The comeback trail of U.S. born striker Giuseppe Rossi took a step in the positive direction yesterday when he scored his first goal since recovering from successive anterior cruciate ligament injuries to help Fiorentina to a 2-1 victory over Catania.
The goal marked a nearly 23 month absence from the score sheet for Rossi, who last scored when he was a member of Villareal in a 2-2 draw with Real Zaragoza. Three La Liga matches later, disaster struck when the Italian international tore his ACL against Real Madrid.
With Euro 2012 on the horizon, Rossi endured extensive rehabilitation on the knee only to suffer a second consecutive tear during training the following April. The injury made Euro 2012 an afterthought. While continuing to rehab last January, Rossi moved from Spain to Serie A side Fiorentina, where he made his comeback in a 5-1 victory over Pescara on May 19th.
After going 67 minutes in Fiorentina’s first competitive match of the season, the 2-1 Europa League victory over Grasshoppers, Rossi was once again inserted into La Viola’s starting XI alongside Mario Gomez for the Serie A opener against Catania.
It took only 14 minutes for Rossi to get on the scoresheet after he received a Juan Guillermo Cuadrado pass, took one touch, and slotted the ball into the far corner from 8 yards out. The goal meant the world to Rossi, who screamed furiously while extending his hands to the sky. Eight minutes later Pablo Barrientos equalized for Catania before Chilean midfielder David Pizarro handed Fiorentina the victory with a 28th minute goal.
Rossi has long been considered one of the most controversial figures in American soccer after the Teaneck, New Jersey born player chose to represent Italy, the homeland of his parents, instead of the U.S. For most fans, those wounds have healed.
We here at Pro Soccer Talk wish Rossi the best of luck in his continued recovery from injury and in the upcoming Serie A season.
