lorenzo Insigne
Franco Ibarra
Other
The Torsten Frings Award — Best Player Playing in an Unnatural Position
JPN – M.A.K. as the 6. Love me some tackles.
AP – I’ll go with Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty but at this point I don’t even know what his position is.
CB – CJ Sapong as a number 9.
AH – Laryea playing centre-back.
TK – Cassius Mailula being played anywhere among the front three; not sure where he fits in best, but he has shown major potential in limited minutes.
BD – Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty
The Torsten Frings Award — Best Player Playing in an Unnatural Position
Mark-Anthony Kaye
Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty
C.J. Sapong
Richie Laryea
Cassius Mailula
The “Hey Mista Mista” Award — Newcomer of the Year
JPN – Alonso Coello. You all know Silky Spanish Mids are my kryptonite.
AP – Alonso Coello, as I’ve been kindly reminded that Franklin did in fact play last year.
CB – Coello (Don’t you remember Franklin’s 14 minutes against Cincinnati last year?)
AH – Coello – in adversity, some players emerge. Coello really stepped up his game.
TK – Coello
BD – Brandon Servania. Also could’ve been a nominee for most underrated player. Has all the tools and football IQ to be a very good MLS player.
The “Hey Mista Mista” Award — Newcomer of the Year
Alonso Coello
Brandon Servania
Other
How did Cassius make the list? Did he play more than 15 minutes this season?
One thing is clear…
Impartial and JPN should not be used in the same sentence (except this one).
But … it’s a vote. Partial and partisan have the same room word. You have one vote, and to use it you must take a partial position. Impartiality is an impossibility when casting a vote.
Couldn’t vote for any of the suggested favourite opposition players. My favourite is Ryan Gauld.
Interesting comment by Dunlop on Mabika and Servania. Agree about Servania. I enjoyed some of Mabika’s tackles, but it’s hard to get over that one game. Probably not fair to him, I know.
I am really enjoying the fun categories for the votes.
Ryan Gauld is a great callout! He was outstanding to watch. His work rate looks unparalleled
Ibarra!!! He was loved for his hard work and grit and ability to command the MF.
Ya. I know he came under less than great circumstances, but he had a chance to increase his value and put it to ATL for better conditions to return.
Instead he soiled the bed – rarely seemed enthused or interested, like a few others (who at least occasionally lit a fire).