There always seemed something too good to be true about last night’s report, but the news was so specific — citing salaries, contract lengths, when he’d be introduced — you couldn’t help but trust the Globe and Mail’s report. Diego Forlán was coming to Toronto FC, the outlet claimed, his move from Porto Alegre to Ontario set to give TFC the player that would reestablish the relevance they’ve missed since the franchise’s first seasons.
Too bad Forlán had to go and ruin it all.
Less than 12 hours after the original reports broke, Forlán was denying his impending move, telling reporters in Brazil he’d like to stay at his current club, Internacional, until at least next summer:
“I said I would like to play in the United States, also in the Middle East …
“But I have a contract here for another two years. I’m very happy here and I have a contract. Today you know, there are so many websites on the Internet to see if the source is right or not.”
“But I would like to stay at Inter, until not only the (2014) World Cup, but until the end of the contract.
Anybody else feel like their time’s been wasted? We’re used to seeing rampant transfer speculation around the world’s biggest leagues, a function of not only their popularity but the insane reader demand for rumors, but we’re not used to seeing this kind of thing closer to home. We’re usually a bit more discerning in this market, so when a report like the Globe and Mail’s going online, there’s less incredulity. We tend to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Shame on us, right? Or shame on the source, or the outlet? Anyway you slice it, this is the world of big time soccer, people. Big names get linked, people write reports, the pressure to push the story leads outlets to take more risks. It’s not hard news, so what’s the harm, right? A couple of iterations of that logic and we have the report: Forlán to be introduced Monday or Tuesday.
I don’t mean this to be a jab at the Globe and Mail, because any outlet can be undone by its sources. But ultimately, the story didn’t float. And as Major League Soccer becomes a bigger drawing card, there’s more demand to know who’s being drawn, and outlets remain willing to roll the dice in exchange for being first to post, expect more Forlán-to-Toronto reports.
Even if it’s not Toronto, here’s hoping the Forlán-to-MLS momentum picks up again some day. But let’s also hope we’re not too far into that demand-publish problem. I’d like the next Forlán rumor I read to last longer than 12 hours.
