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Tuesday Kickoff: Cabanas holds World Cup dream, Keane joins Celtic and more

Salvador Cabanas (Reuters)

The last thing most people were thinking about after Salvador Cabanas was shot in the head last week was whether he could still play in the World Cup. For Cabanas, who is recovering and in stable condition, the World Cup is a dream he is still holding on to.

Cabanas has regained consciousness and is movig his limbs and is expected to leave intensive care soon, and reports out of Mexico have revealed that the Paraguayan striker told his father he plans on playing in the World Cup.

Cabanas is one of Paraguay's top players and helped lead the nation qualify for its fourth straight World Cup.

Here are some other stories from Monday that you may have missed:

KEANE JOINS CELTIC

In a late transfer rush that saw few marquee moves, none was bigger than Tottenham strikerRobbie Keane's loan move to Scottish power Celtic.

Keane had fallen out of favor at Tottenham in favor of strikers Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch, but figures to be the focal point of Celtic's push to catch Rangers atop the Scottish Premier League standings. Celtic currently trails Rangers by 10 points, but do hold a match in hand.

NO MOVE FOR BOCANEGRA

Carlos Bocanegra's long-rumored switch from Rennes to St. Etienne failed to materialize before the transfer window close, and his start in Rennes' 4-0 win vs. Grenoble on Saturday (his third straight) could be a sign that Bocanegra has regained his starting role for the French club.

Bocanegra had fallen out of favor at Rennes (with converted midfielder Romain Danze taking the starting spot), and persistent reports linked the club with a move for Slovakian left back Marek Cech, a move that would have paved the way for Bocanegra's departure. The Cech move never happened, leaving Bocanegra to battle for the starting job he lost for two months.

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What do you think of these developments? Praying Cabanas can be back for the World Cup? Think Keane can help Celtic catch Rangers? Confident Bocanegra will hold onto the starting left back spot for Rennes?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Charlie Davies all over again…though I would want to kill the person who shot me in the head first! Unbelievably scary world we are a part of…

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  2. I saw Cabañas play in WC qualifiers in Asuncion against Ecuador and Brazil. His knickname to Brazilians and not Paraguayans is “gordinho”…

    It’s questionable if he will ever play again, playing soccer at a high level by June seems very hopeful, but anything to keep him motivated to get better…

    A lot of prayers are going out to the “virgin of caacupe” right now…

    Now Paraguay needs Santa Cruz to get better and get some playing time. Oscar Cardozo does well in Portugual but just manages to fall down all the time for the albiroja. Nelson Haedo Valdez is a beast though…

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  3. the doctor that did the surgery on Cabanas said that “he would not dismiss the chances of Cabanas playing at the World Cup”.

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  4. the word ‘miracle’ gets thrown around too much these days, but if Cabanas plays soccer again, much less in the world cup, that would be a real miracle.

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  5. The English soccer media are a frenetic bunch. They are worst than US celeb tabloids. JT’s story is the biggest in England right now. Bocanegra is simply in a battle for a starting spot. It happens all the time. Dempsey went through it, Bradley went through it, Holden and Clark will. It’s the way it is in Europe. It does suck our captain can’t maintain his starting spot.

    Not having as much access to the French league, unless you speak French, also sucks. He’s in a battle for the LB spot, and I’m sure the coach is loving it. He’s on a good team with good players, and it’ll make him a better player.

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  6. Ives – off-subject a little – quick question???

    Dallas received allocation money for Osa Romero. I know this is discovery player. Does this money become available for any player use? or is it limited to discovery (does it exclude returning US Players) and foreign pick-ups?????

    (SBI-Allocation money can be used for any player transactions, whether it’s paying salary or transfer or loan fees. That money can essentially be used to increase the size of the salary cap.)

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  7. Wonder if Paraguay would bring him into the team to give him a minute outing as a “thank you” if he is told he can never play again. I really hope he recovers, fantastic player!

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  8. If Cabanas has to live with the bullet in his head, there is no way he can play because heading balls is essential in the game and no team doctor would ever clear him to play.

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  9. You really think a guy who was just shot in the head in a Mexico City nightclub mens’ room and who might never play again is thinking about “stealing thunder” from Charlie Davies?

    That’s weird.

    Personally, I doubt he’ll play again. One guy I know who still has a bullet lodged in his head can’t lift anything heavy and has to be careful of standing up quickly….the pressure can cause serious problems.

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  10. The guy still has a bullet lodged in his brain, don’t see how going up for headers might not be a concern. I think he just wants to steal Charlie Davis’ thunder.

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  11. didn’t both Bocanegra and Romain Danze play inthe last game for Rennes? It would be good to have some more info from France on this situation. It is worrisome, especially given injuries to the back line and the long-time weakness at left back.

    In any case, this is our captain we are talking about. Compare the lack of info re Bocanegra to the blanket coverage of England captain John Terry’s sex life!

    (SBI-Danze is a midfielder by trade who has been used at fullback in recent months. He played at right back in the last match and is naturally right-footed so that’s a more natural spot for him. The problem there is Rod Fanni, a stud right back, starts there. It sounds as though Rennes was close to selling Fanni, but that hasn’t happened, so Bocanegra will need to keep fighting Danze off for the starting left back spot.)

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  12. off topic: Ives, or anyone who might know, any idea about when the full MLS schedule is released?

    (SBI-The latest I’m hearing is Wednesday.)

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  13. while the head is obviously more serious than Davies’ injuries, the one thing he has going is that it wasn’t his legs or anything like that. Provided he’s ok, it should be an easier path back to the WC than charlie has.

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  14. i saw cabanas play in a friendly between chivas and club america last fall, he was clearly the best player on the pitch. It would be amazing if he could make it back.

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  15. no to downplay charlie or anything, but cabanas situation is worse IMO.

    Not everyone gets shot in their head, and lives to say they want to play in the World Cup.

    GOODLUCK TO CABANAS, and TO CHARLIE

    TO DREAMS BEING FULFILLED!

    Reply

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