NFL Star Chad Ochocinco to join Sporting Kansas City

holdsteady

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He's got good hands, but is Chad Ochocinco just as skillful with his feet?

The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver will find out next week when he joins Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City for a four-day trial, the team announced on its website Wednesday.

With the future of the 2011 NFL season in limbo, Ochocinco accepted an invitation from Sporting head coach Peter Vermes to try out for the team.

"Due to the NFL lockout, I'm excited to be able to follow my childhood dream of playing for a Major League Soccer team," Ochocinco said. "Thanks to Sporting Kansas City for giving me this opportunity."

Although Kansas City already has handed in its official roster for the recently begun MLS season, Vermes insists that Ochocinco still can make the squad if he impresses during his tryout, which begins on Tuesday.

"We're always searching for players who can help our team and bringing in new talent," Vermes said. "We know that Chad is an exceptional athlete and that he loves the sport of soccer, and he did play a lot when he was younger."

A 10-year veteran of the NFL, Ochocinco played competitively as a striker from his youth until his days at Miami Beach Senior High School. Despite abandoning the game for the gridiron, he remained a die-hard soccer fan and even formed friendships with some of the sport's biggest names.

"I know a couple of guys. Ronaldinho is one of them. Thierry Henry is good friend of mine. Cristiano Ronaldo, I talk to him all the time on Twitter. We DM back and forth. Ashley Cole is a good friend of mine. I used to go watch Thierry Henry play at Arsenal every off-season," Ochocinco told SportingKC.com.

Whether or not he can compete on their level remains to be seen, but Ochocinco is confident in his abilities on the pitch.

"I played soccer before football, and I was good. That's where I get my quick feet – my feet are unbelievable," he said. "There's not one person in soccer right now that would beat me running, that's including Lionel Messi."

After the initial, four-day test, Kansas City will decide whether to extend Ochocinco's trial period or release him.



Read more: Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver Chad Ochocinco to try out for MLS club Sporting Kansas City
:rolleyes:
 

Snow

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Says he has football experience. Many player become footballers on being a good athlete alone at a level like similar to MLS. He is super quick and very strong physically. If he can shoot or head as well then he'll probably be a star in a league like that.

He's a 10 year veteran of the NFL so you know he can follow tactics. But he's got that massive ego.
 

Sir Matt

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His real last name is Johnson. Though legally it's still Ochocinco until he changes it back.
 

holdsteady

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His actual surname is Johnson, he changed it like 5 years ago. If I remember correctly he wore "Ochocinco" in a pregame and had it ripped off the back in some sort of ridiculous pregame celebration. The NFL fined him for it so he changed his name to piss them off.
 

brad-dyrak

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You never know. In this league it can work. I remember back in the day going to DC United during the glory years when we had Roy Lassiter. Really pretty rubbish with his feet, but FAST, and willing to make all sorts of runs. Etcheverry would set him up any number of times, most of which he'd fluff. But, given his speed and willingness to run, he scored a hatfull.
 

Dr. Dwayne

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You never know. In this league it can work. I remember back in the day going to DC United during the glory years when we had Roy Lassiter. Really pretty rubbish with his feet, but FAST, and willing to make all sorts of runs. Etcheverry would set him up any number of times, most of which he'd fluff. But, given his speed and willingness to run, he scored a hatfull.
sounds like me, actually. :lol:
 

Sir Matt

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Ndamukong Su would be great to see trying to play football. He played it until he realized he's far too big to play it and focused on American football. While the Lions' backup field goal kicker was out, Su did the team's kicking. :lol:
 

olesmyhero

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If I recall he's a Liverpool fan. Pretty sure I saw an interview with him when he was wearing a Liverpool shirt.

It's giving Sporting a bit of publicity which never hurts. It would be funny if he actually was offered a contract, but then again could also hurt the impression of the quality of the league(which I know isn't very good now).
 

Dingledoog

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Karmichael Hunt switched from Rugby League to Australian Rules just recently and so far is looking pretty successful.

Not that it has any bearing on this whatsoever.
 

I_live_cement

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Karmichael Hunt switched from Rugby League to Australian Rules just recently and so far is looking pretty successful.

Not that it has any bearing on this whatsoever.
And yet you still posted it.

Your flagrant disregard for the order of this forum is, quite frankly, disgusting.
 

IBleedRed

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Football already has its quota of jerk offs like terry gerrard cole etc without this idiot jumping on board
 

Excal

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Chad's a dickhead, but he's smarter than he acts like he is. He's not joining because he thinks he'll ever make it in the MLS, he's joining because the NFL is on the verge of a lockout/strike, and being on Sporting KC's reserve team gives him a team-sport environment to train and keep fit until the NFL and the players come to an agreement. For Sporting KC's part, they get some free publicity and he's not costing them any money.
 

KingEric7

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Looked like the biggest gimp on earth to me, there. Spoke as if he was playing the main role in a multi-million pound film.
 

Mockney

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Yeah, but he talks to Ronaldo on twitter init....And he's good friends with Ashley Cole. So he can obviously shoot.
 

Mockney

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:lol:...Just watched that video..

Bloke: "It's like a dream man, I just can't describe it, it's everything I thought it would be, it's a dream come true"

Manager: "He has absolutely no soccer fitness...It's a long way from high school to here and he's struggling"

Manager: ".....He's been a class act the whole time he's been here though"

Cut to shot of him spunking a cross into some trees under no pressure

:lol:

Legend.
 

Twisted_Woody

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Give the guy a break - he's trying something new and approaching it with a positive attitude.
 

KingEric7

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Hits a mean cross, I'll give him that. The way he just twats it straight into the side netting under next to no pressure was incredibly impressive.
 

Mockney

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Give the guy a break - he's trying something new and approaching it with a positive attitude.
Chad Ochocinco: How Long Will Chad Ochocinco Stick with Soccer? | Bleacher Report

This soccer thing ain't as easy as it looks. He's been allowed to stay and train with their reserve team but he won't be getting a professional contract in MLS.
To be honest, everything about that article - if accurate - sounds really admirable. He's a bloke on ridiculous money in a big national sport whose been told he's not good enough for an actual contract in football, yet whose accepted training with the reserves, on what look like school/college pitches, with good grace, demented positivity and complete professionalism. I might find that video funny, but there's nothing in that that isn't utterly admirable. Fair play to him.

Still can't cross for shit though.
 

Sniggleton

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Give the guy a bit of credit. After going through the paces of a match, he's all humility. Hard to fault him, he earns more in his other athletic endeavors than anyone spare Ronaldo, Messi, etc, and having come from footballing origins, sure he thought he had the pedigree to have a go. He tried, he failed, he was grateful for the opportunity.

So what're all the haters on about again?
 

KingEric7

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Give the guy a bit of credit. After going through the paces of a match, he's all humility. Hard to fault him, he earns more in his other athletic endeavors than anyone spare Ronaldo, Messi, etc, and having come from footballing origins, sure he thought he had the pedigree to have a go. He tried, he failed, he was grateful for the opportunity.

So what're all the haters on about again?
To be honest, it's more the humour of watching him going on incredibly seriously about how much of a dream come true it was playing a reserve match behind closed doors. It's almost as if he's overcome some sort of incredible, life-threatening obstacle - attaining the pinnacle of human achievement and self-actualisation in the process.

It came off as some sort of comedy sketch (the video), especially when you see the cross at the end - don't think anyone's really running him down for having a go.
 

KingEric7

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The back of his shirt is also misleading. Ochocinco translates, in Spanish, to '8', '5'; not '85'.

The name should read 'Ochenta y cinco'.

That's some fraudulent shit, right there. Good to see that the coach saw right through that bollocks, though I'm not sure his football fitness excuse was adequate.