Tal Ben Haim Should Help Toronto FC's Back Line

After giving up yet another second-half lead slip away, Toronto FC head coach Ryan Nelsen has reached out to a former teammate to firm up the Reds’ defence. Tal Ben Haim has been signed on loan until the end of June from Queens Park Rangers, where he made six appearances in 2013.

While it’s not the kind of news that rates on a par with Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to kick himself upstairs at Manchester United, it should provide a short-term solution to Toronto’s back-line woes. Ben Haim, a 31-year-old Israel international, has made more than 300 appearances in the last nine years with Bolton, Chelsea, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Sunderland and West Ham United along with QPR. He also captains his country’s national team and has earned 71 caps with them, most recently in a World Cup qualifying match in March against Northern Ireland.

“Tal Ben Haim has been one of the top defenders in the Premier League for nearly a decade,” Toronto FC president Kevin Payne told the club’s website. “He captains his national team, and Ryan thinks the world of him. He’s exactly the sort of veteran defender we need.”

The announcement comes on the heels of Toronto not being able to hold onto a 1-0 lead in San Jose on Wednesday night and winding up on the wrong end of a 2-1 final score to the Earthquakes. The result represents eight points lost by the Reds from winning positions in this season’s Major League Soccer action. As a result, Toronto has seven points after 10 matches and finds itself in eighth place in the 10-team Eastern Conference. The Reds now have a nine-day break to work Ben Haim into the side before the squad’s next match against the Columbus Crew at BMO Field May 18.

This is the second signing of former QPR contemporaries Nelsen has made; he also went back to Loftus Road to take winger Hogan Ephraim on loan since the Hoops were relegated to the lower-level English Championship for next season. Nelsen has also inked 25-year-old New Zealand international Jeremy Brockie on a loan agreement until the end of the season. A previous deal to land Bolton Wanderers striker Kevin Davies in April fell through.

Of the most recent signings, Ben Haim is considered to be the player who will have the most immediate impact given his wealth of experience. The 6-foot, 163-pound defender is versatile, begin able to play at both centre back and right back. Toronto FC also need someone — anyone — who can play at a high level.