Star surprise

So I'm playing in my usual indoor open league game, 11PM Monday. The facility manager asks both team mangers if we can accomodate a special request...permission for a visiting player to play with our team. After a little hesitation, both managers say okay.

This 22 year old guest is very good. Great vision, tremendous acceleration, but the most suprising thing was the fast feet which were constantly in motion. He gives the defense no rest and we annihilate a team that we usually play near even. The other guys didn't protest, because this one player raised the level of play so much that it was a joy for everyone.

Turns out to be Giuseppe Rossi, star of the Italian U21. Traded from ManU to Villareal for 6M euro last year. Scored 6 in his first 10 games in La Liga.

I've played before with other first division Europeans, in and out of their prime. The thing I will remember about this kid is that he is exceedingly modest and well mannered, despite being paid 200,000 pounds per week at the age of 20. As superior as he is, he doesn't protest being part of the regular rotation in and out of the game. No bad habits. So passionate about the game that he seeks out a relatively low level opportunity to play while visiting family in NJ.

Barring injury he will have a great career.

RT

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Permalink Reply by Footballers FC Founder on June 25, 2008 at 12:00am: Randy, how exciting! Too bad the American born star will never grace his presence with the US National Team. It just goes to show you that the US Football culture still has a lot of growing up to do. Have you heard about the US Academy League http://ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_1277962.html ? Hopefully, we'll see more talent come through the system with this.

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Permalink Reply by Randy Tinfow on June 26, 2008 at 1:18pm

I have heard about the Academy. Rossi got into the Parma system when he was 16, I believe. He had the advantage of good coaching from an early age, plus a great club for which to compete. Tuesday afternoon, Rossi and some other alums from the NJ Stallions got together and played indoors for a couple of hours. Attached is a picture from that get together, with Rossi in the back, 6th from the right.

I've played many times with Raffi, another wonderful young player from the Stallions, front row, 4th from right. His game doesn't have the maturity of Rossi's, but Raffi is in some ways a more dangerous player, with even more speed.

It's very encouraging to see this young talent come out of the youth system in Northern NJ. I can't blame Rossi for wanting to play for the world champs. I think his timing is perfect...there will be wholesale changes post Euro2008.

Attachments:

rossi_et_al.jpg, 170 KB

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Permalink Reply by Randy Tinfow on June 26, 2008 at 1:22pm: BTW, the game score was 25-2 for 90 indoor minutes. Rossi had 9, Raffi 6. Normally we play this team and it's 8-7, 9-6.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Footballers FC Founder on June 28, 2008 at 1:18am: What a scoreline. Yep, NJ has produced a few pretty good players over the years. I think it has a lot to do with the cultural hotbed up there with lots of rich football knowledge and experience. I still think that the game in the US has a ways to go to reach the global contenders list but, it's definitely changing across the country.

Re: Italy, yep looks like Rossi may have a great chance what will probably be an overhaul.

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