Toronto FC is negotiating a deal with U.S. men's national team defender Omar Gonzalez that could see him return to MLS, according to a report by The Athletic.
Gonzalez is on loan at Atlas from fellow Liga MX club Pachuca this season. The 30-year-old has won a domestic title and the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League with Pachuca. Prior to his move to Mexico, Gonzalez played for the LA Galaxy from 2009-15, where he won three MLS Cup titles.
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Toronto FC general manager Ali Curtis said in a statement to ESPN FC that the club is "in talks with a few select players."
"We have the No. 1 allocation ranking, so if MLS reaches agreement with Atlas, we would have the conversation," Curtis said. "Don't like to comment publicly on players that are under contract. With that said, he's been a champion in every place he's been, so he's interesting. Window closes on Tuesday, so if anything were to get done, it would need to happen quickly."
Gonzalez has made 49 appearances for the U.S., and was part of the squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He had an own goal in the infamous 2-1 defeat to Trinidad & Tobago that eliminated the U.S. from qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
"It's definitely lingered," Gonzalez told ESPN FC in March about that loss. "It stayed with me a long time. I don't think I'll ever be over it, but I am past it emotionally. As an athlete, you can't stay with those things too long, or you lose what you're doing at the moment. I still have teammates that rely on me to do my job on the field at my club. If I were to let it affect me for too long, it would affect my club career."
Toronto sits fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. Veteran defender Drew Moor has been hobbled this season with a groin injury, with coach Greg Vanney utilizing a rotating cast of Laurent Ciman, Eriq Zavaleta, and Chris Mavinga on the backline.