Soccer-Brazil goalkeeper Cesar joins Toronto on loan

Feb 14 (Reuters) - Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar has joined Toronto FC on a season-long loan deal from English second tier side Queens Park Rangers, the Major League Soccer club said on their website (www.torontofc.ca) on Friday. The move ends a difficult spell for the former Inter Milan stopper, who has kept his place as Brazil's first choice in the run up to this year's World Cup despite falling out of favour in England under QPR manager Harry Redknapp. The five-times Serie A winner lost his place in the Rangers starting lineup to former England keeper Robert Green and has made only one appearance this season in a 4-0 FA Cup defeat by Everton in January. "I know Ryan Nelsen (Toronto head coach) very well, he told me the door is always open in Toronto," said Cesar. The 34-year-old keeper, who has 77 caps, is Toronto's latest high-profile arrival after they signed Tottenham Hotspur's England striker Jermain Defoe and U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley from AS Roma before the MLS season starting on March 8. Toronto general manager, Tim Bezbatchenko said: "Adding a player of Julio Cesar's experience and ability only strengthens our club both in the short and long term. "We are committed to creating a culture of winning at TFC, and there are few people in the world of soccer with a proven track record of consistently getting results that Julio has. We are very excited to bring him to Toronto FC." The Canadian outfit are trying to revive their fortunes after a lowly finish in last season's MLS. (Reporting by Toby Davis and Tom Hayward in London, editing by Ed Osmond and Ken Ferris)