Defending Denilson

By: Robert | August 27th, 2007

He’s over-rated. He’s too arrogant. He’s over-exposed. He’s over-hyped. He’s too selfish He’s not a leader. Only days into Dallas’ Denìlson era and already his addition to the roster (not official until the work visa arrives) has been met with more derision than any other Dallas signing or MLS designated player signing this season. For all the aforementioned reasons and more, many have already claimed him to be a failure before he even steps on an American pitch. And while every one of those reasons to criticize him are correct, I believe this to be the signing that delivers hardware to North Texas.

Longtime readers will note I’ve stood against the Denìlson signing from the moment the whispers first crossed my radar, but as an FC Dallas fan and a lifelong contrarian I feel obligated to step-in and defend the newest Hoop. Like every writer, blogger, TV analyst, fan or critic, I’ve claimed Denìlson to be a bit overrated; but everyone should agree that from the moment he steps onto the pitch the former Brazilian standout has the ability to do things with the ball that no other MLS player either past or present has been able to do. All the talent is there; Denìlson may not have been a huge success for Spanish league-side Real Betis, but the money spent on the former “world’s most expensive player” was not deception, its merits were based upon exploits of a kid given the 1997 Golden Boot (Confederations Cup.) Denìlson is the embodiment of “joga bonita” and there is no player in the league like him.

But he’s made mistakes; I don’t claim to know what went wrong in Spain, but in Dallas he won’t be asked to change the direction of the team. The Hoops are not some mid-table franchise looking to make the leap; they could probably lift all the silverware without him. Denìlson’s new home in Frisco, Texas will bring with it none of the pressures or stress of Seville, Spain. He will not be asked to lead, but to follow in the path Steve Morrow has created. While most tend to look at his years at Real Betis as that of failure, his most recent time in Europe with French-side FC Girondins de Bordeaux was a resounding success, leading the mid-table side to Champions League play. Maybe, just maybe the Real Betis situation wasn’t right for the 19 year-old kid because Bordeaux proved what he can accomplish in Europe.

It’s been an admittedly up and down career for the former Brazilian star but his impending Dallas arrival allows him one more chance to prove his worth, one more chance to show the world what the beautiful game is about. This is an opportunity I believe Denìlson will grasp with open arms; he is being brought here to be himself, to dazzle the fans with moves normally reserved for Nike ads. So welcome to Dallas, Denìlson, where the FC might now stand for MLS’ best “Futebol clube” (that’s Portuguese, I guess it’s only right.)

HOOPS PRIDE!

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