Trafford sold to Miami FC, takes package that “justifies” his market value By Steven Sandor Posted on February 4, 2016 1 0 1,114 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter On Thursday, NASL expansion side Miami FC announced it had brought Canadian defender Mason Trafford into its ranks. His agent confirmed that Miami FC had purchased the defender and then inked Trafford to a new two-year deal. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Mason (and his fiancée, Claudia) to establish himself with an ambitious club,” Trafford’s agent, Justin B. Stone, was quoted on his site. “This was a bittersweet situation for Mason as he really enjoyed his time in Ottawa, especially developing relationships with the Fury fans and local community, but Miami FC aggressively pursued Mason and created a package that justified Mason’s market value as one of the best defenders in NASL. Having represented Mason from his first professional contract to the present, it is a great testament for him to have Italian legend Alessandro Nesta seek him out to be a leader on defence.” Nesta, the famed Italian defender who finished a decorated playing career with the Montreal Impact, will coach Miami FC in its inaugural season. Trafford finished second overall in our Quintessentially Canadian Power Rankings; that is, of all the Canadians playing in MLS or NASL, Trafford got the second-most minutes of first-team game action. Fury opponents scored just 15 times in the 25 games that Trafford played in 2015. “There was a buyout clause in Mason’s contract that Miami activated and he will now be wearing different colours at TD Place on May 1,” said Fury head coach Paul Dalglish in a release issued by the club. “Mason is not a player we wanted to lose, but we wish him well and thank him for his involvement with the club and the community during his two seasons in Ottawa.” Trafford’s departure continues an exodus of Fury players (and coach Marc Dos Santos, who now leads Sporting Kansas City’s USL affiliate) who won the NASL Fall Season title and went to the NASL Championship game. Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Tom Heinemann, Colin Falvey, Drew Beckie, Ryan Richter, Richie Ryan, Nicki Paterson and Andrew Wiedeman were all part of the exodus. A weak Canadian dollar (the Fury, like FCE, pays out salaries in Canadian dollars) has helped contribute to the Fury’s difficulties in holding onto players — though it needs to be stated that FC Edmonton has not had the same kind of issues when it comes to player turnover. Trafford was sent off in the NASL championship game, so his suspension should carry over into the beginning of the 2016 season.
