Music: {allcanada} TFC PARTS WAYS WITH KOEVERMANS, FREI IN RETOOLING

Sunday, December 1, 2013

{allcanada} TFC PARTS WAYS WITH KOEVERMANS, FREI IN RETOOLING

Toronto FC officially cut ties with striker Danny Koevermans and long-time goalkeeper Stefan Frei in a series of roster moves on Friday. Both players were out of contract.

Though his strike rate was high, designated player Koevermans was often injured and appeared in only 30 games over the course of three seasons with TFC, including missing most of the 2012 campaign and appearing just four times in 2013. The 35-year-old Dutchman is expected to pursue opportunities in his homeland.

TFC's first-round pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, Frei was displaced as first-choice 'keeper by the acquisition of Joe Bednik from the Portland Timbers last off-season. When Toronto traded for Chris Konopka to deputize for Bednik in September, the writing was on the wall for Frei that his time in Toronto was nearing its end. Frei made 99 appearances for TFC over the course of his career, but only four in the last two seasons mostly due to injury.

Out-of-contract forward Justin Braun will also not be returning to the team.

Toronto FC also declined options on Welsh striker Robert Earnshaw and midfielders Bobby Convey, Darrel Russel and Michael Thomas.

The team picked up the option on 11 players: goalkeepers Bendik, Konopka and Quillan Roberts; defenders Gale Agbossoumonde, Mark Bloom, Ryan Ricther; midfielders Kyle Bekker, Reggie Lambe, Jeremy Hall; forwards Bright Dike, Emery Welshman, and Andrew Wiedeman.

The team already had nine players under contract for next season in defenders Jonas Elmer, Ashtone Morgan, Doneil Henry, Richard Eckersley and Steven Caldwell, as well as midfielders Matias Laba, Jonathan Osorio, Manuel Aparicio and Alvaro Rey.

"We are writing a new story for TFC, and it begins with our current players," said Toronto FC General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko in a statement. "We have not had a solid core group like this in a long time, and this core is prepared and excited about taking this Club to the next level. We will continue discussing the possibility of returning next season with those players whose options were declined."

The team is expected to continue to pursue designated players with the club having been linked to Tottenham's Jermain Defoe, Genoa's Alberto Gilardino and Chelsea's Samuel Eto'o.

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