TORONTO -- The high temperature on Monday in Toronto reached 37 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius), leading to what was actually one of the warmest days the city has seen this winter. It still wasn't enough for rookie midfielder Sam Cronin.
"It's cold," said Cronin with a grin. "Much colder than in North Carolina."
The Winston-Salem, N.C. native got his first taste of his new city and new professional team on Monday when Toronto FC officially began its 2009 training camp with medical testing at BMO Field.
After a stellar collegiate career at Wake Forest, Cronin was projected to be a top-five selection in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. With trade buzz surrounding the event in St. Louis, however, Cronin wasn't sure where he would end up before TFC called his name as the No. 2 overall selection.
"The rumors were spreading and I have people telling me what was going on, but I had no idea I was being selected by Toronto at all," Cronin said. "I was just focused going into the combine, just doing what I've done well in four years at college and not trying to change the way I play or anything."
Cronin was the first of three first-round selections for the Reds in the MLS SuperDraft. UConn striker O'Brian White was picked fourth overall, though the Scarborough native isn't expected to make an impact for his hometown team until 2010 due to a torn ACL suffered last fall.
Taken 13th overall was goalkeeper Stefan Frei, whose availability in this slot was something of a surprise to many analysts. The University of California 'keeper was projected as a top-five pick in some mock drafts, and thus many pundits felt TFC got a steal late in the first round.
From Frei's perspective, his draft number didn't matter as much as the identity of the team who picked him.
"There's so many mock drafts and stuff going on that I try to not listen to it," he said. "It's quite a ride, you're just sitting there and just waiting to figure out where you're going to end up. I don't think I could've ended up in a better situation than in Toronto, I'm really excited."
High draft positions don't mean as much in MLS as in other pro sports, but it is certain that the first-year players will get every chance to prove themselves. Head coach John Carver has openly stated that nobody on the roster -- be it a rookie or an established veteran -- is guaranteed a starting position.
Carver pointed to last season, when first-year 'keeper Brian Edwards started Toronto's opening game ahead of incumbent starter Greg Sutton, as an example of how Frei could rise up the TFC depth chart.
"It's not as if you have two really good goalkeepers and a backup," Carver said. "We have three top quality goalkeepers. Of all the draft picks for me [in 2008], Brian Edwards was the one who stepped forward and improved the most and really caught my eye. He's going to put pressure onto Greg, Stefan will put pressure on the other two."
This situation is fine with Frei.
"I don't expect to play, but I'm going to work as hard as I can and if I can't play, hopefully at least I can push the other guys to get better," Frei said. "I'm going to bring my best and hopefully get the best out of them as well, and whoever plays will play."
As for Cronin, the 23-year-old jumps into a crowded Toronto midfield that includes such notables as Amado Guevara, Dwayne De Rosario, Rohan Ricketts and Carl Robinson. While it remains to be seen what TFC's alignment will look like, Cronin knows that he'll have to earn playing time amongst so many proven stars.
"I'm confident that I can contribute to the team in training or in games," Cronin said. "We'll see a little more as preseason goes on how my role fits in. ... I'm just looking to work hard and fit in wherever I can. My job is to help the team better and whatever my role is going to be I'm going to accept it and do my best."
One teammate who may play a key role in Cronin's development is Robinson. Carver said that the two players play a similar type of physical game, and that the veteran has already proven his mentoring abilities with other past rookies.
"Carl ... has done that the last couple of seasons with Mo Edu and Pat Phelan," Carver said. "Carl is such a good professional he's going to improve the younger players. He's an experienced international football player. If Sam develops the way that Robbo did as a young player, then the world's his oyster."
Cronin, for his part, is eager to learn from his elders.
"I'm just a young guy coming in hoping to learn a lot," Cronin said. "To have a guy like Robbo, who has tons of experience around the world playing the game. ... I'm really excited to pick his brain and be on him as much as I can to learn from him. I'm excited to learn and to get better."
Time will tell if TFC's draft picks will be as impressive on the pitch as they are on paper. After the first day of camp, however, Frei has moved ahead of Cronin in at least one key area of the Toronto experience.
"We have snow, which we didn't have in California," Frei said. "I'm originally from Switzerland, so I miss the snow in the winter."
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