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Ralph chasing improbable comeback
Two years, three knee operations later, ex-Fire star hoping to shine again
By Michael Lewis / Special to MLSnet.com
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Two years after three knee operations derailed his soccer career, former Chicago Fire standout forward Damani Ralph is in the midst of a what could turn into a unique comeback. He figures he has waited this long to return to the game he loves that a two-month trial with the New York Red Bulls is nothing he cannot handle.
The Red Bulls are willing to be patient with the 29-year-old Ralph and give him a two-month tryout with the club.
Ralph, who runs with a limp, is far from being at full fitness.
"He's not fit to play games," Red Bulls coach Hans Backe said last week. "You still see he is limping a little bit. He probably needs a couple of months to be ready to play competitive games. He is very keen to be back. So we will see. We will have a talk with him to see if he would like to stay and try to train for a couple of months and then take a decision."
If it takes that long to see if he can still play at a high level, that's fine with Ralph.
"I've not sat out two years not knowing that an opportunity is going to come, that I'm going to have to start out all over again," he said. "So I'm fine. This is what I wanted for the past couple of months that I could be able to get in with a professional team and just the waters, see how the knee would hold up."
So far, so good. Backe sees the former Jamaican international's potential and is willing to give it a try.
"You can see he's very strong, he's very strong," he said. "He's a good finisher. The problem of course is when he doesn't have the rhythm when he runs. He's limping in a little bit. You can see that with that kind of knee injury. It will take time."
So Ralph didn't play for the Red Bulls during their victory in last weekend's Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, first outlasting the Houston Dynamo in penalty kicks after a scoreless tie Thursday night, then hammering Toronto FC 4-0 in Saturday's championship behind a Juan Pablo Angel hat trick.
In his second week of his trial, Ralph isn't expecting to look like his old speedy self overnight.
"The first week definitely was a whole new experience all over again," he said. "This week I'm definitely getting my confidence back. I'm feeling better on the ball. It's going to take some time. I'm not expecting a come back after not being on the field for two, firing on all cylinders after the first week."
During his short spell in MLS, Ralph turned heads. He struck for 22 goals in his two years, 11 in each season. Ralph became the first rookie to break finish in double figures in goals en route to rookie of the first honors.
But Ralph wanted greater challenges and grabbed an opportunity to play for FC Rubin Kazan in Russia prior to the 2005 MLS season.
Even though he suffered the injury in Russia, Ralph had no regrets playing overseas.
"It was great," he said. "I'm glad it was something I had an opportunity to do. It's too bad I got hurt and i didn't enjoy it to the fullest. But it definitely was a wonderful experience."
Ralph played a couple of seasons in Russia before he underwent three operations on his left knee, most recently in 2008.
To this date, doctors haven't been able to figure out how and why Ralph injured his left knee.
"It wasn't a kick or a tackle in a game," Ralph said. "I just started having swelling and pain. The doctor diagnosed it and he found out that I had some defects in my cartilage.
"I guess eventually it was the toll of all these years of playing soccer, the cutting, turning and all that stuff. The doctors haven't given me a definite answer. It's been a lot of assumptions of what it could have led from. Maybe I got kicked there and I just kept on playing on it. That was not a definitive answer of what caused it."
So Ralph returned to the University of Connecticut to complete his degree in economics.
But while he pursued his degree, Ralph felt he still could play the game and even make an impact.
"It was pretty tough," he said. "I was pretty much in the prime of my career when I got hurt. But life throws you curve balls. I would have to say that I give a lot of praise to my family and my fiance. They all stood by me. Even when I had down days they were the ones that made me feel like I could still go.
"I was just trying to keep my body in shape so that when the time comes for an opportunity like this I'd be ready for them."
When the Red Bulls were known as the MetroStars, Ralph was a major thorn in their side. He connected for six goals in eight regular-season games. That doesn't include a seventh goal in Chicago's 1-0 win over the MetroStars in the U.S. Open Cup final in October 2003.
When he was told that he and Ante Razov were known as R&R by some MetroStars supporters for their scoring prowess against the team, Ralph laughed.
"New York was always at heart," he said. "That's where all my family and friends were from. I felt bad because I was always at the stadium. It was only business then."
It's also business today -- the business of getting back into form and becoming a professional soccer player again.
Michael Lewis covers soccer for the New York Daily News and is editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He can be reached at SoccerWriter516@aol.com. Views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
Two years, three knee operations later, ex-Fire star hoping to shine again
By Michael Lewis / Special to MLSnet.com
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Two years after three knee operations derailed his soccer career, former Chicago Fire standout forward Damani Ralph is in the midst of a what could turn into a unique comeback. He figures he has waited this long to return to the game he loves that a two-month trial with the New York Red Bulls is nothing he cannot handle.
The Red Bulls are willing to be patient with the 29-year-old Ralph and give him a two-month tryout with the club.
Ralph, who runs with a limp, is far from being at full fitness.
"He's not fit to play games," Red Bulls coach Hans Backe said last week. "You still see he is limping a little bit. He probably needs a couple of months to be ready to play competitive games. He is very keen to be back. So we will see. We will have a talk with him to see if he would like to stay and try to train for a couple of months and then take a decision."
If it takes that long to see if he can still play at a high level, that's fine with Ralph.
"I've not sat out two years not knowing that an opportunity is going to come, that I'm going to have to start out all over again," he said. "So I'm fine. This is what I wanted for the past couple of months that I could be able to get in with a professional team and just the waters, see how the knee would hold up."
So far, so good. Backe sees the former Jamaican international's potential and is willing to give it a try.
"You can see he's very strong, he's very strong," he said. "He's a good finisher. The problem of course is when he doesn't have the rhythm when he runs. He's limping in a little bit. You can see that with that kind of knee injury. It will take time."
So Ralph didn't play for the Red Bulls during their victory in last weekend's Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, first outlasting the Houston Dynamo in penalty kicks after a scoreless tie Thursday night, then hammering Toronto FC 4-0 in Saturday's championship behind a Juan Pablo Angel hat trick.
In his second week of his trial, Ralph isn't expecting to look like his old speedy self overnight.
"The first week definitely was a whole new experience all over again," he said. "This week I'm definitely getting my confidence back. I'm feeling better on the ball. It's going to take some time. I'm not expecting a come back after not being on the field for two, firing on all cylinders after the first week."
During his short spell in MLS, Ralph turned heads. He struck for 22 goals in his two years, 11 in each season. Ralph became the first rookie to break finish in double figures in goals en route to rookie of the first honors.
But Ralph wanted greater challenges and grabbed an opportunity to play for FC Rubin Kazan in Russia prior to the 2005 MLS season.
Even though he suffered the injury in Russia, Ralph had no regrets playing overseas.
"It was great," he said. "I'm glad it was something I had an opportunity to do. It's too bad I got hurt and i didn't enjoy it to the fullest. But it definitely was a wonderful experience."
Ralph played a couple of seasons in Russia before he underwent three operations on his left knee, most recently in 2008.
To this date, doctors haven't been able to figure out how and why Ralph injured his left knee.
"It wasn't a kick or a tackle in a game," Ralph said. "I just started having swelling and pain. The doctor diagnosed it and he found out that I had some defects in my cartilage.
"I guess eventually it was the toll of all these years of playing soccer, the cutting, turning and all that stuff. The doctors haven't given me a definite answer. It's been a lot of assumptions of what it could have led from. Maybe I got kicked there and I just kept on playing on it. That was not a definitive answer of what caused it."
So Ralph returned to the University of Connecticut to complete his degree in economics.
But while he pursued his degree, Ralph felt he still could play the game and even make an impact.
"It was pretty tough," he said. "I was pretty much in the prime of my career when I got hurt. But life throws you curve balls. I would have to say that I give a lot of praise to my family and my fiance. They all stood by me. Even when I had down days they were the ones that made me feel like I could still go.
"I was just trying to keep my body in shape so that when the time comes for an opportunity like this I'd be ready for them."
When the Red Bulls were known as the MetroStars, Ralph was a major thorn in their side. He connected for six goals in eight regular-season games. That doesn't include a seventh goal in Chicago's 1-0 win over the MetroStars in the U.S. Open Cup final in October 2003.
When he was told that he and Ante Razov were known as R&R by some MetroStars supporters for their scoring prowess against the team, Ralph laughed.
"New York was always at heart," he said. "That's where all my family and friends were from. I felt bad because I was always at the stadium. It was only business then."
It's also business today -- the business of getting back into form and becoming a professional soccer player again.
Michael Lewis covers soccer for the New York Daily News and is editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He can be reached at SoccerWriter516@aol.com. Views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.