Toronto FC confirmed that they have acquired center back Sigurd Rosted on Tuesday from Danish Superliga side Brøndby IF. The 28-year old Norwegian defender was signed using an undisclosed amount of TAM (Target Allocation Money) and will be with the team through the 2025 MLS season, with an option for 2026.
The second Norwegian player to be obtained by TFC in 2023, Rosted joins striker Adama Diomande who landed with the Red in January.
Rosted is the second major center back the team has picked up this offseason, after landing former FC Dallas star Matt Hedges from free agency. Toronto’s achilles heel in the past has seemed to come from the defensive end, where they have conceded 66 goals in back-to-back seasons.TFC recently also signed goalkeeper Sean Johnson, the former New York City FC captain in what looks like a concerted effort to bring the team’s backline up to scratch.
This was the team’s seventh signing of the offseason as the roster begins to take shape for the 2023 season. Rosted is expected to be a key inclusion, bringing experience and intelligence along with some scoring ability from the back. He has recorded 18 goals and six assists in 218 professional appearances with clubs in Denmark, Belgium and Norway.
The 6 ‘2 defender’s most notable contributions came in 2020-21 when his club Brøndby won the Danish first division title. He was an integral part of the team’s defense and also chipped in with three goals and an assist in 23 appearances. Prior to his stint in the Danish League, Rosted spent the first six years of his career in Norway with Kjelsås Football followed by Sarpsborg 08.
On the international stage, Rosted has played 5 games for the Norwegian national team but hasn’t represented his country since 2018. He was however called up to national squads in 2019 and 2020 but was an unused substitute in European Qualifiers and UEFA Nations League.
Overall, Rosted should be a welcome addition to the team, helping bolster a defense which has been struggling for a few seasons now. Hedges and Rosted will likely be joined by newly acquired Raoul Petretta and left-back Richie Laryea in what could be a formidable backline if the players can build chemistry and gel together.
We’ll get our first glimpse of the new TFC defense in their season opener on February 25th with visiting Eastern Conference rivals D.C. United. If you plan on placing bets on the match, be sure to check out or list of the top MLS sports betting sites for a complete list of the best legal online bookmakers in the province.
