Toronto FC’s mid-season makeover continued Thursday as the club placed Canadian midfielder Terry Dunfield on waivers.
Dunfield, a 31-year-old native of Vancouver, was originally acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Whitecaps on July 14, 2011.
He scored six goals in 56 combined appearances in Major League Soccer, CONCACAF Champions League, and the Amway Canadian Championship for TFC.
Dunfield was a starter in each of TFC’s first four games of the current MLS season before suffering a knee injury in training on April 2. He recently returned to full training after sitting out the last nine league games – the Canadian international had not played since Toronto earned a 2-2 draw against the L.A. Galaxy on March 30.
Coach Ryan Nelsen said it was strictly numbers game, and that Dunfield lost out due to increased competition for midfield places.
“This was a difficult decision to make but our midfielders have been playing well, and there are young players to develop and find minutes for. We felt this was the best decision for both the club and Terry moving forward,” coach Ryan Nelsen said in a statement.
“On behalf of everyone at Toronto FC, we’d like to thank Terry for his contributions to the club and wish him well in his future endeavours.”
Since Dunfield’s injury, the club signed young Matias Laba, and with his DP contract, the Argentine is expected to start most games.
Also, Jeremy Hall has solidified his spot as a starter and young Canadian Jonathan Osorio has cracked the starting line-up thanks to a string of very solid performances – he is the club’s second-leading scorer with three goals this season.
Dunfield’s contract paid him $120,000 US this season, a substantial increase from the $86,000 he made last season. At that pay scale, and considering his age, it’s unlikely TFC would have been able to trade him to another team and get something in return, hence the decision to waive him.
Dunfield’s exit does free up a roster spot for TFC, so it’ll be interesting to see how and when they fill it with a new signing.
What will also be interesting to see is where Dunfield lands next.
Though considered a solid and workmanlike midfielder, Dunfield could find it tough to catch on with an American team in MLS because of his international status – Canadians are considered international players on U.S. teams, while American players are deemed domestic players on Canadian clubs.
The Whitecaps and Montreal Impact don’t appear to be option for him, even though he’d be considered a domestic player.
