TFC Gets Kambere On Loan

Facing an immense player shortage this weekend as a result of Major League Soccer's inability to schedule around FIFA international dates, Toronto FC has reached out to the Vancouver Whitecaps to have defender Diaz Kambere join the MLS outfit in a one-match loan deal.Kambere, 22, will be suiting up for TFC's home match on Saturday against Chivas USA and will then return to British Columbia to be available for the Whitecap's game on Sunday versus the Minnesota Thunder. He has made nine appearances for Vancouver in the USL season and has also featured for Canada at the U-23 level, playing in three of their Olympic qualifying games earlier this year.

Toronto will be missing as many as nine players due to international call-ups this weekend, including defenders Marvell Wynne, Jim Brennan and Tyrone Marshall. A pair of other defenders - Todd Dunivant and Nana Attakora-Gyan - are injured and not available for John Carver's selection, and yet another - Tyler Hemming - asked for his release earlier this week. To fill out their bench, the team has persuaded the league to activate Tim Regan, a former MLS defender who now works as TFC's chief scout, and has signed 39-year-old defender Rick Titus, who has seen limited MLS action in his 20-year career.

To make matters worse, first-choice goalkeeper Greg Sutton is also not with the team this weekend, as he was initially called up for Canada's WCQ matches. However, he has been released from national team camp to be with his wife, who is expected to give birth to the couple's first child at any time.