The Philadelphia Union announced on Wednesday that midfielder Danny Cruz has joined Norwegian side FK Bodo/Glimt on a season-long loan, pending the result of a physical.
Bodo/Glimt, the current home of former Montreal Impact defender Zarek Valentin, finished in 13th place in the Tippeligaen, the top division of Norwegian football, last season after four years in the second tier. Norway's 2015 season starts next month.
“This is a great opportunity for Danny to play regularly and we know he’ll represent our club well while in Norway,” Union technical director Chris Albright said in a statement. “While we’re confident in our depth on the wings, this also gives us important salary cap relief as we continue to shape our roster throughout the season.”
Cruz, 25, originally joined Philly on Aug. 16, 2012 in a trade with D.C. United for Lionard Pajoy. Since then, he has played in 70 games for the Union (60 starts) and notched seven goals and five assists. Last year he was tied for second on the team in games played (32) and starts (32), but had not yet appeared for the Union in the 2015 regular season.
A product of UNLV, Crus was originally drafted by Houston Dynamo with the No. 41 overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. During his six-year MLS career, Cruz has played in 137 regular-season games (99 starts), with 12 goals and 13 assists.
