Former Toronto FC forward signs in Seattle, criticizes Toronto front office

TORONTO – Former Toronto FC striker Herculez Gomez has signed with the Seattle Sounders, delivering a shot at Toronto’s front office in the process.

Toronto, which had signed Gomez last August, waived the 33-year-old American international on March 2.

Gomez, who had one goal in eight appearances in all competitions for TFC, exited Toronto with a cheery “Thanks for the memories” tweet complete with a Maple Leaf.

But he had more to say to the Seattle Times after signing with the Sounders.

“The situation with Toronto was difficult,” Gomez said. “I think it was poorly managed. It put me in a situation that was unfair. I think they’re great people, but the poor mismanagement from the front office put me in a very hard spot.

“I have a pretty big chip on my shoulder with how things ended in Toronto,” he added. “It’s not sour grapes, but there’s a way of going about things and a way of treating people. It wasn’t the way I would have done things. So I’m eager to get to work to prove a lot of people wrong.”

Toronto hosts Seattle on July 2.

A Toronto spokesman said Gomez’s move to Seattle will give his former team “minimal” salary cap relief. The Seattle Times reported that Toronto will be paying a “significant chunk” of his salary.

Gomez, whose 2015 salary was listed at US$261,000 by the MLS Players Union, had a contract that runs through June 2016.

Parting ways with Gomez did help Toronto’s accounting in one way, however.

The club is spreading its salary cap cost over 18 players rather than 20, as permitted by Major League Soccer. Getting Gomez off the books allowed the team to shift another player into the 18 while opening a spot on its supplemental roster, which covers players 21 through 28 for young forward Mo Babouli.

The Sounders languish in the Western conference basement at 0-3-0. The team, which lost star striker Obafemi Martins to Shanghai Shenhua of the Chinese Super League last month, has scored just three goals.

In other moves Thursday, Toronto FC II signed midfielder Brian James to a USL contract. James was taken in the fourth round, 80th overall by Toronto FC in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.