Brazilian legend Ronaldo is close to returning from the knee injury that ended his time with AC Milan, but isn’t quite ready to start accepting offers from small-time clubs.
The all-time leading scorer in World Cup history has rejected an offer from Serie A mid-table club Siena for his services. Ronaldo has been sidelined since last spring after suffering multiple torn knee ligaments. The 32-year-old striker is a free agent and is expected to make a decision on a new club before the end of the year.
I know I ask it every time Ronaldo comes up in a story, but could an MLS team take a chance on the oft-injured and out-of-shape striker? Would anyone take that gamble?
Here are some other stories to get your day going, including one of the more stunning reactions to a yellow card that you will ever see.
D.C. United to retain Tom Soehn
D.C. United went from Supporter’s Shield winners to missing the playoffs in one year, but the rash of injuries that helped lead to that tumble are likely the key reason why D.C. head coach Tom Soehn will not pay for that failure with his job.
D.C. United will retain Soehn as head coach, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday. The decision comes after a year which saw D.C. spend heavily on off-season acquisitions only to see many of the acquisitions fail to produce. Major injuries to key players throughout the season ultimately proved to be the key reason for the team’s struggles.
"The bottome fell out as far as injuries this year," general manager Dave Kasper told SBI back in September. "Tommy was able to get the team back and into a seven-game unbeaten streak. The team was playing very well and then the injuries came."
Soehn is a good head coach who didn’t deserve to lose his job after the awful series of injuries that left D.C. short-handed throughout the year. That being said, 2009 is put up or shut up time for both Soehn and Dave Kasper.
Johnson to get more time, or will he?
U.S. national team striker Eddie Johnson has struggled for minutes at Cardiff City since being loaned from Fulham in the summer, but he may be set to see plenty of minutes as Cardiff deals with injuries to top strikers Ross McCormack and Jay Bothroyd.
Cardiff isn’t about to stand pat though. It is closing in on the signing of Sunderland striker Michael Chopra on a short-term loan deal. That shouldn’t stop Johnson from getting a few starts and having a chance to show that he can actually score a goal.
Yellow? What yellow?
There aren’t many players who haven’t drawn a yellow card that left them upset, shocked or even outright furious. There isn’t much a player can do though except take it.
One player literally took his yellow card in one of the more shocking displays you will see. Botafogo defender Andre Luis was sent off after snatching the yellow card issued to him during a brief skirmish during the Copa Sudamericana match between Botafogo and Argentina’s Estudiantes.
Here is the video, which includes the referee’s priceless response to having the yellow snatched:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktZ3PPQKeAo&hl=en&fs=1]
Don’t like the yellow? Then how about this nice red card?
That’s all for now. I will be heading to Red Bulls practice today so be sure to look out for updates from that, as well as the announcement on MLS defender of the year. For now, feel free to share your thoughts on the above stories, and any other stories from this morning or Wednesday, in the comments section below.
As a DC United fan, I want RESULTS not EXCUSES! Soehn should have been given the ax…This speaks more to the lack of quality coaching prospects out there IMHO…
I would like to say i watched the Cardiff game vs wolfhampton and cardiff sucks! period. for them to scream and shout about ej is ridiculous they play kick ball that’s it. There’s no linking up they have no speed on the flanks or in the back, they have a pretty good center back but thats it. And in the game EJ made plenty og decent plays but his strike partner was too clueless to playoff him, Just my rant but if the Brits are gonna blast him they really should look at the whole team. I don’t think he’s developing, he looks like crap as usual but to say he’s as big a disgrace as they are making is just flat out wrong.
Sorry I had to go there as he really is one of the great Flying R*s of Brasil, and this coming from an Italian!
All of you who think that Soehn should get another chance must be Red Bulls fans who realize that Juan can outcoach Tom to a victory in an otherwise even match – of course that holds true for just about any other MLS coach as well.
Ronaldo would be a great fit in Miami, what w/ the huge Brasilian population and the…well lets just say… entertainment on So. Beach…Just Kidding, I still love him! Ummm, I think I did that card drama move here in the good ole US of A, same result, lol, guess I was S.A. influenced!
Same thing happened in a match in the U20s this summer. Was one of the African teams in the quarters. Think they finished the match with 8 men.
Love that video.
“Hey, you took the yellow card out of my left hand! Well, hey, guess what’s in my right hand! Oh, what now?”
Benchwarmer,
WTF was that comparison. Have you seen Landon and Eddie play or ar you just jackin us?
benchwarmer-
were to even begin. if your comparing LD to eddie then i take it you don’t know much about futbol. i’m a quakes fan and even i can honestly say that donovan is a stud next to eddie. but the donovan haters will always be there i guess.
Benchwarmer –
You’re WAY off with your LD/EJ comparison. Johnson went overseas several years after his last good season (really, 2004 – 2005 are his only good years), and is riding off that success and his athleticism.
I won’t bother with much pro-LD propaganda since we’ve all made up our minds at this point, but if you can’t see that he has touch and finishing skills that EJ utterly lacks, I don’t know what to tell you.
Andre Luis is a clown but, in all fairness, he was not even involved in the original foul. THe ref confused him with another player.
Since it was his second yellow and he would automatically get a red, he opted for a dramatic exit, which will probably cause him an additional ban…
One of the most ill-tempered/nastiest games with tremendous amount of football thrown in a long time. You needed an entire NFL officiating crew in helemts to handle this game.
Eddie Johnson is an example of why Landycakes should stay in MLS. Johnson can’t start or score for a Championship team let alone a Prem. team, Landy looking at the same thing.
WOW! The English sure have a way with words. OUCH!
I just don’t see EJ coming back and doing well in MLS again. I think he’s crashed and burnt. He could probably find a spot, but I think his ego will be very very tender. Not to mention that the inevitable drop in salary will be tough to take (we’re not talking DP money here…). A floundering player with fantasies of glory and $$$ and loads of regret is not the kind of addition I’d be anxious to make to MY roster. However, I hear that JCO is looking for reinforcements next year…
Glad to see Soehn get another shot too. Considering what he had to work with last season i think he did a pretty good job. With a less hectic schedule and less injuries we will be able to see what that team can do. in the meantime their depth has gotten a huge shot in the arm.
I’m pulling for EJ. I’m not sure he should come back to the US though. maybe one of those Scandahoovian leagues. His psyche will not bea ble to handle all the negative jack – offs ripping him in his own country.
Ouch. EJ is the back-up that they just don’t trust. I don’t even know what I’m rooting for at this point. If his club form picks up, I might have to see him on the USMNT again (and it took long enough to get him out of the rotation), but I like to see any American have success. I can’t say I care too much, I’m happy with no EJ in the picture, and he lost me years ago when he started playing MLS games in diamonds.
I’m glad to see Soehn get another shot. Injuries were issue #1, and changing coaches too much turns clubs into circuses. I’d love to watch DCU at full strength next year, it’d be a great offense with not-so-good D, a neutral fan’s dream team.
At some point, it would be better for EJ to just come home and play in MLS.
He’ll get a chance here that he is not earning in Great Britian.
There is no disgrace in just being a decent MLS player but not up to EPL standards. There are a lot of American players like that.
I’m starting to get tired of seeing EJ references on this site the way some people are tired of seeing references to Rossi. I don’t recall there being a guy in the history of US soccer that achieved less with so much hype.
EJ has never been a consistent performer, until this past year when he has been consistently bad. He was uneven in Dallas, flourished some in KC (especially at the beginning of the ’07 season), and has floundered in England. He’s shown flashes of competence with the USMNT but, again, it is very infrequent.
He has never had anything of quality except for his speed. He can’t dribble the ball without looking at it the whole time, which is why he always either loses possession quickly or takes a shot that endangers fans.
Because he’s an American I’ll always hope the best for Eddie. Hell, I hope he goes out this week and bags a hat trick. However, as a tiger doesn’t change his stripes, my expectation is that he’ll start, only to be subbed quickly following halftime.
I hope I’m wrong.
Just sent the video to Osorio. He’s all fired up to bring some of those guys in!!!!
Wants things to be like the ‘old’ MetroStarts days, when we had a bunch of dirtbags.
There was on play when we drew a penelty kick and this idiot yelled and screamed at his MetroStar teammates that he was going to take it. He literall almost got in a fistfight on the field.
Of course he missed it.
In great MetroStar tradition, let’s bring in more of these idiots!!!
I don’t think any MLS team has the ‘guts’ to sign Ronaldo (which, in my opinion is a much more stellar option then old-swedish players. Granted, I haven’t seen Ronaldo play in about 9 months). Nor, do I think Ronaldo wants to go to ‘just another league/team’ (hurts but true, MLS isn’t yet ‘there’) – his goal is to get back to his best or retire (not to rake in some final-day ‘bonus money’).
I’m sure the Cardiff City supporters can’t wait to see Eddie Johnson…this comes from a Cardiff City blog…very positive review:
“However, once again, Eddie Johnson was thrown on and looked absolutely well…. something rude. Who the hell saw this boy play before we signed him? I say boy, he’s in his mid-20’s!!This was a catastrophic, desperate, wasted signing of a striker and the fans deserve to know who is responsible for this disastrous piece of recruitment. With no striking depth whatsoever, promotion could be squandered away through the mistakes of men too proud and ignorant to admit them. Yes, McCormack was a bargain. But Eddie Johnson isn’t and wasn’t. Fans of rival teams… You genuinely won’t understand how bad this guy is until you see him. I’m not exaggerating when I say he is without doubt the worst player I’ve seen in a City shirt (and that isn’t tunnel vision). Of course, I’ll happily lick his boots clean should he come good, but trust me, he won’t. For any team, ever. No matter what some might say, if this guy prospered in the MLS then it truly is a joke of a league.”
Good luck eddie
What’s piss in your pants funny about that idiot Botafogo player is that he had no business even getting a card. What the hell was he thinking? Looks like the original foul should of drawn the card. He just steps in and acts like a douche. I’m sure he’ll receive an additional ban.
Chopra knocked in more than 20 goals for Cardiff before going to Sunderland. Cardiff must have no faith in EJ. Good sell by MLS.
The Red Bulls are still in the playoffs?
“Ronaldo Burns Siena”?
only in south america
Posted by: doug | November 06, 2008 at 10:16 AM
______________________________________________
That is, word for word, what I am five minutes too late to write.
Didn’t Chopra play at Cardiff before? He might get reps ahead of EJ just b/c they’re already familiar with him.
If you get a picture of the guy holding the yellow and yelling at the ref, it might make a good “you write the caption”
only in south america
I believe in Eddie. I won’t give up on him although this year has been pretty much shite for him. But he can do it if he brings his head in. He can show if he wants to play for us in the World Cup or at all.
+1 Justin. Except for being a KC fan.
As a Wizards fan, I really hope Eddie can show something with Cardiff. Its a shame how far he has fallen in the last year.
MlS is bigger than Serie A? Well I guess the better question is our teams are bigger than Serie A small teams?
I dont think he would want to play on turf. Other teams in Euro land could also offer much higher salaries than he is worth.