Frankly, this deal seemed dead, but here it is FC Dallas inked former Brasil World Cup winner Denilson. (Not the thing I usually post about, but it just moved on the AP wire and I'm bored at work.)
He's only 29 -- two years younger than that Beckham fellow.
No matter how you spin it, this is an excellent move by the club and the MLS in general. For the Giorgio Chinaglias of the world who say the league needs, "100 Beckhams" -- here is one.
Naturally, as I've discussed too many times to count in this space, this move will receive a milli-fraction of the attention of the Beckham arrival. On the field, this is just as important as it instantly nudges the level of the league up a little.
Considering Denilson moved from Real Betis to Bordeux to Saudi club Al-Nasr now to Dallas in the span of four years, perhaps he might be a little bit of a headache.
Overall the track record of Brasilian players in MLS hasn't been anything to write home about. The first thing that popped into my head was the famous flop Branco with the Metrostars about a decade ago. Yes, Fred and Luciano Emilio have been very solid this season for DC United and Thiago has been useful with Chicago for the last couple years. But overall, the flair that Brasil and his exports are famed for has escaped the league.
Who knows how much Denilson has left in the tank and how much effort he'll bring to Steve Morrow's team. He won't be the headline, gate attraction like Becks, but if Denilson can pull off a few moments of dribbling flair, he'll convert some more non-believers.
A definite score for the league, although I doubt it leads the next edition of 'Sportscenter.'
Enough of my yapping, watch the (prison quality) video.
Prem picks Friday, a.m.
I was just wondering what happened to Denilson the other day, while watching the Brazil-Algeria match. While I hope that the move works out for all parties, I fear that the MLS is being looked at as a last chance in this case. We'll see.