Atomic Ant Sebastian Giovinco joins Toronto’s Juventus Academy
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Article content
Sebastian Giovinco is joining his former team’s academy.
Advertisement 2
Article content
But not Toronto FC’s.
Article content
TFC’s all-time leading scorer is now reportedly officially retired and has joined the Juventus Academy in Toronto (which actually is in Vaughan).
The Juventus Academy is a project designed to bring “the colours, methods and values of Juventus to as many children as possible.”
Article content
The Juventus Academy, which operates in 50 nations, offers teaching and the development of soccer skills and educational training for young players in their development. TFC operates its own Academy.
Giovinco, a Juventus Academy product, visited his former club in Continassa, Italy, this week, though he still maintains a residence in Toronto. The Atomic Ant made overtures about returning to play for TFC over the past couple of seasons, but reportedly asked for too much money, something Giovinco denied.
Advertisement 3
Article content
The former Italian national team striker returned to Italy in January to join Sampdoria on a free transfer, but only played two games before leaving the club in June.
Giovinco helped lead TFC to the Domestic Treble in 2017 and is the Reds’ all-time leading goal scorer (83).
TRIO AT CANADIAN CAMP
TFC centre back Doneil Henry is in camp with the Canadian men’s national team in Slovakia, as is right back Richie Laryea and midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye.
Reds midfielder Jonathan Osorio, who has been suffering from something he described last week as “neurological dysfunction,” is not with the national team and will not play in the two friendlies Canada has scheduled over the next week.
The men play in matches against Qatar on Friday in Vienna and Uruguay on Sept. 27 in Bratislava, Slovakia, as preparation for the FIFA World Cup in November.
Advertisement 4
Article content
TFC has two games left in the MLS regular season and is out of playoff contention. The Reds next play on Friday, Sept. 30 against Inter Miami at BMO Field, Toronto’s final home match this season.
YOUNG DUO HONOURED
A pair of young TFC players — Jayden Nelson and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty — have been named to the MLS 22 Under 22, a list of the top 22 players in MLS under the age of 22 as voted on by a panel consisting of MLSsoccer.com analysts, MLS Player Department staff and member of the media.
A longtime Canadian youth international, the 19-year-old Nelson has enjoyed a breakout year under coach Bob Bradley. Brought up as a winger, the homegrown talent seems reborn as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder. He’s on track to finish the 2022 campaign with over 2,000 minutes played — nearly eight times more than his previous season-high — and should be a key part of their continued roster rebuild. In 29 appearances, the Brampton native has a goal and two assists.
Marshall-Rutty, 18, is one of Canada’s top rising talents, and has exceeded as a winger and outside back. Marshall-Rutty originally signed with Toronto in 2020 as a 15-year-old, an early indicator of his sizable potential. Were it not for a knee injury suffered early into this season, he’d likely be higher up the rankings. He has trained with some of the top academies in Europe.
-
Toronto FC’s playoff hopes die after awful effort in Orlando
-
Despite the hype, the cradle did not always rock for Toronto FC this season
Share this news on your Fb,Twitter and Whatsapp
Times News Network:Latest News Headlines
Times News Network||Health||New York||USA News||Technology||World News