Reached mutual agreement with the Vancouver Whitecaps to terminate his contract on Dec. 30, 2016.
PRONUNCIATION: MA-sa-TOE
The hard-working Kudo only mustered two goals in 17 appearances in his only season in MLS, missing several matches after breaking his jaw in a scary clash with the Chicago Fire's goalkeeper during a May 11 victory.
The forward joined MLS after coming through the ranks and playing professionally for Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol. The Japanese international's arrival was believed to have the potential to usher in a new era of Asian players joining MLS had Kudo been able to produce goals more regularly.
INTERNATIONAL: Has four senior caps for Japan's national team to date, scoring two goals. He also represented Japan at the U-21 level at the 2010 Asian Games, winning the gold medal in that competition.
OUTSIDE MLS: Played for Kashiwa Reysol from 2009-15, scoring 92 goals in 260 appearances across all competitions, making him the all-time leading scorer for the club. Won the J. League Division 2 league title in 2010 and the J. League Division 1 championship in 2011, as well as the Emperor's Cup and the Japanese SuperCup in 2012 and the 2013 J. League Cup.
NOTES: Kudo has experience playing in the AFC Champions League (he scored 10 goals in 27 appearances) and the Club World Cup (Kashiwa Reysol finished fourth in 2011).
