Photo by isiphotos.com
New York Red Bulls fans are all too familiar with the tradition.
Players (and coaches) have a habit of seeing their careers take off once they have played (and many cases played poorly) for the Red Bulls/MetroStars. Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis, Ezra Hendrickson, Kerry Zavagnin, Ramiro Corrales, Ante Razov and Jaime Moreno are just some of the players who have seen their careers receive a boost upon leaving the long-suffering club.
It's very early on, but you might be adding Diego Jimenez to that group shortly. The Mexican defender (and MLS Cup goat) returned to Mexican club Tecos this winter after his loan with the Red Bulls ended and the option to buy his rights wasn't exercised. He made a rousing return on Monday, scoring the lone goal in Tecos' 1-0 win vs. Morelia in Interliga action in Houston.
And if you're wondering, no, Jimenez never scored for the Red Bulls. In fact, Jimenez managed just one shot on goal in nine total matches for the Red Bulls (including playoffs). He had three good shots on goal, including the goal, on Monday. It was a bit interesting to see him score at Robertson Stadium, the same venue where he had such a good game in the Red Bulls' upset of Houston in the MLS playoffs.
Given the Red Bulls' track record, don't be surprised if Sven-Goran Erikkson calls up Jimenez and he becomes a star. Okay, I'm joking. A little.
