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Toronto FC is set to lose a player who its fans won't soon forget, but appear ready to add a star in the process.
TFC striker Danny Dichio will announce his retirement today, ending a three-year run that saw him score the first goal in club history and establish himself as a fan favorite. The move is expected to clear the way for Toronto to sign Canadian national team star Julian DeGuzman as a Designated Player. Sources within MLS have confirmed to SBI that TFC is closing in on making DeGuzman Toronto's first designated player later this week.
While DeGuzman isn't the goal-scoring threat Toronto FC has sorely lacked, he is a top-flight talent whose presence in midfield should provide a significant boost to TFC's fading playoff hopes.
As for Dichio, the 34-year-old striker had lost out in the numbers game at forward to the likes of VChad Barrett and Pablo Vitti, as well as the recent emergence of rookie O'Brian White. He had played in 19 games this season, but started just six, scoring three goals to go with two assists in the process.
Here are some other stories to get your day going:
Kansas City stadium project crossing state lines
The Kansas City Wizards' proposed stadium project appears set to move from Missouri to Kansas as developers look for a more viable financial situation for the project.
The stadium project had long been part of a proposed $1 billion development project in Kansas City, but the collapse of financial markets has led to developers seeking more financial support from local government, support that has not been fast in coming.
That's where Kansas comes in. The Kansas Speedway area is being considered as the new home for a Wizards Stadium, a site not far from where the Wizards are currently playing their matches, CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Reliant Stadium to play host to 2010 MLS All-Star Game
Houston's Reliant Stadium will play host to the 2010 MLS All-Star Game, leaving open the possibility that the match will feature a high-profile international club.
Houston was awarded the 2010 MLS All-Star Game earlier this summer, but it still hadn't been decided whether the match would be at Reliant Stadium or Robertson Stadium, home of the Houston Dynamo. Having the match at the 70,000 Reliant Stadium suggests that league officials are confident that they will be able to bring in a club to face MLS All-Stars that can fill the stadium.
Wolff named MLS Player of the Week
Kansas City Wizards forward Josh Wolff earned MLS player of the week honors for the third time this season for his two-goal, two-assist performance in the Wizards' 4-2 win vs. New England on Saturday.
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What do you think of these developments? See DeGuzman helping Toronto FC reach the playoffs? Disappointed to see the Wizards' stadium project moving to Kansas? Who do you think MLS All-Stars will face in 2010? Who would you like to see them face?
Share your thoughts below.
