Romário Ready To Field His First Team

Rio de Janeiro living legend Romário has readied his first Vasco first eleven as Coach, the number 11 veteran stepping into the shoes of the departed Celso Roth for the all-important Copa Sudamericana second leg…

Romário has replaced Celso Roth, fired after a series of poor results saw just five points of a potential 30 pocketed and the Gigante Da Colina (Hill Giant) slide down the Brasileirão 2007 (Brazilian first division) table into danger of relegation.

The next challenge is to welcome Mexicans América to the São Januário stadium with the objective of overbalancing the 2-0 deficit that the first leg left before Roth went his separate way. It’s a tough task for a man thrown into the Coach’s shoes by default.

Romário, O Baixinho (Shorty), believes that Vasco can make it – even if he probably won’t field himself from the start as he’s just returned from ankle surgery and a lengthy recovery. “I’m sure that Vasco can overturn this and score three goals”, he stressed.

“We have to accord the visitors our full respect, but, god willing, we’ll be able to keep a clean sheet, win and go through to the semi-finals.” The new Coach may put his chances of becoming a permanent Coach at 1% can count on his team-mates support.

Holding midfielder Perdigão was enthusiastic. “This is incredible and it’ll be a new personal best if I can be the one who passes to a Coach to score the winning goal”, joked the Vascaíno.

Andrade hoped that Vasco can repeat the elimination of Argentineans Lanús – who arrived with the same edge after the last sixteen first leg was won 2-0 in Argentina but Vasco recovered composure – and the classification – back at São Januário.

“Against Lanús it was the same thing and we must do what we did now versus América and get the upper hand back. I just hope that Leandro [Amaral, striker] can score another late winner to put us through again”, argued Andrade.

Romário is showing himself to be a realist and prefers to start the match with Alan Kardec in what could have been his own starting place in attack alongside Leandro Amaral, but is expected to come on in the second half.