After making a huge off-season splash, Toronto FC prepares to start their eighth MLS season still looking for a first ever playoff berth. Air Max Pas Cher Chine . TSN soccer analyst Gareth Wheeler tells you everything you need to know about Toronto FC heading into 2014, while TSN soccer analyst Jason deVos tells you how they will succeed or fail during the new campaign. Gareth Wheeler: With great signings come great expectations. Toronto FC went from afterthought to main focus in an off-season of change. President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Tim Leiweke promised big things; a swift turn around in fortunes upon his arrival. Momentum has shifted from a lifeless entity into a resurrected being with true hope and an ambitious future; no easy task for the most futile franchise in Major League Soccer history. Seven years outside of the playoffs has taken its toll. Amidst the newfound excitement is an element of prove it to me. Big promises have been made before. The shock of what has transpired with upwards of $100 million worth of transfer and payroll commitments hasnt sunk in with most. Tim-squared, as in Leiweke and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko backed up their lofty words with decisive, calculated action. On paper, this looks to be the best Toronto FC side the city has ever seen. Now comes the hard part: sustained stability and on-field success. Neither are guaranteed, but the blueprint reads much clearer. The buzz is palpable across Toronto. The question most often asked from passionate or casual supporters alike, how good will this team be? Theres no straight-forward answer. Its easy to get swept up in the hoopla. Tickets have been sold and the team will be playing in front of a packed house at BMO Field once again. Theres a lot to be excited about and failing to make the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year would be seen as nothing short of a complete failure. Championship calibre talk however is premature. Striker Jermain Defoe and influential central midfielder Michael Bradley represent the two biggest moves of MLS off-season. With name comes substance, with Defoe and Bradley easily becoming the best two players in franchise history. They are that good and make TFCs roster comparable to top teams in MLS. Brazilian duo, goalkeeper Julio Cesar and promising striker Gilberto are a step lower on the wow scale, but entirely intriguing. Manager Ryan Nelsen has raved about Gilberto and believes the 24-year old can score more goals than prized acquisition Defoe. The return of Dwayne De Rosario represents a chance to rectify the wrong surrounding his previous hasty departure. The club at the time painted De Rosario as the bad guy disingenuously. Bezbatchenko has made clear this is a new TFC, set on doing business a different and better way. Extending the olive branch to the hometown boy made too much sense. Attempting to forecast how this team will do is fruitless. A MLS season is a marathon to begin with, never mind the added wrinkle of this summers World Cup. Notwithstanding injuries and/or factors out of the realm of control, here are three keys to success for Toronto FC in 2014. 1) Goal scoring: Bezbatchenko has said to anyone who will listen; his first job was to find TFC goal scorers. Sounds simplistic but only one team scored fewer goals than TFC last season. Toronto has been in the bottom five in goals scored in each of the last four years. The lack of a true finisher outside of the oft-injured Danny Koevermans was an indictment on team management. Without top goal scorers there is next to no chance of competing with the top sides and having regular success. It has been one of the many reasons for perennial failure to date. How many goals Defoe, Gilberto, and De Rosario will score will determine how far this team will go. Gilberto has already set a lofty, most likely unattainable goal of 25 tallies this season. Defoe should have little trouble adapting to MLS life, and 20 goals isnt out of the question. TFC lost back-up strike option Bright Dike through pre-season injury, Dike would have played a key role. Bezbatchenko would be prudent to bring in another goal scorer to compliment the bunch because you can never have enough goals in the team. 2) Back four: Cheap goals conceded have plagued TFC in recent seasons. The group last year was far too young, inexperienced and mistake prone. The group worked hard, but lacked cohesion and didnt do anything particular well. Justin Morrow and Bradley Orr were brought in to add experience to the back-line. The strength, or lack thereof, of this young group will make or break this team. Cesar as a leader at the back helps, as does Steven Caldwell as a steady, vocal force. Can Nelsen get this group playing as a unit? Does TFC have enough quality depth? And can young Canadians Doneil Henry and Ashton Morgan makes strides, finding consistency in their game? If the answer to these questions is yes, TFC will be in good stead. Age is no longer an excuse. 3) Team tactics: Nelsens first year as manager was a trying one. With very little talent, depth and a revolving door, six wins and the third worst points total in the league (29) was a predictable outcome. Evaluation of Nelsen as team manager is thus far incomplete. It surprised some Nelsen remained in the off-season of top-to-bottom change. And because of that, he remains the easy fall-guy in case all doesnt go according to plan. Another coaching change is the last thing this team needs - eight coaches in eight years speaks to the lack of vision or consistent direction. Players, no matter how good, cannot achieve in a current state of flux. It must be said the work-rate of the team under Nelsen was superior. Theres no question hes a natural leader and a well-liked figure. His man-management and tactical approach will be tested now he has better players and a year under his belt. The team generally lined up in a 4-4-2 last year. A level of formational flexibility will be required to get the most out of his assets, particularly finding the best spots to play De Rosario and Gilberto as dynamic attacking players. The hype is back at Toronto FC. Its been called A Bloody Big Deal. The only way that manifests is if the wins follow. For the first time ever at TFC, there is good reason to believe it actually will. TSN Soccer analyst Jason deVos weighs in on how Toronto FC will succeed or fail during the 2014 season. Jason deVos: Toronto FC will succeed if… …the stars align. TFC have made the single biggest offseason spending splurge in the history of Major League Soccer. Nearly $100m has been spent to acquire the likes of Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley, Gilberto, Júlio César and Dwayne De Rosario, and the burning question is this: Will this make TFC a contender? On paper, the answer is yes. Toronto is significantly stronger now than it has ever been. They have the U.S. national teams best midfielder in Bradley, a top-class goal scorer in Defoe and Brazils number one goalkeeper in Júlio César. You wont find a stronger spine to a team in MLS. If those players live up to their reputations, Toronto FC will not only make the playoffs, they will be the team that everyone wants to avoid in the post-season. Toronto FC will fail if… ….they put the cart before the horse. Having better players is one thing; getting them to play together, as a team, is another. It will take time for TFCs crop of new players to gel, and until that happens, the microscope will be firmly focused on head coach, Ryan Nelsen. The jury is still out on Nelsens ability - as a second-year coach - to get the best out of the talented players he now has at his disposal. He tends to stick to his preferred formation (1-4-4-2), and has so far shown little interest in experimenting with various tactical approaches to the game. This can work if the players are all on board (Real Salt Lake is a good example), but only time will tell if this will be the case for Toronto FC. If the team struggles out of the gate, expect Nelsen to come under increasing pressure. 2013 finish: 6-17-11 (ninth in Eastern Conference). Did not qualify for MLS Cup playoffs. Whos In?: M Michael Bradley (transfer from AS Roma) , GK Júlio Cesar (loan from Queens Park Rangers), F Jermain Defoe (transfer from Tottenham), M Dwayne De Rosario (Re-Entry Draft), F Gilberto (transfer from SC Internacional), M Jackson (trade from FC Dallas), D Justin Morrow (trade from San Jose), D Bradley Orr (loan from Blackburn Rovers). Whos Out?: F Justin Braun (out of contract), M Bobby Convey (trade to New York), F Robert Earnshaw (option declined), D Richard Eckersley (trade to New York), D Jonas Elmer (contract terminated), GK Stefan Frei (trade to Seattle), F Danny Koevermans (out of contract), M Matias Laba (trade to Vancouver), M Darel Russell (option declined), M Michael Thomas (option declined), F Emery Welshman (waived). SuperDraft: D Nick Hagglund (1-10), MF Daniel Lovitz (2-24). Air Max Outlet France . Klose has a bruised pelvic bone and abdominal muscle problems but team doctors are trying to get him fit in time for the match. Bender has a hamstring injury. Germany is already without half-dozen players, due to injury or bad form. Air Max Pas Cher En France . -- Jerel Worthy and his Michigan State teammates charged across the field, holding four fingers in the air while celebrating another sweet victory over their biggest rival. http://www.airmaxpascher.info/ . LUCIE, Fla.Scott Cullen has injury updates on Sale, Trumbo, Lind, Hamilton and more, best fantasy adds and closer notes. INJURIES - White Sox ace LHP Chris Sale is on the DL with a strained flexor muscle. Though indications are favourable (ie. not requiring surgery), its also reasonable to expect that the White Sox will be cautious with any recovery timeline. Hes one of the best pitchers in the game and its not worth long-term trouble to have him come back a couple starts sooner. Anyway, the White Sox also have Felipe Paulino on the DL, so they have added Andre Rienzo and Charlie Leesman to the starting rotation. Rienzo had a 4.82 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 10 starts last season and a 3.93 ERA in 24 career starts at Triple-A. Hes whiffed 132 in 133 2/3 IP at Triple-A, but his strikeout rate in the bigs (6.0 K/9) isnt as promising. Leesman, a 27-year-old lefty, has struggled, with a 9.00 ERA in 18 major-league innings after he had a 2.92 ERA in 45 starts at Triple-A. A terribly low strikeout rate (3.2 K/9) in the minors and not much velocity figure to be issues in the bigs. - 35-year-old Rockies RF Michael Cuddyer has a strained hamstring and gets a turn on the DL as a result, putting a break in a strong start (.317 AVG, .906 OPS) to the season. Cuddyers absence leaves more regular playing time for Charlie Blackmon, whose .410 batting average ought to be good enough for that, but he plays all three outfield spots for the Rockies. Brandon Barnes, hitting .317 with three steals in 49 plate appearances, gets some time in right field as well. - Diamondback LF Mark Trumbo was off to a great start (7 HR, 19 RBI), at least in terms of power, since his .210 batting average is no prize, but hes out with a stress fracture in his foot -- likely for an extended period -- leaving Cody Ross as the regular left fielder in Arizona. Ross is off to a tough (1-for-22) start, so Roger Kieschnick, a 27-year-old who has an .888 OPS in 174 games at Triple-A, might have an opportunity to play some too. - Blue Jays DH Adam Lind hits the DL with a strained lower back (hitting .324 with a .924 OPS in 32 plate appearances), which gives Juan Francisco a regular shot in the lineup. Francisco, 26, hasnt been able to stick as a major-league regular yet, but has 32 home runs in 790 career plate appearances. He has power. - The Angels in the outfield include a couple of new faces because both LF Josh Hamilton and RF Kole Calhoun are out. Hamilton suffered a thumb injury and is still at least a month away from returning. Calhouns ankle injury should have him out for 3-5 more weeks, so he and Hamilton are in the same ballpark for return time. In their absence, though, the Angels have turned to J. B. Shuck and Collin Cowgill as the primary corner outfielders. Shuck offers bit of speed and no power and has a .296 average in 832 Triple-A at-bats. In 571 career major-league at-bats, 26-year-old Shuck has hit .280 with four home runs and 10 stolen bases. Cowgill, 27, is a .241 career hitter in the major leagues, but has been a productive Triple-A hitter (.313 AVG, .873 OPS in 903 plate appearances). Neither has done enough to warrant fantasy consideration yet. - Its not a huge deal that the ace of the Houston Astros pitching staff is out but, credit where its due, RHP Scott Feldman has been great in his first four starts (2-1, 1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP), though Feldman has been the beneficiary of good fortune, with only nine strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings and a BABIP of .195. All that taken into account, hes still the de facto ace of a young Astros staff and is out with biceps tendinitis. In Feldmans absence, 26-year-old Collin McHugh -- who had nine career starts with the Rockies and Mets previously -- gets a look and his first start for the Astros, at Seattle, resulted in three hits and no walks allowed, along with 12 strikeouts. McHugh has a 3.64 ERA, with 166 strikeouts in 187 2/3 IP, in 35 career games at Triple-A, so he has some upside, but keep in mind that he wasnt considered good enough to make Houstons rotation oout of spring training. Air Max Pas Cher Livraison Gratuite. - Cardinals RHP Joe Kelly is out with a strained hamstring, giving Tyler Lyons a chance in the Cardinals rotation. In 59 career major-league innings, Lyons has a 4.58 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, with 50 strikeouts. The 26-year-old has a 3.73 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 35 Triple-A appearances (34 starts), so hes a viable addition in deeper leagues, pitching for a strong team and all. - Royals CF Lorenzo Cain, sidelined with a groin strain, was off to a decent start (.333 AVG, 2 SB in 12 GP) before getting hurt. Speedster Jarrod Dyson gets more regular playing time with Cain out. In 21 plate appearances this year, Dyson is hitting .368 and has stolen three bases. - Pirates LHP Wandy Rodriguez is dealing with a knee injury, resulting in a move to the DL, and 25-year-old RHP Brandon Cumpton has taken his spot in the rotation. Cumpton has a 2.15 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in seven major-league appearances. No, hes not that good, but in 24 Triple-A appearances (22 starts), he had a 3.06 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 101 strikeouts in 141 innings. - Mets CF Juan Lagares, off to a nice start (.314 AVG, .816 OPS) is out with a strained hamsring, giving Chris B. Young and Kirk Niewenhuis time in centre field. Young was once a power and speed guy, but has been a part-time player the past couple seasons, in part because his batting average is abysmal. Nieuwenhuis is a .234 career hitter, with 11 home runs in 394 at-bats. - Yankees LHP Ivan Nova is the latest in a long line of starting pitchers headed for Tommy John surgery. He had an 8.27 ERA through four starts and it looks like Vidal Nuno (3.68 ERA in 29 1/3 career IP) is first up to fill in for Nova in the Yankees rotation. BEST ADDS (Players available in at least 40% of TSN leagues) Adam Dunn, DH, Chicago White Sox - 5 HR, 11 RBI, .266 AVG, 11 R, 64 AB (Available: 86.5%) David Murphy, RF, Cleveland - 2 HR, 17 RBI, .290 AVG, 9 R, 62 AB (Available: 82.2%) Dayan Viciedo, RF, Chicago White Sox - 1 HR, 9 RBI, .377 AVG, 9 R, 69 AB (Available: 82.1%) Lucas Duda, 1B, N.Y. Mets - 4 HR, 10 RBI, .254 AVG, 10 R, 636 AB (Available: 91.1%) Scooter Gennett, 2B, Milwaukee - 1 HR, 7 RBI, .317 AVG, 5 R, 2 SB, 63 AB (Available: 95.9%) Jenrry Mejia, RHP, N.Y. Mets - 3-0, 1.99 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 25 K, 22 2/3 IP (Available: 80.4%) Alfredo Simon, RHP, Cincinnati - 3-0, 1.30 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 17 K, 27 2/3 IP (Available: 50.9%) Wily Peralta, RHP, Milwaukee - 3-0, 2.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 19 K, 24 2/3 IP (Available: 71.0%) Zach McAllister, RHP, Cleveland - 3-0, 2.28 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 17 K, 23 2/3 IP (Available: 79.8%) CLOSER NOTES - As the Reds wait for LHP Aroldis Chapman to return, RHP Jonathan Broxton has four saves in five appearances. Early indications are that Broxtons velocity is down and hes throwing more sliders than ever before. - Its not as if holding the closer title in Houston is a particularly valuable designation. Despite allowing a walk-off three-run home run in his last appearance, Josh Fields seems to have the edge on Chad Qualls. - In Oakland, the As have said that Jim Johnson is back in consideration for ninth-inning work after some early-season struggles. Luke Gregerson and Sean Doolittle are the other options to consider if Johnson falters again. - Trying to find a solution with Bobby Parnell done for the year, the Mets have turned to veteran Kyle Farnsworth, ahead of Jose Valverde. Daisuke Matsuzaka is also a possibility and hes been effective (1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 5 1/3 IP) out of the bullpen so far. - With control issues plaguing Pedro Strop and Jose Veras unable to get anyone out, the Cubs closer role could be going to Hector Rondon, the 26-year-old who has been their most effective reliever (0.79 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 11 K, 11 1/3 IP) this season. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. 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