TFC rarely gives fans time to celebrate. Even when something good happens – like, say, Terry Dunfield sticking it to his home town, the same town with fans that threw him under the bus and never understood what his role was – the Reds still find a way to disappoint quickly afterwards.
Like, say, trading Julian de Guzman, a player TFC fans threw under the bus and never understood what his role was.
There are lots of logical reasons why he's being moved. The club needs a DP slot, he's unlikely to re-sign and any help they can get for him is more than they will get if he bolts.
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De Guzman's play at TFC was inconsistent. He's a small guy and the physical nature of the league overwhelmed him at times. His single biggest failure was that he gave the ball away too often. The issue with that is that even the least sophisticated fan in the park can recognize when a guy loses possession. When that player also makes a whole lot of money, and came to the club with unrealistic expectations, then he'll become a target of frustrated fans.
Those fans will be celebrating today. They'll be celebrating that Toronto once again cast aside a hometown boy in a way that was less than fitting.
If you're a JDG hater could you please do us all a favour and give it a rest for a few hours anyway. You got your wish. He's gone. Allow the rest of us some time to mourn.
Mourn that it never quite worked out, mourn that a guy that has had as much success elsewhere was booed as much as he was and mourn that we were never given an opportunity to say goodbye to him.
One of my best JDG memories comes from before he ever took the pitch in a game. Just after he signed, and following a game, de Guzman took to the field with the reserves to get some training in. Although most of the crowd had left the stadium by then a group of diehards remained in section 113. Spotting de Guzman and his then trademark hair, the group gave him an ovation as he jogged past. JDG looked up and gave a wave of thanks.
Today I return that wave. Thanks Julian. Good luck in Dallas and wherever you end up afterwards.