FRISCO, Texas – It was an offer FC Dallas couldn’t refuse.
Those were the words coming out of Frisco on Friday morning as Canadian international midfielder Julian de Guzman joined FC Dallas for his first training session with the club since being traded from Toronto FC for forward Andrew Wiedeman.
“To be able to come across a talented player like de Guzman and to add him to your roster without compromising this year or the future is always a plus,” FC Dallas technical director Fernando Clavijo told reporters on Friday morning. “He fits when you look at the way we play.”
The addition of another defensive midfielder to a squad that has struggled to score lately raised some eyebrows, but with Toronto FC looking to free up a Designated Player spot, de Guzman fell into Dallas’ laps.
And according to the club, de Guzman’s arrival won’t hamper any efforts to bring desperately needed reinforcements to FCD’s striker corps.
“I think the terms of the trade is really quite remarkable in our favor,” head coach Schellas Hyndman said. “So it was a decision we made not to take away from we’re still looking for a forward. … We know what we need, but this was too good of a trade for us to ignore.”
For de Guzman, it was a move that came about very quickly, but one that gives him a fresh start as he heads into the final months of his initial Designated Player contract.
“It’s part of the game and a side that you accept as a professional,” he said. “For myself, Toronto will always be home, but football is the love of my life and to continue to play and have the chance to play here, it’s a great opportunity.”
On the field, de Guzman brings some international experience and adds bite to the FC Dallas midfield as they try to make a push to get back into the Western Conference playoff picture.
“When I’m looking at how we can set up the future of this team today and in 2013 and more, we needed to do moves that don’t compromise that,” Clavijo said. “And this move didn’t compromise anything whatsoever in the future of this franchise, so it’s a win-win situation for us.”
