Congratulations to Toronto FC attacking midfielder Maurice Edu and speedy defender Marvell Wynne, both named today to the United States soccer team for the upcoming Beijing Olympics. 

A richly deserved honour for both lads, whose speed and on-the-ball skills are making life increasingly difficult for Toronto's MLS opponents.

It's funny how we're slowing crossing into a time when TFC players are starting to pick up increasing criticism from their frantic fans, even though the team is greatly improved from a year ago.  And I'm not talking about all the barbs aimed at struggling striker Jeff Cunningham, who is wasting chance after chance lately, when he manages to stay onside and actually get to the ball. 

Edu is taking knocks for iffy finishing.  Given that most of his shots are created out of nothing but his own prodigious skills for field-reading and ball-nabbing, the criticism doesn't seem fair.  Yeah, he darn near tore down a goalpost in Chicago last week, but very few players could have reacted fast enough to the bad-bounce deflection that set him up, let alone burn it past a hot goalie and come within an inch or two from scoring. 

Wynne takes heat for being out of position, but again he is a bit of a special case.  His speed is so prodigious, he can afford to play well up the field, and still get back in time to skilfully tackle and dispossess enemy attackers.  Yeah, he doesn't always get it right, but that's a function of being young as much as anything.  With the team building for the long run, I'd rather have him constructively learning his limits than playing it safe. 

Edu and Wynne are just 22.  The future of both players likely lies elsewhere.  Good performances in China will crank up international interest in a pair of impressively skilled youngsters who are just too good to stay in MLS for their entire careers.  Such departures will always be a part of TFC's reality.  Maybe that's part of why some fans are already looking to poke some holes.

The lads should both be around for Saturday's home tilt with the reborn San Jose Earthquakes.  It's a huge game for Toronto, which could move into the top four in the league on points with a win – or potentially fall into the East Division basement with a loss.  Yep, this li'l ole league is that tight.

The bill really comes due Tuesday, when the Montreal Impact roll into BMO needing only a draw to end Toronto's CONCACAF Champions League hopes.  The Reds have struggled so far against their USL-1 Canadian counterparts, and lose tons of speed and creativity with Edu and Wynne en route to the Orient. 

Ah, but that's what roster depth is for.  That's why Toronto coach John Carver has been giving other promising youngsters – Abdus Ibrahim, Jarrod Smith – a close look and a few tough run-outs lately.  It was always going to take far more than the first XI to keep TFC in contention.  Prove-it time starts Tuesday. 

Onward!