Though the match between the New England Revolution and FC Dallas remains scoreless in Frisco, a moment of excitement has come in the 79th minute. Colombian striker Jose "Pepe" Moreno has checked in for his first MLS appearance and his debut with the New England Revolution, replacing Clyde Simms.
Jose Moreno's debut has been a long time coming. It was announced in early February that Moreno would be joining New England from Colombian side Once Caldas on a loan arrangement with an option to buy at the end of the 2012 season. However, just days after his signing was announced, it was reported that Moreno was intent on staying in Colombia, despite assurances from Revolution and Once Caldas officials that all relevant paperwork had been signed.
For a while, no word from Moreno's camp was forthcoming, but the striker did feature again for Once Caldas and reportedly picked up an injury. It was later revealed by New England management that his loan arrangement was always scheduled to start on March 1st anyway, so his absence from preseason camp was never an issue. Even after all issues concerning Moreno's own words were cleared up, his arrival was delayed by visa issues, and Revs fans continually voiced frustrations over the protracted saga.
Just a minute or two after his debut, Moreno announced his presence with a vicious rip from distance that gave Kevin Hartman trouble, perhaps signaling good things to come.
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