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Rossi tears ACL again

Rossi (Getty Images)

Just as he was on the cusp of potentially returning to action for Villarreal, Giuseppe Rossi faces yet another long spell on the sidelines.

The New Jersey-born Italian international tore his right ACL for the second time in the last six months during a training session and will be out for at least another six months, according to the club's official website. Aside from completely ruling him out from Italy's squad for this summer's European championship, Rossi will miss the opening months of Villarreal's 2012-2013 season as well, and any transfer value that he had for this summer — he had been rumored to be seeking a move to a bigger club — has also suffered a substantial blow.

Rossi first tore his ACL during an Oct. 26 match against Real Madrid and had been working his way back to fitness with an eye on returning for Italy this summer. Without Rossi in the lineup, Villarreal have struggled mightily, scoring just 33 goals in 32 games. The Yellow Submarine sit in 17th place and just above the drop zone in La Liga, seven points clear of relegation with six games to go.

Comments

  1. I don’t care for his failures or bad luck. All I am saying is that he could have been to 3 World Cups instead of watching them from his home here in Jersey. I said it so many times here and in other places already. I just don’t see him getting on the field for Italy in any important championship ever, and I am totally fine with that. He let his family influence him into a situation where I can say that he wouldn’t be given a fair try at forward anyway. It is not like Italy is struggling really at developing forwards. And even if they did need forwards, Rossi isn’t the type of striker Italy uses anyway. But he is a forward that would could have been used behind a McBride in ’02/’06. He is a striker we could have used behind a Jozy/Dempsey in ’10. At some point if he never ever gets a real good look with Italy, he will regret his stupid decision, and I will be there to remind him just like I hope every single USMNT Supporter will. And not because I hate him or because I feel he is a traitor. But because he never analyzed his situation to the fullest, he didn’t really ever even once probably think about the pecking order of both National Teams. He could have been a starter with the US instead of being what seems to be a bench/reserve player with Italy.

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  2. I will always root against Rossi as a player. That said, those of you taking joy in the guy’s injuries need to sort your lives out.

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  3. Bad Karma. I really don’t care for Rossi but I sort of feel sorry for him. Another torn ACL probably means the end of his career. I hope he get to retire in Italy and enjoy the rest of his life there since he really has no ties to this country anymore.

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  4. My Mom always said, ‘if you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all’. Therefore,…

    ……………………….
    ……………………….
    ……………………….

    Thanks, Mom.

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  5. No! I never have! As a player, a referee, a coach or as a fan I never wish an opposing player be injured before, after or during a game. I would rather the team I play on, coach or watch as a fan beat a rival with their best players on the field. If you are actually saying you wish ill on an opposing player than something is seriously wrong with you.

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  6. If you live in the US (or Canada I suppose) then MLS is still your league but good on you for supporting your local team and not just some Euro team in the pub at 8AM on a Saturday morning…

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  7. I see that the rules allow certain players to represent multiple countries. Those players that choose the US, I like extra. Those that choose not to, I dislike extra.

    My argument is completely logical and consistent. You just don’t agree with it. Too bad, let’s move on.

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  8. There is a difference between being born to people who gave their lives for the US and some of the more extreme ‘he’s technically eligible I guess’ cases. I don’t want the US to take advantage of the system, it’s unfair to every USA player and supporter to have guys playing for them who don’t care about the US. The US does not deserve those guys, otherwise what does it mean when you win the WC? That the US had the best bunch of people who are eligible to play for them? That’s silly.

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  9. Saying ‘x guy jobbed me, so I’m going to openly job other people, and because x jobbed me, I understand their reaction’ shows you are willingly complicit with what you criticize and doesn’t mean what you do is right. Moreover, Rossi’s ties to Italy are much less tenuous than people like Zak Whitbread, Timmy Chandler, etc.

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  10. DUDE! Life threatening injury like a heart attack is not even REMOTELY the same situation. You CANNOT tell me you haven’t secretly hoped for an opposing star player to go down injured before or in a crucial game/match. Come on!

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  11. I don’t understand this comment. If Rossi elected to play for the US, he would have taken CD9’s place on the front line with Jozy at SA2010, instead we had to rely on Robbie Findley and Herc Gomez – which is fine, but Rossi would have been a big step up.

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  12. PS Seriously what kind of person takes pleasure in another person being seriously injured, especially when it’s their dream job. Boo hoo, he isn’t playing for America. Why don’t you grow up? You’re the kind of people I have to listen to in sports bars that I’d like to punch in the face…

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  13. I sincerely hope all of you pathetic losers that have no life that are saying this is karma and other hypocritical bile that spews from your mouth suffers a terrible injury, and then I wish I could laugh in your face. That would be very satisfying…

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  14. For me, now, a couple of years later – it is what it is. The rest is all just coulda, shoulda, woulda.

    Get well soon, Giuseppe. Wishing you all the best and for a speedy and full recovery. I hope to see you back in the game soon doing your thing, bro.

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  15. I am in favor of reaching out to the BEST players, regardless of whether they were born to GIs overseas, were born and raised in small-town USA, or simply lived here long enough to be eligible and never got a call from their other country. I feel like not doing so is unfair to every USA player and supporter. A coach should never ignore talent because of a few misguided opinions.

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  16. Don’t know what kind of fandom you are referring to. On the field you wish your rivals to do poorly, but you never wish them to be injured, especially when it’s career or life threatening. Do you really believe people in Zaire are laughing at or saying it’s karma that Muamba almost died of a heart attack, because he turned his back on his native country and represents England. Or Blackburn fans were laughing about it because Bolten is big rivalry. Grow up people.

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