Toronto FC defender Adrian Cann (left) battles Colorado Rapids Quincy Amarikwa in Commerce City on May 22, 2011.AAron Ontiveroz/The Canadian Press
There hasn't been much good news for Toronto FC's beleaguered backline in recent times. But the sight of Adrian Cann on the bench the last three games is cause for celebration.
With 45 minutes in a reserve match last weekend under his belt, the six-foot-three defender is on the verge of returning to first-team action.
It's just the latest step in a soccer journey that has taken the 31-year-old with the perpetual smile from Toronto to Louisville, Colorado, Montreal, Vancouver, Denmark, England and finally back to his home-town team.
"My whole career, it's been a battle, man," said Cann. "I've been fighting, inching my way up to the top, trying to make an impact — not only for myself. (Trying to) leave an imprint of my work ethic and everything that I've put forth.
"And I'm still trying to do that. I'm not going to stop now."
After having had to make do without him for almost 11 months already, Toronto isn't rushing him. The Canadian international expects his immediate future to include limited MLS minutes off the bench and more time with the reserve team.
"The knee's fine," Cann said. "I'm just getting prepared mentally to, any day now, step on the field."
Toronto (0-3-0) could use him.
Saturday's game in Montreal against the 0-4-1 Impact is the fifth in 14 days for Toronto FC, which took a charter from Torreon, Mexico, immediately after Wednesday night's 6-2 loss to Santos Laguna in CONCACAF Champions league play.
Despite coming within one win of reaching the tournament semi-final, Toronto's record in combined MLS and CONCACAF Champions League play this season is 1-4-2 and Aron Winter's side has been outscored 17-8.
In the absence of injured captain Torsten Frings, Toronto's central defensive pairing of Ty Harden and Miguel Aceval has struggled. Like Cann, Jamaican international defender Dicoy Williams has been a long-term injury casualty.
Add that to a league-worst 59 goals conceded last season, when Cann saw action in just 12 games before tearing up his knee in practice.
It was the first serious injury of Cann's career and he acknowledges the months since have sometimes been hard.
"Not only the surgery, but after the surgery I was immobile," he said. "My whole life I've been running around and doing things, being active. And all of a sudden, I was hit with something like this. It kind of took away my freedom."
While Cann injured his knee in late May, he didn't undergo surgery until July. His surgeon wanted him to strengthen his leg muscles first so the rehab would be quicker.
Cann's patella tendon was used to repair his anterior cruciate ligament. Then the hard work really started.
"It was intense," he said.
Cann, who pays tribute to the TFC trainers for nursing him back, believes he has come out of the injury tunnel much stronger mentally.
"Once you go through something like this, it just kind of makes you more rounded as an individual. ... Just the ups and downs of getting better and feeling sore. And the next day feeling better."
The injury was cruel timing for Cann.
After being named TFC's player of the year in 2010, last season started with a salary dispute and ended prematurely as teammates carried him off the training pitch.
From the sidelines, he has watched Toronto's recent tribulations, feeling for fellow defenders like Aceval when they are left twisting in the wind.
"I've been there and I've made mistakes in my career," Cann said. "I think every defender out there has."
His MLS career kicked off in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft, when he was taken by Colorado Rapids after a successful career at the University of Louisville.
He only saw 11 minutes of regular season action, spread across two games, with the Rapids but counts it as an enjoyable, valuable learning experience.
Pluses included visiting Spain with the team. But after playing regularly in college, there was also the harsh reality of going up against more experienced players.
"It opened up my eyes to the professional game. It's tough. You have to compete every single training session and fight for your spot."
"It was a great experience to go through," he added. "And at the same time it was difficult."
An injury cost him a chance to remain with the Rapids, who had brought in other players.
He then spent a couple of seasons in North American soccer's second tier with the Impact, before moving to Vancouver.
"I was playing regularly but not starting every game and I wanted to be a consistent player. I wanted to be starter," he said of his time in Montreal. "I needed a change, I felt."
He got the chance to showcase his skills with the Whitecaps, seeing plenty of action in three years on the West Coast.
In 2008, he went on trial to Denmark's Esbjerg. They said they liked him, but he wasn't so sure after they also signed Swedish defender Fredrik Bjorck.
He returned to Vancouver and was called up by the Canadian national team. Then he got a call from his agent with news that Esbjerg wanted to buy out his contract with the Whitecaps and give him a four-year deal.
So he returned to Denmark, having achieved a career goal to play in Europe.
He liked the training and the atmosphere and did well in the games he played. But he was frustrated that didn't translate into getting the start next time out.
The city itself was on the ocean and "quite quaint," he recalled.
But after the hustle and bustle of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, living in a city of 250,000 a continent away from home was a different experience for a player who describes himself as "very sociable."
"It was nice, but it was kind of lonely," he said.
After being released from his contract, friends led him to tryouts in England with Carlisle United and Burton Albion. But he ended up back home in Toronto, earning a contract with TFC.
"When I left for university, soccer in Toronto wasn't that big. We had the Toronto Lynx and teams like that but it wasn't that big of a deal. But when I got back, there was this nice stadium, great atmosphere. The fans were amazing."
In 2010, he started 26 games and spent 2,340 minutes in the pitch. It was all good.
"I had a great time," he said of his soccer.
He even captained the team in Mexico against Cruz Azul in CONCACAF Champions League play.
"Off the field, I was really happy because my friends and family were around and I was back in a great city."
For the last seven or eight years of his soccer journey, Cann was accompanied by girlfriend Ashiko Westguard. She has since moved to Los Angeles to pursue modelling and acting opportunities as both tend to their careers.
"My love, right now, is for football. My dedication, my devotion is my career," said Cann, adding the two remain friends.
But as good as 2010 was, 2011 would be a different story on and off the pitch for Cann.
He says the business side of his career had always been "a scramble ... never sorted out completely."
"I thought that after having a good year, there might be some sort of way we could work things out so that I don't have to be thinking about my financial matters and just focus on playing well ... Instead of budgeting my money to survive properly."
When he signed his original deal, he says the team told him verbally: "Have a good year, there's room for renegotiation."
So he put his head down — "just worked my ass off, and tried to prove to the fans as well as the organization that I'm worth more."
After a good showing at pre-season in Turkey, the club offered him a new deal.
"They put a new figure on the table," he said. "It just took me some time to think it through."
He didn't meet the team window to respond and they took the new deal off the table.
Cann was away from the team for two weeks before returning under his existing deal. The club welcomed him back — as long as he came with an apology.
"At the end of the day, I've got to be playing soccer," he said. "Because that's what I enjoy doing. In the long run, regardless of the contract situation, it will sort itself out just so long as I perform on the field and produce."
Plus he likes the club, its coaching staff and their style of play.
Nothing has changed on the contract front.
Cann made $132,746 last season, sixth best on the team. In 2010, it was $65,342, 17th best on the club according to figures provided by the players' union.
"To be honest with you. I'm just trying to get myself better ... just perform, do what I can do, show the people what I'm about," he said. "And then hopefully that will speak for itself."
Just don't expect goals.
Ask Cann when he last scored and he pauses before offering up a reserve match in Denmark.
Perhaps he is holding his goals in reserve?
"I would say so," he said warmly. "When it rains, it pours, I think. Hopefully I get my one sooner than later and we can have another interview after that."