Here is your wheels-off moment in soccer to start the week:
It was supplied by Brazilian soccer and by Clarence Seedorf, the longtime former Dutch international who spent so many great years at AC Milan, Ajax, Sampdoria and Real Madrid.
Seedorf was being a bit of a brat in stoppage time as his team, Botafogo, milked the final seconds of a 2-1 win over Madureira.
So the veteran midfielder was sent off for going the wrong way during a late, stoppage time substitution. Seedorf later claimed he didn’t know what the referee was saying – but you don’t need an extensive resume in high-level world soccer to understand what’s going on here.
The referee wants to speed up play while the player wants to milk the clock, and thus the conflict.
Seedorf may speak no more Portuguese than I do … but he knew exactly what was going on. So, Seedorf saw one of the few reds of his career.
Some early reports said that Seedorf had played more than 800 official matches without being sent off, but the interwebs knocked that down; he apparently has been ejected at least once.
According to the Reuters report, the match was part of the Carioca championship, one of the regional tournaments that help launch Brazil’s league season.
Here’s the video. Enjoy:
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