ROMARIO
MIAMI, Florida (CMC):
THE NEW soccer franchise Miami FC, with Jamaica's Sean Fraser, is embracing the arrival of Brazilian star Romario.
The prolific scorer, one of Brazil's biggest names ever in international football, signed last week to play for Miami FC in the second tier United Soccer Leagues (USL), and appeared at Tropical Park this past weekend insisting he was ''honoured and very happy'' to join the club.
Romario contentiously parted company with Brazilian club Vasco da Gama to join Miami FC and some of his new club mates expressed excitement about his arrival.
"Getting Romario puts our team and our league on the map," said goalkeeper Chris Doyle.
"It not only gets us local attention, but national and international attention. I have friends in Europe and Israel who are writing me emails asking, `Is this really happening'. Being around someone like that can only make the rest of the players better," Doyle said in a Miami Herald newspaper story over the weekend.
"I'm sure there will be a little bit of awe when we're first on the field with him, but we're just excited that he is one more piece of the puzzle and he can help us win," he added.
Midfielder Mario Rodriguez, a member of the Guatemalan national team, told the Herald: "The most important thing is that he can score goals and help us win. As players, that's our main focus. I am honoured to be playing on his team, and he will bring us a lot of attention. I think people will come at first just to see Romario, and then hopefully, they'll keep coming.''
Romario is the second-leading scorer in soccer history - 36 goals shy of Pele's world-record 1,000 - and was MVP of the 1994 World Cup when Brazil broke a 24-year drought in title success at the premier world tournament.
The forthcoming USL is considerably lower in status than the level and atmosphere Romario has been accustomed to in his career but he spoke positively about the prospects for him in the US south east city.
"It's a little different. It's a little bigger there (in Brazil), more people. But this is interesting, and I hope to score memorable goals here, too. This might be the last chance in my career to play outside my country, and I love Miami, I feel at home here, I have friends here, I vacation here, so I am happy to be here and I'm taking this seriously," he said.
Still potent at 40 years old, Romario led the Brazilian League last season with 22 goals and he is expected to debut for Miami in a friendly against Jamaica's Caribbean champions Portmore United FC on Sunday and open the regular season on April 23 against the Montreal Impact.
