When you want breaking news on MLS trades, go to Facebook

If you want to know whether a player has been traded forget checking out the official MLS website or even the player’s blog on said website, simply look at his status on his Facebook page. That is how the word first leaked Tuesday that Toronto FC has traded Alecko Eskandarian to Real Salt Lake in exchange for Jeff Cunningham.

It has taken a while for the clubs to actually confirm the deal, but who needs confirmation when you have social networking sites?

Apparently, the news surfaced when Eskandarian changed the status on his Facebook.com page, which prompted friends to post the change in online soccer forums. The news spread, and eventually landed in the email boxes of various media outlets.

A quick search turned up quotes and further information on the trade written by MLS insider Stephen Goff. Goff blogs regularly on Washingtonpost.com, and had quotes from the disappointed TFC striker.

So that’s how Goff gets his scoops!

By the way, I think Toronto got the better of this deal. Cunningham doesn’t get nearly enough credit for his scoring ability. He’ll give Toronto’s offense a lift. In return, Real Salt Lake gets an injury-prone Eskandarian, but they do free up salary cap space so that they can land Andriy Shevchenko, Teddy Sheringham or some yet-to-be named international star dying to live in Salt Lake.

Some Related Stories:

Category: MLS, World Football