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Real Salt Lake Set For Espindola Return
The team's backflipping forward looks set to return to Utah's Major League Soccer club.
Apr 13, 2009 4:31:06 AM
As first reported in The Deseret News, it appears that Argentine forward Fabian Espindola is close to inking an agreement to return to Real Salt Lake.
Goal.com's own Salt Lake sources confirmed on background that such a deal is likely to be announced soon.
Espindola scored seven goals for Real Salt Lake in his previous stint with the team, but he is perhaps best known for a goal that he did not score.
In September of 2008, Espindola believed he had scored a goal in an away game versus the Los Angeles Galaxy. He rushed into his traditional celebration, which was a backflip. However, the offside flag was already up as he tumbled in the air.
As Espindola landed, his greatest shock wasn't finding out that the goal had been waved off, it was realizing that he had badly injured his ankle on the landing impact.
Espindola was sidelined for a matter of weeks and did not contribute to RSL's playoff run, when the team barely squeezed into post-season play in the final game of the year.
However, if any coach in MLS would be sympathetic to Espindola's incident, it would be Jason Kreis, who also celebreated goals with backflips in his playing days. Yet at the close of 2008, RSL did not pick up Espindola's contract.
Now, however, it seems both parties are close to an agreement.
Andrea Canales, Goal.com
Go to Goal.com's MLS section for all the latest on the U.S. game.
Goal.com's own Salt Lake sources confirmed on background that such a deal is likely to be announced soon.
Espindola scored seven goals for Real Salt Lake in his previous stint with the team, but he is perhaps best known for a goal that he did not score.
In September of 2008, Espindola believed he had scored a goal in an away game versus the Los Angeles Galaxy. He rushed into his traditional celebration, which was a backflip. However, the offside flag was already up as he tumbled in the air.
As Espindola landed, his greatest shock wasn't finding out that the goal had been waved off, it was realizing that he had badly injured his ankle on the landing impact.
Espindola was sidelined for a matter of weeks and did not contribute to RSL's playoff run, when the team barely squeezed into post-season play in the final game of the year.
However, if any coach in MLS would be sympathetic to Espindola's incident, it would be Jason Kreis, who also celebreated goals with backflips in his playing days. Yet at the close of 2008, RSL did not pick up Espindola's contract.
Now, however, it seems both parties are close to an agreement.
Andrea Canales, Goal.com
Go to Goal.com's MLS section for all the latest on the U.S. game.
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