 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Toilet door stands between Vasco duo
Posted: Tuesday January 04, 2000 04:19 PM
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) -- Vasco da Gama has spared no expense in its attempt to win the inaugural World Club Championship, yet all its efforts could be undone by a toilet door. Vasco's striking duo Edmundo and Romario, who fell out over the aforementioned door in 1998, are still far from united just two days before the team's opening match against Australia's South Melbourne. Although both players insist they have flushed away previous differences, they have yet to play together, or even be seen together in public, since Romario joined the Brazilian club in December. The two used to be chums until Romario opened a theme bar called the "Cafe do Gol." The novelties included the doors of the toilets, on which were painted huge cartoons of soccer personalities. One of the doors featured a cartoon of Edmundo sitting on a deflated ball. The next cublicle displayed a cartoon of a model with whom he had a child before separating in acrimonious circumstances. An angry Edmundo asked for the paintings to be removed, Romario refused and the two fell out. At the time, Romario was playing for Flamengo and Edmundo was in Italy with Fiorentina, so the incident merely caused a few smiles. Now, however, they are being asked to come together to lead Vasco's challenge in FIFA's newest competition. Vasco, founded by Rio's Portuguese community and nicknamed "Dried Cod" after that country's national dish, have planned their whole season around the tournament. In the last month they have signed former Brazil defender Junior Baiano from Palmeiras, veteran right back Jorginho - like Romario a member of the 1994 World Cup-winning team - from Sao Paulo and midfielders Valber and Alexandre Torres. With so many new arrivals, a huge question mark hangs over Vasco's team understanding as a whole. But nowhere causes more concern than the attack. When Romario joined Vasco in December, he insisted there was no bad feeling with a player who, like him, began his career at the club. "I have not come here to take anybody's space, particularly Edmundo's, because I know that his space is large and has been conquered with a lot of work," he said. However, for various reasons the two never trained together and, a week later, Edmundo pulled a thigh muscle that has left him out of the action since. He had been expected to play briefly in Monday's friendly against an Algerian XI but was kept on the bench, and the long-awaited meeting was again put off. As a result, the pair will play together for the first time in Thursday's opener against South Melbourne. There is no doubt that, on their day, either player can win a match single-handedly. Romario, at 33 still one of his country's most gifted players, led Brazil to its World Cup victory in 1994, while Edmundo's explosive acceleration resembles Ronaldo at his best. Both players, however, are prone to shooting themselves in their gifted feet. Romario's love of a good night out has led him into conflicts with coaches at Flamengo, Barcelona and Valencia -- as well as two national team coaches. Edmundo has collected more than a dozen red cards in his explosive career. He once spent several days under hotel arrest in Ecuador after smashing a television camera during a Libertadores Cup match. Last year, he spent a night on the run from Brazilian police after being ordered to serve a jail sentence for his part in a 1995 car crash. Edmundo eventually handed himself in, spent one night behind bars and was then released pending an appeal. Vasco coach Antonio Lopes used to be a detective before dedicating himself full-time to soccer coaching. He will need all his police experience, and more, to keep his troublesome strike force in check.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
