Damien Perquis’ tenure with Toronto FC has come to an end after the two sides mutually agreed to part ways.
A player that was initially brought in to change the culture of the Toronto FC backline is now leaving for nothing. Toronto FC have stated on their website that Damien Perquis has mutually agreed to part ways with the club after a difficult start to the season.
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Perquis’ first season with the club was a good one, as it was the first time they had made the playoffs in their history. Injuries limited his effectiveness – he only played 23 out of 37 games in 2015 – but when he did play, he was one of Toronto FC’s best defenders.
Fast forward to 2016, and Toronto FC have arguably the best defense in the league. They reinforced their back-line through some smart acquisitions in the offseason. Drew Moor and Steven Beitashour have paid immediate dividends for the club, and while Perquis got off to a good start with TFC, he eventually fell out of favor with Greg Vanney.
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Perquis played in the team’s first 10 games, but after he was involved in Toronto’s 4-3 home loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps, he only played in two of Toronto’s next seven MLS games – one of them was another ugly 3-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls. There simply hasn’t been a place in the starting XI for Damien Perquis now, with Josh Williams taking the lion’s share of his minutes now. And in TFC’s last match, they preserved a clean sheet over the Chicago Fire without his services.
Despite this move, Perquis is still a good player, and he will thrive with whichever team picks him up. But for the money he was making, he wasn’t good enough – Perquis was making $425,000 which was the highest salary for a non-DP.
The primary motivation behind this move is for Toronto FC to free up the space required to make a good signing as their body count continues to rise. They are one of the most talented teams in the MLS, with the league’s reigning MVP on offense and a rock-solid defense, but injuries to key contributors have slowed their progression to the top.
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The ideal position that TFC fans want to see filled is an attacker who can complement Sebastian Giovinco’s services and take some of the workload off of his shoulders. Jozy Altidore is set to return soon, but he hasn’t looked good to start the season, and he’ll probably be very rusty out of the gate.
Clearing up the money that Perquis left behind should give Toronto FC the chance to pursue a player who can bring a lot to the MLS and provide a veteran presence in the locker room. It’ll be interesting to see what direction Tim Bezbatchenko takes following this decision.