Chad Ochocinco showed a lot of things while training with Sporting Kansas City. He took the trial seriously, and never acted like it was a publicity stunt. He indicated a willingness to train hard and was a good teammate. While no one seems to think he has much of a future as a professional soccer player, he did prove worthy of being allowed to stick around to train with the team as long as he wants.
Sporting Kansas City Clarifies Chad Ochocinco’s ‘Honorary’ Status
“He really loves the game and he was into it. He wanted to try to make it,” SKC manager Peter Vermes. “I think it’s also good for him. He realizes this is a lot more difficult than it (appears to be). For our sport, it’s great because I think there’s a lot of people out there who question how hard it is to play this game and it’s very, very difficult.”
Ochocinco admitted that as of today, he’s not capable of earning a spot on a MLS team. He knows he doesn’t have the complete skill set needed to play at this level, but still seems to enjoy the experience. Still, Vermes said that he sees promise, and that if Ochocinco had chosen soccer over football that he probably could have been very good.
“There’s no doubt in my mind he would be a professional player today,” Vermes said. “No doubt in my mind. We’ve had guys in here with lesser physical tools than he has. He brings something to the field, his attention to detail and he’s very conscientious about the game. When you bring that every day onto the practice field you’re just going to get better.”
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