TORONTO -- Issey Nakajima-Farran walked past a reporter recently, confiding with a smile that he had finally got a TV for his new apartment. A.J. Green Jersey . The Toronto FC midfielder was looking forward to being able to watch soccer again. The MLS newcomer was starting to put down roots in Toronto. An artist as well as a soccer player, he had deliberately chosen a slightly grittier part of town to make his home, to get a taste of the town. The Canadian international will be looking for a new cable provider and home after being traded Friday, on his 30th birthday, to the Montreal Impact for American Collen Warner and allocation money. The move, the first ever trade between the two teams, clearly came as a shock. "Birthday surprise!! Wow! Just like that. Its not right. Surreal. .mlssoccer .Inhumane," Nakajima-Farran tweeted. "Still in the dressing trying to soak it all in. My cargo box still hasnt arrived from Spain. Was ready to call this home! Life goes on." he added in another tweet before thanking the Toronto fans, players and everyone who had helped him settle. Nakajima-Farrans last kick in a Toronto uniform was the penalty shootout winner Wednesday that sent the Reds past Vancouver into the final of the Amway Canadian Championship. For Toronto, the deal is a chance to bolster a midfield that will be without Michael Bradley until his World Cup duties with the U.S. team are over. It also offers manager Ryan Nelsen a different piece in the midfield puzzle. When healthy, Toronto has options on the flank in Brazils Jackson, Alvaro Rey and Dwayne De Rosario. Nelsen also likes to use Jonathan Osorio there, allowing the creative Canadian to drift in and out. In central midfield, the options were fewer outside of Bradley and Osorio, especially with Jeremy Hall still working his way back from injury. Canadian Kyle Bekker has shown great growth but more help was needed. Warner is a holding midfielder who can play elsewhere along the middle. "Ive liked Collen for a long time, to tell you the truth," Nelsen said after practice Friday. "He gives us options in that midfield that we just didnt have," he added. Warner has 92 appearances, including 64 starts, with Montreal and Real Salt Lake since emerging from the football factory of the University of Portland. A holding midfielder, the 25-year-old has started all nine of Montreals MLS games this season but was sent off for handball last time out in a 3-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City. Nakajima-Farran has two goals in five games since signing with Toronto, second only to Jerman Defoes three. He had been with the team since training camp but did not sign until late March. "I feel sorry for Issey," Nelsen said. "Because since we brought him in, hes done nothing wrong. Hes such a great guy and hes done really well. "But unfortunately when we have all our players back, it probably would have been hard to see him starting on the team. Where with Collen, hell start. Hes a starting player .... Hes a guy we targeted and Im glad hes going to be walking in the door." Nakajima-Farran will offer Montreal some creativity and flair in the attacking half of the park. But with seven goals for and 17 against, the Impact needs help at both ends. Toronto FC captain Steven Caldwell was sorry to see Nakajima-Farran go. "Its horrible and thats just the game we play, especially in this (MLS) environment with the trading and different things that go on," said the Scot, no fan of the trades allowed in the North American league. "We wish him all the best. He was an important member of our squad. We enjoyed his play and his company and everything about him. A fantastic lad. "But decisions are made and we move forward. Were getting an excellent player coming in. Isseys going to a great football club as well. Hopefully everyone benefits from it." Born in Calgary to a Japanese mother and a British-Canadian father (who was born in Rhodesia), Nakajima-Farran moved to Tokyo when he was three and London when he was 10. He spent his teenage years in the British capital, playing in the Crystal Palace youth system before heading to Japan to begin his pro soccer career. He went on to play in Singapore, Denmark, Australia and Cyprus. "He is a player whose qualities will fit well within our group and style of play," Impact head coach Frank Klopas said in a statement. "We feel his experience with both the national team and abroad will benefit our team." Impact owner Joey Saputo has promised changes to his 1-5-3 team. The allocation money obtained in Fridays deal may help that cause. Nakajima-Farrans salary is listed at US$110,000 by the MLS Players Union, compared to US$143,000 for Warner. Kevin Zeitler Jersey . The Texas Rangers right-hander will probably reconsider now. Wolf pitched five strong innings for his first big league win in his first start in the majors, David Murphy and Adrian Beltre homered in a three-run first inning, and the Rangers avoided a sweep with a 3-1 victory against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. AJ McCarron Bengals Jersey . Cross-country skier Brian McKeever won the mens visually impaired 20-kilometre race on Monday.MLS on TSN, the new and exclusive home of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, kicks off its amplified coverage of the team on Saturday at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt with Whitecaps FCs home and season opener vs. New York Red Bulls. TSN primes Vancouver fans for the start of the 2014 season with MLS on TSN: Season Preview Special airing tonight at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt on TSN2 (encore Friday at 3:30pm et/12:30pm pt on TSN2). The 30-minute preview recaps Whitecaps FCs offseason, looks at the teams upcoming season, and features an interview with head coach Carl Robinson. Later on in the season, TSN celebrates the Whitecaps FCs 40th anniversary with a special pre-game show leading into the teams home game vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 3. The 30-minute show highlights the teams history almost 40 years to the day since the franchises inaugural game. MLS on TSNs acclaimed broadcast team of Luke Wileman, Jason deVos, and Kristian Jack return to cover Whitecaps FC games. Also handling broadcasting duties this season are Vic Rauter, Nigel Reed, and Greg Sutton, along with longtime Whitecaps FC radio voice Peter Schaaad, who will call select games on the broadcast side. Terence Newman. . Schaad will continue to lead play-by-play commentary for TEAM Radio 1410 Vancouvers exclusive coverage of Whitecaps FC alongside colour commentator David Norman, a former Whitecaps FC midfielder and Canadian international. Throughout the season, TEAM Radio delivers live coverage of every game, which includes extensive pre- and post-game coverage. Schaad will also bring fans news, insight, and behind-the-scenes content surrounding Whitecaps FC on TEAM Radio and TEAMRadio.ca, with the station also delivering a daily MLS report and a weekly 30-minute show on Thursdays at 6pm pt. TEAM Radio recently announced a multi-year extension of its broadcast rights agreement with Whitecaps FC. This extension complements Bells multi-year partnership with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. As part of the partnership, TSN becomes the official Whitecaps FC broadcaster beginning this season and Bell extends its Premier Founding Partnership with the team, which includes Bell branding of all Whitecaps FC official mens and womens jerseys and kits. ' ' '
