Julian de Guzman is on his way out of Toronto after nearly four seasons spent as one of the biggest names on the Reds’ roster.
Toronto FC confirmed Friday morning they have dealt de Guzman to FC Dallas for midfielder Andrew Wiedeman, ending the Canadian international’s stint in the Reds’ midfield and clearing the way for new head coach Paul Mariner to continue tweaking his roster with an open Designated Player spot.
De Guzman appeared in 65 games for Toronto since signing as the club’s first Designated Player in club history in 2009 from Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain. He appeared in 25 games during his first full season with the club in 2010 before he saw his minutes scaled back slightly last year, and he’s played in 16 matches during a tumultuous year in Toronto this season.
"Losing someone like Julian is never easy but this deal gives us increased flexibility to address areas where we have more pressing needs and opens up a Designated Player spot for our club,” Mariner said in a statement. “On behalf of everyone at Toronto FC, I’d like to thank Julian for his contributions to the club and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
He’ll likely slot into his traditional holding midfielder spot behind former league MVP David Ferreira in the center of FCD’s midfield.
“Julian has had a very experienced career, having played in both the German and Spanish first divisions,” FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman said in a statement. “He is a central midfielder, a holding midfielder and a very skillful player. He also has a lot of experience playing with the Canadian national team. He will give FC Dallas an additional veteran that can solidify our possession style of play. He also has a bit of toughness to him that will help us win 50-50 balls and control the central midfield.”
De Guzman, 31, was the second highest-paid player on the team and one of three Designated Players on the roster, including 2011 signings Danny Koevermans and Torsten Frings. The trade is TFC’s third personnel move inside a week as Mariner continues to put his stamp on the team in place of deposed coach Aron Winter, after they loaned forward Joao Plata to Liga de Quito in Ecuador and cut midfielder Nick Soolsma earlier this week.
Wiedeman, 22, has struggled to make headway in the lineup in more than two seasons in Dallas, appearing in eight regular season games since he debuted in 2010. He was drafted in the second round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.
