2021 Player Profiles: Donny Toia

The year is 2011. Donny Toia is Real Salt Lake’s first homegrown signing.

He plays forward, but saying “he plays” is probably an overstatement. He’s getting reserve minutes, but he’s 19, and he’s far from a finished product. He’s cut coming into the 2012 season, and for a time, it looks a lot like his dream of playing professional soccer might be over.

He moves to FC Tucson in 2012. Arizona United, who you may know as Phoenix Rising, is just a club in USL. He’s there in 2013.

2014 restores the dream. He goes to Chivas USA and plays in their last MLS season — and he’s playing regularly. But he’s not a forward, and he’s playing at left back. He moves to Montreal Impact, then Orlando City, then…