World Cup Winner joins the A League
Posted by Jasper Reed in A-League, Adelaide, Newcastle United, Sydney FC, World Cup | 1 October 2006
World Cup winner Romario has agreed to play for Adelaide United as a guest player in the A League.
Now 40, the 1994 World Player of the Year will make 4 appearances with The Reds next month. His current club, Miami FC, will also play 2 exhibition games in Australia on the 17th and 19th October as part of the deal reportedly worth $170,000AUS to the player.
Romario’s career peaked at the US World Cup, winning not only the trophy but also the Golden Ball award for most valuable player, but he has continued to score goals at the highest level. He led the scoring in the Brazilian league in 2005 for the 6th time, and his stated ambition now is to equal Pele’s rather questionable record of 1,000 during a career, currently sitting on 977.
The concept of guest players in the league does much for marketing and merchandising, but little for the integrity or standard of the game, particularly when guest players are well past their best. Sydney FC was first to attract a guest player, with Japanese evergreen Kazuyoshi Miura turning out for them last season. The 39 year old made little impression on the pitch, but added Japanese interest to the team that competed in the World Club Championship in Japan in December. Sydney has again dipped into the ‘player for hire’ market this year by signing Italian winger Benito Carbone. He is due to make his debut this weekend against Adelaide, where he will come up against former Bradford compatriot and now Reds player Bobby Petta.
Heralded as ‘one of the most important signings in Australian football history’, Romario may well sell a few shirts, but we are not far off the ‘Socrates to Garforth’ situation of a few seasons ago, which is demeaning to the local game. Carbone is still young enough to have an impact at Sydney, but the choice of guest player is also crucial if the role model card is to be played; it is unclear what Newcastle was trying to do with their choice of guest player. The Jets were recently rebuffed by one Stanley Victor Collymore…..
