Dhorasoo Goes AWOL

Longtime followers of this blog are familiar with my uneasy fascination with France World Cup substitute Vikash Dhorasoo. The man activates my maternal area on a regular basis by going through life with those big, dark puppy dog eyes and one finger permanently on the self-destruct button. Not to mention a bit more ego than is actually warranted by reality.

Recent events are more of the same.

On the one hand, my mailbox is filling with good reviews from his World Cup film, “The Substitute,” (the one filmed without permission at World Cup 2006) which has been showing at the London Film Festival.

And on the other… Well, remember last year, when Vikash was cut from PSG for mouthing off about being sent to the Reserves? And remember how popular his no-transfer-fee self was during the January window until he went on a trial or two and picked up an injury? And then remember him temporarily garnering interest among several teams before finally, at last, being picked up by Livorno this summer?

And I’m thinking, “Ahh. At last. A happy ending for Vikash.”

Well, not so fast. Seems Dhorasoo went AWOL at Livorno over the weekend after taking offense at being asked to play a Reserves game. (Whoa. Deja vu all over again.) This comes after not playing a single game so far this season due to fitness and injury issues.

(For the record, Vikash says that this was a contractual issue and that he was within his rights to refuse the game. This may turn out to be true. That doesn’t make his actions smart.)

Sigh.

Okay, Vikash. This is the mom in me speaking. You’re thirty-four years old now. Perhaps it’s time to hang up the cleats and continue on with your life. Which, with luck, won’t involve dealing with managers or superiors or highers-up of any kind, since that doesn’t seem to be a part of your skill set.

If the filmmaking thing doesn’t work out, might I suggest a career as a hermit?