Photo by Denny Medley/USA Today Sports
By RYAN TOLMICH
Following the additions of Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore, Gilberto was left as the odd man out in Toronto, but the Brazilian star has found himself a new home, at least for the time being.
Toronto FC announced Friday that Gilberto has officially joined Brazil’s Vasco da Gama on a season-long loan.
“This move was necessary in order for us to be roster and budget compliant for the start of the 2015 season. While necessary it also allows us to gain flexibility and options both today and in the future,” said Toronto FC General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “We’d like to thank Gilberto for his contributions to Toronto FC and wish him well this season.”
Gilberto joined Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe as Toronto FC’s offseason acquisitions ahead of the 2014 campaign, as the trio were each brought in as Designated Players. However, after the departure of Defoe and addition of Altidore, TFC were forced to get under the league-mandated threshold of three DPs, prompting the move for the Brazilian.
The forward made 32 appearances for TFC last season and scored seven goals while providing five assists.
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What do you think of the Gilberto loan move? Expect to see him in a TFC jersey again? How will he fare in Brazil?
Share your thoughts below.
It’s too damn bad Gilberto had to be shipped out, he probably would’ve netted something above 10 goals this season and TFC would’ve absolutely been the team to beat. Their offense would’ve been murder.
This is out of the blue, but why is espn talking about Carson, California having a nfl stadium for San Diego and Oakland, besides rams pursuing the other land by the Hollywood race track.
I don’t want to say this, but LA2 might end up playing in a nfl stadium for sure until they get their own stadium.
How in the world, will LA2 get their stadium before an nfl team. Something is going on and garber knows LA2 will play in a nfl stadium, or should say galaxy, or both.
Why can’t it be a complex?
FWIW the most recent NFL football stadium built, Levi’s, took slightly more than 2 years in construction on top of clearing the political/funding process. So even in the speedier modern construction era we are starting to bump against a 2017 LAFC first season being on time in the new park (if this is how it happens).
Also, I would think that a three team groundshare would be more complicated than two. NFL game pretty much every weekend I’d think.
I still think LA2 will end up in a nfl stadium, or a stadium that will be expandable for nfl.
Rams will stay in st.louis, Oakland needs a baseball and football stadium and San Diego is too good to give up on the chargers.
The question is, where in the world will LA2 play and I have been saying this for a while,give them more time just like Miami and maybe LA2 can get some land by Santa Monica and make it a real Hollywood fc team.
If LA2 wants to rely on the Hispanic- mexican population then they fail again because the Hispanic population doesn’t even attend the galaxy games.
I find it interesting that in a salary cap league the league office lets you show up to camp with a non-compliant amount of DPs. I could understand reserve players but the idea you can have 4 DPs signed and then just drop one at a later date strikes me as a manipulation.
When are teams will loan or trade their dps in the league. They need to start pressuring garber for easier rules, if you want to grow the league, these type of players can not leave.
Keep them, trade them, loan team but in MLS.
You can get 7 goals from a lengthy list of players who aren’t even necessarily DP cost. Personally I believe in a hard cap to keep it fair for everyone and promote leaguewide viability of the teams. But he’s not the sort of player in terms of MLS value for whom I think we need exceptions. I mean, Houston got 10 goals from Bruin for $170k, Gilberto is 7 for $1.2 million (in other words, almost Bruin’s salary per each goal). Which is smarter, more budget savvy, etc.? Paying for big names who don’t produce more than marginal international campers is not the best business strategy and he doesn’t have a name to sell tickets.
I’d actually be interested if he was shopped in MLS and if there were any takers at his price.
last year, same team loaned Max Urutti to Vancouver and he has a solid season there and should be back next year.
im sure it was easier to do that to a younger player than a vet like Gilberto but i bet they tried.
Laba* my bad.
What do you think of the Gilberto loan move?
I’m not a fan of MLS constantly loaning out of favor players in lieu of selling them. This is done quite regularly instead of a final sale. I understand the short-term flexibility it creates financially but when there’s interest (as there obviously was), why not recoup a sale price?
I don’t proclaim to know more than MLS clubs or their finances but this type of business has always struck me as amateur.
Expect to see him in a TFC jersey again?
Considering there’s no information in the article about how long he’s under contract with TFC, I don’t see how this is even a question posed to SBI readers. More information please.
Only a season long move
I’m referring to the length of his contract with TFC.
It could just be a face saving way of clearing him out while we run out his contract, a la Montero (or what Chivas is doing on Cubo). They won’t pay the transfer so we loan him out for less. TFC gets nominal exchange and the player clears off the roster. Depending how long is left on the contract, we either sell, extend the loan, or move him some place else if he has years left, or he moves on a free if this is his last season.
It could just be a face saving way of clearing him out while we run out his contract, a la Montero (or what Chivas is doing on Cubo).
This is exactly what I believe their doing.
More likely they would love to keep him and are waiting to see what happens with CBA. In the new agreement there may be a way to bring him back. There’s probably a clause in his loan for recall in just such a case.
Interesting. Hadn’t thought about that.
first question: MLS doesn’t seem to be interested in being a player in the global transfer market. they rarely pay substantial transfer fees, sell to bring in fees and when they do its usually a hidden detail, contrary to the rest of the world where the $number is usually the headline of the deal. MLS is more of an entertainment company than a football league and the global transfer market is terrible place for the write-your -own rules, over controlling, financially stringent novices.
second: this deal basically answers the question will there be a 4th DP spot added this year; no. but will there be a 4th DP spot next year; possibly. if that happens, or if one of their 3 have to leave then they have the option of recalling Gilberto.
MLS doesn’t seem to be interested in being a player in the global transfer market.
Right you are. I think this is the aspect that bugs me personally from a fans perspective.
same, but its not a bad move from a business perspective. see the last line of my 1st paragraph.
i think at some point MLS will realize that they are better off designing a league to appeal to non-MLS soccer fans than non-soccer fans who might give it a shot once and a while. until then there are hundreds of little things like this won’t (or over the course of decades will) change and make up the direction they chose; so get on with it.
I think this is brilliant in this case if both sides are still interested.
The agreement in a few weeks ( hopefully ) could mean it can work to keep him on the team, in which case, they still have him.