Avila traded to Toronto for Maicon Santos

We will miss you AVI

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FCDallas.com wrote:

FRISCO, Texas – FC Dallas has acquired Brazilian forward Maicon Santos from Toronto FC pending receipt of his P-1 Visa, in exchange for midfielder Eric Avila, the club announced today. FC Dallas will also receive an international slot from Toronto FC through the remainder of 2011.



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“We are very excited that Maicon Santos is joining FC Dallas,” FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman said. “He is an established player in MLS. He’s got great size. He is the leading scorer for Toronto FC with six goals. Given the way we play and the type of ball movement we get, I believe he will contribute immediately to the team.”

Santos has started 15 games for Toronto this season, scoring a team-high six goals and one assist. His 52 shots this season are also a team-high for Toronto FC.

The 27-year-old Santos joined Toronto FC on July 9, 2010, from Chivas USA. Now in his third MLS season, Santos has scored 12 goals and four assists in 51 games. The Paracambi, Brazil native played professionally in Brazil, Tunisia, Libya and Israel before joining MLS. He made his professional debut with Rio de Janeiro-based Madureira Esporte Clube in 2004, playing with the Série C club for two years.

Leaving FC Dallas is Avila, who has scored three goals and seven assists in 63 games. Acquired in the second round of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft with the 19th overall pick, Avila has one goal and two assists in 13 games this season.

“For us, it was very difficult to see Eric Avila leave,” Hyndman said. “We are going to miss him. He is a great team player. He has scored some very important goals for FC Dallas. He has been a part of this team for almost four years. He has some very good friends and coaches here in Dallas. The problem was he was not getting enough time here and I think Toronto FC really wanted Avila to be a part of their team, which encouraged us to make a trade.”

The 23-year-old is best known for scoring FC Dallas’ most-important goal of the 2010 season in the 88th minute of a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinal. A native of San Diego, Calif., Avila enjoyed a breakout season in 2010, tying a career-high for appearances in a season with 18 and tripling his career-high for shots taken in a season with 15.



FRISCO, Texas – Forward [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] has joined FC Dallas from Toronto FC, where he started 15 games for the club this season, scoring a team-high six goals and one assist. Santos was acquired in exchange for midfielder Eric Avila, as well as an international slot for the remainder of 2011. The 27-year-old Brazil native is in his third MLS season after playing professionally in his home country, as well as Tunisia, Libya and Israel.

FCDallas.com caught up with Santos on his first day at Pizza Hut Park.

FCDallas.com: First of all, welcome to FC Dallas. When did you learn about the trade?
Maicon Santos: Last Saturday before the Toronto game, so I was kind of surprised by it, but this is very good.

FCDallas.com: What was your reaction to finding out that FC Dallas was the club you’d be joining?
Santos: I was surprised, but it’s okay because I can play this style; I like the style, I like the team. It will be good for me.

FCDallas.com: Toronto has struggled a little this year, while FC Dallas is obviously in the race for the Supporters Shield. How difficult is it to make a switch like that, onto a team in the playoff race?
Santos: For me right now it’s good because it’s the kind of thing that I like. It’s a great team that has been playing together for a couple of years, not like in Toronto right now. It’s going to be an entirely different team, from the bottom to the top. It’s going to be great!

FCDallas.com: FC Dallas has been looking for a true forward to fill that role, what do you hope to bring to the team?
Santos: I hope that I can be that guy up top, and get playing time.

FCDallas.com: How would you describe your style of play for fans? What should they expect on the field?
Santos: They should expect a lot. I’m a player that likes to move, that’s my kind of style, I like to be with the ball all the time.

FCDallas.com: You wore the captain’s armband at Toronto for a while, and you were in playoffs with Chivas and scored a goal in postseason. How much of a leadership role do you think you can provide on the team with your prior experience?
Santos: First of all, I need to get in with the group, start to talk and get to know each other. Once I get to know the players, we will start from there.

FCDallas.com: Going from Toronto down to Dallas, that’s quite a climate change. What are your expectations for the weather?
Santos: It’s really not that different, because in Toronto right now it’s humid. It’s hot in Brazil also; not that humid, but it’s hot. The first day is going to be a little tough, but after that it’ll be good.

FCDallas.com: FC Dallas made it to MLS Cup last year, coincidentally in Toronto. Did you attend that game?
Santos: Yeah, I was watching that game. It wasn’t fun, because they’re out there in my stadium playing for the Cup and it’s not my team. But what can you do? Now I will just try everything to help the team get back there and have a different ending to the story.

FCDallas.com: What are your personal goals with FC Dallas this season?
Santos: My personal goals are to give my maximum, to be somebody that can score. I’m going to be giving my all every game.

FCDallas.com: What kind of message would you send to FC Dallas fans about joining the team?
Santos: My message…I would say you can expect everything from me, because I’m going to try to do my best and try to do everything, to win every game.

Santos could take the field for FC Dallas as early as Saturday, when the club travels to Los Angeles for a pivotal match in the race for the Supporters Shield. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. Central on Fox Sports Southwest Plus.

Santos is already in town.

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I was wrong about Avi's trade value dropping - quite impressed with this deal, particularly as we still have 2 roster spots and 1 international slot that we can fill.

Ain't never gonna be no "Dallas reject," there.

Dana wrote:

Santos is already in town.

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Good luck wearing black in this heat...