Reds take shot of Avila as Maicon Santos heads to FC Dallas

"You new here? It's ok, so is everyone else"

And then there was one. Of all the players brought in under Preki, only Ty Harden (I know!) is still standing. The "TFC Transfer Window Wacky Funtime Hour" has continued today (official announcement) as club "captain" Maicon Santos was shipped to FC Dallas for former Generation Adidas attacking midfielder Eric Avila.
　
23-year old American Avila, is by all accounts a very versatile midfielder who fits into the Aron Winter modus operandi of being able to handle multiple positions. He also becomes the second once-highly-touted Dallas product TFC has acquired in a week after nabbing Peri Marosevic on a free. Unlike the sparsely used Marasovic, Avila has made 58 appearances with The Hoops but has fell out of FCD manager Schellas Hyndman's plans.
　
Maicon Santos will leave Toronto with mixed feelings behind. Many fans may miss some of the numbers he put up but many more will bemoan his enigmatic play. It was often frustrating to see the man many called "Mike Sanders" waste some obvious talents with play that was inconsistent and often bordering on lazy. Last month's match in Kansas City, where many blamed Santos for TFC's 1st half collapse (including Aron Winter who yanked him in the 43rd minute) was the death knell for the affable Brazilian's Toronto career. It was a performance that illuminated the worst of Santos' game which only got worse when attempts were made to force him into the midfield rather than up front.
　
TFC surely join a rare trivia group of clubs who have traded away two captains in one season. However, the armband will no doubt fall onto the much more "captainy" bicep of Torsten Frings who has been de-facto captain now for weeks. In other news, Ty Harden's suitcase is packed and ready to go.