The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that they have acquired midfielder Sam Cronin from Toronto FC in exchange for allocation money. Cronin, the second overall draft pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, has appeared in 33 games in his career and scored one goal and notched five assists.
“Sam is a good, young player who had big impact in the league as a rookie last year,” said Earthquakes General Manager of Soccer Operations John Doyle. “He is a two-way midfielder that should fit in nicely with our team here.”
Cronin had a standout rookie season in MLS in 2009, starting 26 games and logging 2,363 minutes in central midfield. He scored his first goal against the New York Red Bulls in a 2-1 win in June and also recorded four assists for the season. He helped TFC post the team’s best regular season record in its history. He has played six games this season for Toronto.
The Winston-Salem native was noticed by United States men’s national team coach Bob Bradley, and was selected for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup roster. He appeared in two matches in the tournament. He earned his first cap on July 11 in a group match against Haiti at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., and came on as an 80th minute substitute in the Gold Cup final against Mexico.
Cronin was drafted second overall by Toronto following a standout collegiate career at Wake Forest University. He played in 98 career games with the Demon Deacons and helped lead them to the 2007 NCAA Championship. He was a two-time All-American and was named a finalist for the Hermann Trophy in 2008. He scored 10 goals as a senior, while also recording four assists. He played with Earthquakes rookie defender Ike Opara during his time with the Demon Deacons.
Transaction: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) – Earthquakes acquire M Sam Cronin from Toronto FC in exchange for allocation money.
