As reported in Tuesday’s Post, the Red Bulls yesterday swapped left backs with Toronto FC, trading Todd Dunivant and $75,000 for 24-year-old Kevin Goldthwaite.
Still, coach Bruce Arena isn’t done re-tooling the defense. Even though Toronto is only paying a third of Dunivant’s $99,000 salary this year, with Goldthwaite making $31,000, the Red Bulls get a younger player who’s more durable and physical. They’ll clear sizeable cap space next year, and after waiving Tim Regan and Taylor Graham, are set to add defenders Tony Sanneh and Chris Leitch, who’ve been training for three weeks.
Both Graham and Regan struggled when injuries to Dunivant, Hunter Freeman, and Dema Kovalenko forced them into action. Leitch is a former MetroStar, while Sanneh played under Arena on two MLS Cup-winning D.C. teams and the 2002 World Cup. When the 36-year-old Sanneh started the last dozen MLS games last year for Chicago, the Fire finished 8-3-1 and won the U.S. Open Cup.OP
“I think I could help any team in the league. If you look at Chicago last year and you look at them now, the only difference was me,” said Sanneh, who’s been rehabbing from hip surgery.