June 28, 2012 - 8:07 PM
VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Whitecaps traded disgruntled striker Long Tan to D.C. United on Thursday.
In return, Vancouver received a third-round choice in the 2015 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.
The move came after Tan was suspended earlier this month for complaining on Twitter about his lack of playing time. The indefinite suspension ended up being a week, and he did see limited action as a substitute afterwards.
However, his days with the Whitecaps appeared numbered after he took shots at coach Martin Rennie, without mentioning him by name, on Twitter. He criticized Rennie for not giving him sufficient playing time and refusing to release him so that he could pursue opportunities with other clubs.
Tan, a 24-year-old native of Dalian, China, is the first Chinese player to suit up for an MLS club. He has struggled to get into the lineup since joining the Whitecaps at the start of their 2011 expansion campaign via trade from Tampa.
He made 17 MLS regular season appearances over two seasons with Vancouver, but only four this year. Although Tan excelled at the end of last season, he was pushed down the depth chart by Omar Salgado, who is currently out with a foot injury, and newcomers Sebastien Le Toux, Darren Mattocks and Etienne Barbara.
If the 2015 MLS SuperDraft is limited to a pair of rounds, the Whitecaps will receive a first-round selection in the 2015 MLS Supplemental Draft instead.
Meanwhile, the Whitecaps also waived midfielder Floyd Franks. The midfielder never lived up to some heaving billing after moving with Rennie to Vancouver in the off-season from the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League.
Franks, a 28-year-old Vestavia Hills, Ala., native, made two MLS regular-season appearances as a substitute and started one game during this year's Amway Canadian Championship competition, with the Caps.
"We are thankful for Long and Floyd's contributions since joining the club," said Rennie in a news release. "We wish both players all the best for the future."
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012