TFC trades Bekker to Dallas for allocation

Kyle-Bekker-Toronto-FC

Kyle Bekker right, in action for Toronto FC. (Peter McCabe/CP)

The list of players that Toronto FC have drafted in the first round in the past and who are no longer with the club is a long one.

Maurice Edu and Andrew Boyens (2007); Julius James and Pat Phelan (2008); Sam Cronin, O’Brien White and Stefan Frei (2009); Luis Silva and Aron Maund (2012); Emery Welshman (2013).

They’re all gone. Nick Hagglund (2014) is still around, but we can now add one more name to the list of dearly departed first-rounders: Kyle Bekker.

The Reds have traded Bekker to FC Dallas for allocation money, sources confirmed to Sportsnet, bringing an end to the Canadian’s lacklustre stint with TFC. Toronto-based reporter Anthony Totera first reported the trade on Tuesday evening.


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Bekker, a 24-year-old native from Oakville, was the third overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. He was the highest Canadian pick ever at the MLS draft, until last week when Orlando City selected Cyle Larin first overall. Some pundits were shocked that he went third overall, but then-TFC president and GM Kevin Payne had been tracking the Boston College midfielder’s progress and liked what he saw from Bekker at that year’s MLS combine.

“We believed going in that Kyle was by far the best footballer out of the draft, and the player really most ready to become a pro. He demonstrated that down at the combine. He was the most impressive player there,” Payne said at the time.

Bekker didn’t exactly impress in his two seasons with TFC, mostly because of his limited opportunities, and he wasn’t able to move up the depth chart with the same speed and success as fellow Canadian Jonathan Osorio.

Bekker midfielder appeared in nine league games (three as a starter) in his rookie campaign in 2013. With the additions of Michael Bradley and Jackson last off-season, Bekker struggled to crack the starting lineup, although he did see a bit more playing time in 2014.

He leaves TFC with 29 regular season appearances and no goals over two seasons.

The Canadian midfieldr wasn’t given much of a look by former coach Ryan Nelsen, whose counter-attacking and physical brand of soccer didn’t suit Bekker’s game.

Still, at least six MLS teams—including the Montreal Impact, Seattle Sounders, Sporting Kansas City and New York City FC—contacted TFC in the last 12 months about acquiring Bekker. The Reds entertained the trade offers but deals couldn’t be reached because Toronto asked “for too much in return,” a source told Sportsnet.

“New York was very interested in him, but they thought Toronto wanted too much allocation money in return,” the source said. “(New York coach Jason) Kreis made it clear that if he was left unprotected in the expansion draft that he was going to take Bekker.”

A move to FC Dallas will allow Bekker the chance to get his career back on track, as the recent signings of Marco Delgado and fellow Canadian Jay Chapman meant he was going to fall even further down TFC’s depth chart.

Bekker has appeared in 13 games for Canada and he actually played for the national team before making his pro debut, earning his first two caps in friendlies against Denmark and the United States the same month he was drafted.

Bekker made his debut as a 15-year-old with the Canadian national youth program, and played for Canada’s under-23 team at the 2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic qualifying tournament.

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