Brazilian ‘treasure’ Robinho announces arrival with a sparkling performance
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“It is a treasure for us to have such a player, with such a personality and such skills,” said Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira after the 21-year-old contributed handsomely to a 3-0 win over European champions Greece in the Confederations Cup in Leipzig on Thursday.
With a tired but still effective World Footballer of the Year Ronaldinho feeding him passes from midfield, the elegant Robinho flourished against a Greek side lacking its normal defensive bite.
He could have claimed a hat-trick on his first appearance in Europe had he connected with a first half shot and then a volley on the stroke of half-time, and he had the ball in the net after the break but was clearly offside.
But his run to connect with the low cross from Gilberto in the 46th minute was world-class, and so were a host of nicely weighted passes.
“It was not an easy game for us, but the instruction from the coach was to pass the ball very fast and that is how we played. I think it worked,” Robinho said.
“I was happy to score but I am even happier that we started the tournament with a win.”
The young man from Sao Paulo could soon be leaving Pele's old club Santos to join the starry cast at Real Madrid, according to widespread rumours.
Robinho has followed the well-travelled Brazilian route from a poor background to riches through football.
Unfortunately, his wealth has made his family a target of kidnappers who snatched his mother Marina Silva de Souza at a barbecue last year, the day after the speculation about Real Madrid began to surface.
Robinho and his advisors took charge of the operation to free his mother - he gave a remarkable press conference in which he begged journalists not to write about the case and allow him to deal with the kidnappers and he even asked the police to take their officers off the case.
His strategy worked and his mother was freed by her captors in December 2004 after being held for 41 days.
Comparisons have inevitably been made between Robinho's playing style and Pele, the standard against which every world class player is held.
Pele first set his eyes on Robinho in 1999, when the 15-year-old approached him at the team's headquarters.
The legend predicted in a TV interview at the time that the boy would be a great player.
Robinho rose to prominence in an outstanding young Santos team in 2002, which won the national championship, Robinho giving a fantastic performance in the two-legged playoff final. He duly made his Brazil debut in 2003.
Brazilian veteran Roberto Carlos said recently his compatriot would be joining him at Real Madrid for the 2005-2006 season.
If that is true, the Bernabeu is in for a treat. – AFP
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