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Posted by
Steve Bottjer,
July 28, 2012 |
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Email Steve Bottjer
Twitter @BottjerRNO |
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With a complicated salary cap and set of rules surrounding player movement, Major League Soccer has usually been a league in which blockbuster players trades have been rare. And in the few cases where a very high profile player has moved teams, it has often been at the request of a player who might desire to play in his home town or for a particular team in the league. Thus, when Dutch striker Danny Koevermans went down for the season a few weeks ago with an ACL injury, it wasn’t expected that Toronto FC were going to be able to acquire a player of his calibre to replace him on such short notice.
However, in a rare instance of the planets aligning perfectly for two MLS teams and the marquee player involved, Toronto was able to trade for Vancouver Whitecaps striker Eric Hassli in exchange for TFC’s first round pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft along with an international roster spot through the 2013 season. While the injury to Koevermans likely forced a change of course in terms of Toronto’s player acquisition strategy during the current transfer window, the trade does look like it will be one in which all parties involved will benefit and get exactly what they wanted.
Toronto gets a marquee offensive player to replace Kovermans. Vancouver gets a first round pick,and regains a DP slot along with further flexibility under the salary caps. And Hassli gets a starting role on a team that believes in his abilities to be a genuine difference maker.
Toronto officially unveiled Hassli today at a press conference prior to TFC’s afternoon fixture against the Houston Dynamo and TFC Head Coach Paul Mariner was clearly overjoyed to have been able to add the one player in the MLS who might be able to fully replace all of the qualities that Danny Koevermans had brought to the team over the course of Toronto’s recent turnaround in the league.
“It was a very sad day when we lost Danny Koevermans a few weeks ago in New England. I basically had thought that my world had caved in – because how do you replace a player of that quality? Not only in the dressing room, but also on the field of play. But I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to get this young man sitting alongside me. I can’t tell you how elated I was when I got the news that we had acquired Eric. It is now a new era. We’ve got some players in who are really going to enhance what Eric already does and to say I am over the moon would be an understatement,” stated Mariner today at BMO Field.
As for the Hassli himself, the imposing striker admitted that he has been buoyed to have been traded to a team with a head coach who really wanted to acquire him and who wants to make him a central part of what he is doing with Toronto FC.
“I’m really happy to be here and really excited to start with my new team. A trade can be hard sometimes but I spoke with the coach and I felt so much that I would be appreciated and that he really wanted me. I really want to work hard to help the team and give back for the confidence that he has in me,” said Hassli.
Sitting beside Hassli in TFC’s media room at BMO Field, Mariner was very quick to state his belief that Toronto FC supporters will likely come to love and admire the big Frenchman as much as he has over his time watching him play for an opposing team in the MLS.
“Even though he has hurt us a few times when he was with the Whitecaps, my admiration even though he was on the opposing side was enormous. And I think that our fans hated him but they also loved him. And now that he is a Toronto player, they are absolutely going to adore the way that he plays. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is almost a throwback for me to the old traditional centre forward, where you really don’t want even be around him because he is such a difficult player to play against,” said Mariner.
The Toronto FC Head Coach also spoke about his belief that Hassli brings a particular presence and character that all successful teams must have.
“Everybody at the training ground yesterday said, ‘Wow, what a presence.’ He is a big character and that’s what we need in this team, we need characters. We have some blossoming characters and young players who are absolutely hungry to have some success and they just need some guidance on the field. And with Eric, Torsten and Terry, they are really showing what they can do,” said Mariner.
Hassli, who had spent the majority of this season coming off the bench for the Whitecaps, admitted that he was shocked and surprised when he learned of the trade, but he also stated that he quickly warmed to the move upon speaking at length with Mariner.
“I was surprised. I’m not used to being traded having been in Europe. There you don’t get traded in just one phone call. I spoke to the coach and he really wanted me and I am really happy to be part of his team. I’m a soccer player and I want to play and I need to play. I can’t stay on the bench. So, yes, I was sad because I had a great time in Vancouver, but now I know I will have a great time in Toronto,” said Hassli
“It definitely feels like a fresh start. Toronto wants to be a big team and they want to be huge in this league and I think we have potential to be a great team,” added Hassli.
Asked if he had any concerns around the fact that he had been traded from a team that looks certain to qualify for the MLS Playoffs to one that currently sits at the bottom of the league standings, Hassli spoke confidently about the qualities of a team that had vanquished his previous team in the Canadian Championship several weeks ago.
“They lost the first nine games of the season and it is really hard to maintain confidence, but recently they have done really great and won the last three games. We have a lot of games still to play. We have great quality players on this team and I believe in this team and we have to believe that we can make the playoffs this year,” said Hassli.
Hassli also admitted that he was happy to be following a similar path to his former teammate, Terry Dunfield, who was traded by Vancouver to Toronto last year just in time to participate in TFC’s exciting run in the CONCACAF Champions League.
“It is really exciting. I want to play and I’m excited to play in the regular season too. We have a lot of games to play and it’s going to be great for me to play in the Champions League here in North America. I had the chance to play Champions League in Europe, so I think it is very exciting,” said Hassli
The big Frenchman also touched on the fact that he would again be a teammate of Dunfield, who has excelled and rejuvenated his career playing under Mariner with Toronto FC.
“I have known Terry (Dunfield) for more than a year now and we just ate together last night – not too late, Coach, don’t worry - and he spoke really highly about the city and the team,” said Hassli.
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