TORONTO — Toronto FC fans demanded changes near the end of a disappointing 2010 season.
Boy, did they ever get them. And in a hurry. Six departures, one arrival and one near signing highlighted a busy week for interim director of soccer Earl Cochrane.
On Thursday, TFC traded their first pick (eighth overall) in next year's SuperDraft to pick up Nathan Sturgis from Vancouver, who had claimed the midfielder in Wednesday’s expansion draft from Seattle.
Cochrane also conducted on Wednesday one of the biggest house-cleanings in the club's short history, waiving five players, including second Designated Player and striker Mista along with defenders Raivis Hscanovics, Maksim Usanov and Gabe Gala and midfielder Martin Saric.
Also departing the club that day, the Whitecaps claimed striker O'Brian White in the expansion draft.
Sturgis, despite being 23, already has five years of MLS experience. His unique combination of youth and experience provides Cochrane with both a long- and short-term solution in the midfield.
“He is a player who will be able to make an immediate impact in our team next season, but is also young enough to play a role here in the long term,” Cochrane said. “We studied the options that would likely be available to us with our first round pick in the MLS SuperDraft and made the decision that the addition of Nathan is of greater benefit to our squad.”
TFC will be Sturgis' fifth club in five seasons, as he has spent time with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Seattle and now, Toronto via Vancouver. But interim head coach Nick Dasovic isn't too concerned with his many travels.
"He is a good player to bring into the midfield and has a great character," said Dasovic of Sturgis. "We talked to coaches that he has played under and they all had good things to say about him. We want players with good character who want to be here and work hard. We think he is a good fit for the club and we are looking forward to having him here.”
Cochrane's release of the quintet made the Sturgis move possible, but has also primed the club for an infusion of talent later this offseason.
“This is the next step as we continue to plan for the 2011 season,” Cochrane said in a club-issued statement. “This was a collective decision after discussions between the team management and the coaching staff. We thank all five of the players for their contribution to Toronto FC during their time with the club.”
DP Mista was the most notable of the five waived, but his release was inevitable as he was largely ineffective relative to his high salary. The Spaniard, who often struggled for fitness, had a lone assist in nine games and was the object of some derision.
The departures of Hscanovics, Usanov and Saric were expected. Each battled injuries throughout the season with Saric and Usanov exhibiting a lack of discipline in games despite their experience.
Gala’s release will disappoint those keen on Canadians filling roster spots on Canadian MLS clubs. But the former Canadian U-20 international saw minimal playing time in four years, starting just four games. This past season, the 21-year-old appeared in only 10 games, nine as substitute.
White’s loss leaves Toronto with Maicon Santos, Chad Barrett and Fuad Ibrahim, who earned a cap with the US U-20s on Friday night’s Torneo de las Americas opener, as the lone strikers on the roster.
“It is always difficult to see a player leave in the Expansion Draft, but it is something we have to deal with,” said Cochrane.
TFC picked White fourth overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. After missing most of the 2009 season with an injury, the 2007 MAC Hermann award winner had four goals and four assists in 33 MLS appearances for the club, but struggled with his finish.
Amid the flurry of moves, Cochrane addressed rumors of the signing of Dutch midfielder Bas Ent, which was reported by Dutch soccer website Topklasseer.nl.
“Bas trialed for us in the Bolton game,” Cochrane said. “We have spoken to him and his agent, but nothing has been finalized.”
