Sadly, a post-semi selfie was as close as Didier Drogba came to the USL Cup, with the Phoenix Rising team he both plays for and owns ultimately losing out to Louisville City in the grand finale on Thursday night.
The game brought Drogba’s professional career to an end (in Kentucky of all places!) with the 40-year-old Ivorian confirming beforehand that his 11th final would be his last.
A set piece and @luke_spenc do the trick!@loucityfc are ahead in the 2018 #USLCup!#LOUvPHX | #USLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/6aL72B8fY4
— USL (@USL) 9 November 2018
A 62nd-minute goal from Luke Spencer was enough to deliver the silverware unto Louisville, but as disappointing as the result was for Phoenix, it’s still emblematic of incredible progression for a club that were only really formed just two years ago.
Win or lose, @PHXRisingFC stay together. Farewell @didierdrogba thank you for an AMAZING season. Can’t wait for next year #RisingAsOne #UpRising pic.twitter.com/eUsbUmThXp
— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) 9 November 2018
And so Drogba bows out with one Champions League, four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, two Premier League Golden Boots, one Turkish Super Lig title, one Turkish Super Cup and two African Player of the Year awards, among other miscellaneous trinkets hither and thither.
A true Premier League great who always brought it in the big games for Chelsea and the man who almost single-handedly invented the modern day “lone striker” role: holding play up, occupying multiple defenders, winning soft freekicks, efficiently converting chances, scoring decisive goals: he had it all.
He also made Danny DeVito squeal with delight…
It was the Twins remake we all wanted to see.
Perhaps… now Drog has more free time on his hands… Maybe?