Where's Ronaldo headed?

Al-Jazeera bringing the sports meat again this morning, with an article about Real Madrid set to de-activate aging Brazilian legend, Ronaldo.

Just back from showing David Beckham the door, Real Madrid club president Ramon Calderon has stated that Brazilian striker Ronaldo is now surplus to requirements. "The situation with Ronaldo is different to that of David Beckham as he still has another year left after this one," Calderon told radio station Onda Madrid. "But he is going to be inactive because the coach has made it clear he doesn't count on him and it would surely be better for the club and him if he went if there are offers. If not, he will stay with us. We have to find an exit that's good for him."

Is he on his way to the MLS? Don't be surprised. Again, the predictable anti-soccer rhetoric will be jumping the gun: Ronaldo is washed-up, he was terrible in the last Cup and he's only here to make money because he can't play any more. Wrong, wrong and wrong. The reason they'll say these things is because aging stars coming to USA to collect a few paychecks on the way out was a predictable development for American soccer. But Beckham and Ronaldo still have plenty to give. (Realistically I suspect this has more to do with Real Madrid finally hitting their payroll limitations, not unlike the Yankees desperately getting rid of Sheffield and Randy Johnson this season, or MLS billionaire benefactor, Phillip Anschutz, making some bid for his own international publicity campaign)

Look, will soccer get more important in America? No, it won't! But as MLS becomes higher profile in Japan, Australia and South America then maybe USA will be able to steal away the younger talent from Brazil and the older talent from Europe. (My nightmare scenario is that USA does have a world class league and the Americans still don't get it. That would be unfortunate)

With Beckham next to Landon Donovan in LA, Ronaldo might fit snugly next to Reyna and Djorkaeff in New York. If they could get somebody to go with Tyler Twellman in New England then we might get something going here.