Before a rare Sunday evening training session, FC Dallas head coach Steve Morrow got to deliver some good news to one of his players. That was when he informed 19-year-old Brazilian striker Ricardinho that his work visa had come through and that he was officially a member of the FC Dallas roster.
Ricardinho, who previously played for FCD's Brazilian partner Clube Atletico Paranaense, has been with the Hoops for several weeks and played in several scrimmages and in the two-game series against Mexican Primera Division side Tigres UANL. But he couldn't be officially added to the fold until his necessary paperwork arrived.
To free up a roster spot for him, FCD put Ecuadorian forward Roberto Mina on the season-ending injury list. Mina last played a regular season game for the Hoops more than a year ago after injuring his knee last July. He had almost worked his way back during preseason, but suffered a setback, and last month had knee surgery in Argentina and is out for the year.
FCD head coach Steve Morrow was clearly ecstatic about adding Richardinho to his squad, especially after waiting several weeks for his visa approval.
"Yes, he got his visa," Morrow said. "I told him just before training started and it's the biggest smile that I've seen on his face since he's been here. He's delighted and we're delighted to finally have it happen."
Morrow believes the young South American striker will add a lot to an FCD forward corps that is currently a bit depleted with Kenny Cooper on the bench until at least late August after suffering a broken right tibia in a June 9 match against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
"He's a great addition and I think he's gotten stronger as the days have gone on," Morrow said. "He feels more comfortable now and I think we have seen that and he will show what he's capable of. We expect him to get better and better the longer he's here."
The young Brazilian was pleased about officially joining FCD, but was more focused on the task at hand -- preparing for FCD's opening SuperLiga match against Mexican Primera Division giant Chivas de Guadalajara on Tuesday.
"I'm not thinking about that," Ricardinho said. "I'm thinking about the tournament that we're facing. It's a very important championship that we're going for and my thought is fully on being able to help the team in this tournament."
Chivas is a team that he is more than familiar with.
"With CAP (Clube Atletico Paranaense), I played against Chivas in the 2006 Copa Libertadores," he said. "They have a good team but this is a separate tournament. Tournaments like these don't have favorites. Every team is just trying to go out there and win."
His debut could come as soon as Tuesday as the Hoops kick off the first of three SuperLiga matches in the coming week. Should Ricardinho make his first-team debut in any of those three games, it won't be his first time playing at Pizza Hut Park as he netted the lone goal for CAP back in March during the second leg of the U.S./Brazil Challenge, which was won by Paranaense.
But his new teammates have forgotten all about that and welcomed him into the fold.
"From the minute that I got here, everyone has been great," Ricardinho said. "They have accepted me and I have been able to fit in. My head is a little clearer now that I have my visa. Now, I can concentrate on helping my team and what they've been doing."
Ricardinho becomes the second Brazilian on the FCD roster along with midfielder Marcelo Saragosa. The Hoops now have five South American players on their roster. Two are from Argentina -- midfielder Pablo Ricchetti and goalkeeper Dario Sala. Mina hails from Ecuador while all-star midfielder Juan Toja comes from Colombia.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
