TORONTO — In need of shoring up its defence, Toronto FC has signed veteran U.S. international centre back Omar Gonzalez.
A source confirmed the signing, which is expected to be announced later today.
Toronto was able to acquire Gonzalez by virtue of holding first spot in the league’s allocation order.
Major League Soccer uses the allocation process as its way of acquiring select U.S. internationals, elite youth U.S. internationals or former MLS players returning to the league after joining a non-MLS club for a transfer fee greater than $500,000.
Toronto (5-6-3) has given up 23 goals and ranks 17th in the league on defence, conceding 1.64 goals a game.
Greg Vanney’s team is winless in five games (0-3-2) and has given up two or more goals nine times in MLS play this season.
The 30-year-old Gonzalez played seven seasons for the Los Angeles Galaxy from 2009 to 2015, appearing in 205 regular-season and playoff games.
Most recently he was with Pachuca and Club Atlas in Mexico.
A former MLS rookie of the year, he was named defender of the year in 2011 and to four MLS Best XI’s (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014). He won three MLS Cups (2011, 2012, 2014) and two Supporters’ Shields (2010, 2011) with the Galaxy.
The six-foot-five Gonzalez, a Mexican-American dual citizen who grew up in Dallas, earned his first U.S. cap in 2010 against Brazil. He has made 49 appearances for the U.S. with three goals.
Gonzalez is currently with the U.S. team preparing for June 5 friendly with Jamaica at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
