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TFC trades Cunningham to FC Dallas

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Toronto FC has unloaded out-of-favor forward Jeff Cunningham to FC Dallas for a third-round draft pick. The deal ends weeks of speculation about Cunningham’s future after his well-publicized falling out with Toronto FC head coach John Carver.

Cunningham has struggled mightily for Toronto this year, scoring three goals in 16 matches and failing to show the form that has helped him score 99 career goals in MLS. He joins an FC Dallas team that boasts star forward Kenny Cooper, but also has speedy option Dominic Oduro as well as reserve forward Abe Thompson.

Toronto FC is still searching for forwards, with 16-year-old Abdus Ibrahim, recently-added Chad Barrett and reserve Jarrod Smith as the only options recently. Danny Dichio is still sidelined with a concussion, but could return to action for this weekend’s match against Colorado. TFC is considering options outside of MLS, as well as some in MLS, including LA Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz.

For those keeping track, FC Dallas will be the fifth different team Cunningham has played for in five seasons (Columbus, Colorado and Real Salt Lake were the previous stops). It was that track record that kept some teams, including the New York Red Bulls, from biting when Toronto started shopping Cunningham around the league.

One of the places Cunningham did the best was at Real Salt Lake when none other than FC Dallas assistant John Ellinger was the head coach. Cunningham scored 16 goals for Ellinger’s RSL squad in 2006, but was traded by RSL to Toronto soon after Ellinger was fired as RSL head coach and replaced by Jason Kreis. Dallas already had a fast forward in Oduro, and has a very young squad, but it appears clear that Ellinger has convinced head coach Schellas Hyndman that Cunningham can be a good fit for the Hoops.

Could the deal be a pre-cursor to a Kenny Cooper transfer? I wouldn’t go that far. FC Dallas got Cunningham at a bargain price and can easily release him if he doesn’t work out. Now if Cunningham does flourish, it could be one of the steals of the year.

What do you think of the deal? Is FC Dallas crazy to take on a player who has earned the label ‘malcontent’ at multiple clubs? Could FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman be the man to bring the best out of Cunningham? Did Toronto FC sell Cunningham too cheaply? Were the Red Bulls foolish not to take a chance on Cunningham at such a cheap price?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. zoran,

    the reason tfc plays a 4-5-1 mostly is cuz we realize that dichio has been our only good striker. trust me if cunningham played with more passion and could finish, we’d have no trouble switching to a 4-4-2

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  2. 3rd Degree is reporting that Toronto is eating the bulk of JC’s contract and they can rid themselves of him after the season.

    So it’s essentially a rental till season’s end.

    I still don’t get it, and it is depressing that with all the talk of needing another striker, all Hyndman and Ellinger can come up with is JC.

    He doesn’t make them a better team. Personally I would rather see them try and make some of the youthful players they have, better and more experienced.

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  3. “Cunningham sucks. All he does is score goals”

    Hilarious, Buddy Ryan all over again. Only trouble is, Cunningham couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. His third gear is gone, and the league’s defenders have improved greatly.

    Plus, look at his goal totals over his career: he’s only averaged eight goals per season, despite some good individual years, and that was, as noted, when the league was weaker.

    Combine that general mediocre production, even at his best, with the poorest attitude I think I’ve ever seen from an MLS player outside of Diallo and he really was a locker room cancer. I wish him no luck in Dallas, and assume he will produce at approximately the same garbage rate as at TFC, costing them money and returning nothing for it.

    And, to anyone who thinks Dallas hoodwinked TFC: We got Ibrahim, who at 16 already has more talent in his left big toe than Cunningham had in his prime.

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  4. After considering the 2 MLS targets Osorio is considering, I’ve come up with Dominic Oduro and Atiba Harris. Could be wrong, but this trade might make Oduro a target.

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  5. Meh. I’ll wait to comment until I see how he does here. If he fits in personality-wise and helps the team, I think it will turn out to be a great deal, but based on what I’ve heard about him, I’m not so sure.

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  6. Zoran-

    Good point however i do think its somewhat too early to say we arent replacing the players we send off. Although the transfer windown closes next friday, trades between MLS teams can go on until sept 15 (if im not mistaken). I do think that Mo is living a bit dangerously by not having someone blatently on TFCs radar, he did do well with the mids at the start of the year tho (granted it was a bit late by some peoples tastes). I guess we will have to see how this turns out. There are rumors of a move for Ruiz being made (i really hope not, ech, i gotta say Mo and i dont see eye to eye when it comes to strikers).

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  7. Sonic,

    Took a look and you’re right, he started all of July and now the first game in August. Scored a goal and had 2 assists in those 5 games, not including the game against Charleston but including the win over Miami.

    Interesting. My comment was based on some reports I had read on 3rd Degree that Schellas Hyndman saw Oduro as more of a sub, but I guess things have changed in Dallas.

    I wonder if the situation will change again now that Cunningham has been introduced…

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  8. ossington

    fair enough. Only other point on this topic is that TFC is getting rid of people and not replacing them. So why get rid of them until there is a replacement? Why call out Cunnigham and make it obvious to every other team in the MLS that a 3rd round draft pick and he is yours! Barrett for Mcbride, we’ll take it, Cunningham is no longer wanted here!

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  9. Eugene, you obviously haven’t been watching FC Dallas games lately. Oduro is starting and doing quite well.

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  10. Zoran-

    We can definitely agree to disagree.

    Im pretty sure the guy is at the end of his career and its starting to show.

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  11. Columbus never unloaded him b/c of attitude. They had Ante Razov come in through a trade. Then Razov acted like a spoiled little sh!t who was being punished and sent to Columbus without his dessert. In the end, The Crew were stuck without one of their most popular players, and with one of the worst malcontents I’ve ever seen play.

    It was one of many bizarre and unexplainable decisions during the Andrulis reign.

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  12. I think the Red Bulls should make a deal for Dominic Oduro. He would be a great partner for Angel, would put some speed in our attack, would free up Angel from double coverage, and I think we could pencil Oduro in to start (vs. coming in from the bench at Dallas).

    I think Oduro would appreciate being a starting forward.

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  13. Ossington

    The man was never really given a fair chance. The team was playing a 4-5-1 and he doesn’t fit in as the one. When the players left for internationals and we played 4-4-2 he socred and created quite few chances. He must be difficult to manage (as I have heard from a source that he and Dichio can’t stand each other) but as a player, he has been been targeted by everyone in Toronto. I mean people are still talking about a missed opporutiny that bounced off of him against Montreal. He is a decent player that knows how to get opportunities, bad chance to goal ratio, but the level of abuse he has received on these boards has been way too harsh. He was playing as a bench player and yet people were still all over him *shrug*. I do believe he will do well in Dallas, unless he is for certain a total head case.

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  14. Cunningham has looked awful this year and last.

    The league has improved while he has declined in skill.

    He’s had every kind of chance this season (so many!) and he’s failed pretty much every time. I know in the past he’s had attitude problems, but he really didn’t in toronto. He just sucks, that’s all. He’s had too many goal line, one-on-one, great service failures to stick around at his price.

    TFC saves $100,000 on this here on in, since Cunny was making about $250,000.

    The other big problem with Cunny was he had no soccer IQ. His ability to understand how to run into space was non-existent. Laurent Robert fed him diagonal balls many times but Cunny only knows how to run in a straight line at goal. Robert always had a disgusted look on his face when Cunny would inevitably screw up those plays.

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  15. Zoran-

    Dude, i would agree with you at the start of the season but hes played poorly for so long. Im assuming that by ridding of a striker we are making room for one. Regardless Cunny has looked terrible on the field whether playing or pouting and this was to TFCs benefit to rid of him. There were honestly times where it felt like we were a man down when Cunny was on the field. It should not be that way. Theres a reason why that guy became Public enemy No 1

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  16. This is great. I can’t wait to hear from the TFC fans once Cunny helps Dallas to the playoffs and gets over 10 goals this season. You can disagree now, but check the stats at the end of the year, and my point will be made.

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  17. Cunny got the short end of the stick up here in Toronto. Frustrated TFC fans have made him public enemy #1, which I think has been pretty unfair. To just unload him for nothing is quite silly. He was one of our best players last Sunday, but I guess it was to showcase that he still has some left in the tank.

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  18. If I’m the GM of FC Dallas I would have made the deal too. Why not? You get a proven goal scorer for a 3rd round draft pick…….seems like a no brainer to me.

    So if Cooper stays for the entire season and Cunningham fits in and finds his form this move could ensure Dallas makes the postseason.

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  19. I’m glad Toronto was able to get rid of Cunningham’s hefty salary. Despite his poor year, I don’t dislike him as a player but he is overpaid.

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  20. Glad to see the back of him, dont care really for what we got for him. Greater concern is whether we will get a striker of any descernible talent in time. Mos in a jam. He did well with our mids and future of our club but by god did not invite alot of hope with Dickov (who obviously didnt sign). I really hope hes got something up his sleeve. Cant say Ruiz is all that enchanting. Hes more or less a new Cunny. I guess if we have no other option sign him till the endof the season then pass if hes crap… Please having something up your sleeve Mo. PLEASE.

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  21. Something interesting…

    Until this trade, Toronto had 8 Canadians and 8 Americans (if you include Puerto Rican Marco Velez) on it’s roster. Hurray for strange roster rules!

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  22. I was about to make the comment that Ibbe is technically not a rookie, but I see you caught that before the mafia could post on it.

    I think Ellinger wants to get Cunningham goal No. 100.

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  23. soccerroo:

    “score regularly”? I don’t think you have seen him lately. He couldn’t score from 2 yards out on an open net when the ball hit him in the foot a few weeks ago. If he had TFC would have made it to the Champions League.

    TFC doesn’t have many options up front and the still couldn’t wait to get rid of Cunny. His me first attitude and lack of goals this season has hurt TFC.

    The fact that Mo Johnston got anything for the guy is a miracle. He’ll play decently in the beginning but as soon as he goes on a scoring drought look out.

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  24. “Toronto FC is still searching for forwards, with rookie Patrick Nyarko and recently-added Chad Barrett as the only options at the moment.”

    Nyarko is actually still in Chicago…

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  25. “Toronto FC is still searching for forwards, with rookie Patrick Nyarko and recently-added Chad Barrett as the only options at the moment.”

    Do you mean Jarrod Smith? Patrick Nyarko is still with the Fire.

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  26. TFC Have Ibrahim not Nyarko (unless u know something we don’t).

    Cunny had to go as he was done in TO. He’ll probably turn it around a bit in Dallas and then wear out his welcome by mid-season next year.

    So who are the “outside the league” options TFC is looking at?

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  27. I think this could be a great thing. He gives us a second strike who can score regularly and hopefully can be happy here for a few years.

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  28. Ellinger LOVES Cunny. Anyone else remember Cunny getting the golden boot under Ellinger for RSL. I say Cunny makes a comeback at FCD.

    Althought I still don’t care for him myself.

    Reply

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