Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post - the 370Z.com OFFICIAL football (soccer) thread

cow · 11-12-2010, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Thiago Alcântara do Nascimento is heir to a footballing lineage of note. His father, Lomar do Nascimento, better known as Mazinho, was a defensive midfielder in the 80s and 90s. Mazinho's career took him to 10 clubs, but he was hardly a journeyman. He was capped by Brazil's national team 22 times, including appearing throughout the canarinha's 1994 World Cup-winning run. Thiago was born in Bari, Italy in 1991 (really? I'm writing 1991 as the birth year of a professional footballer? Oh god I'm old) and began his footballing career at the age of 4 in the Flamego's youth ranks, meaning he really hasn't ever known anything other than the soccer field.

He joined Barcelona's youth ranks in 2005, 4 years after his father had retired from professional play, and has steadily risen through the ranks. His debut for the first team on May 17, 2009 and his first goal the 4th of a 4-0 rout of Racing Santander on February 20, 2010. He's made 6 appearances this year--3 in the league, 2 in the Copa, 1 in the Supercopa de España - and looks poised to make more before the end of the calendar year.

With the squad hurting for depth and supposedly hurting for cash, Thiago's free "transfer" to the first team seems like a no brainer. Arsenal fans would nod in appreciation as it suggests less of a chance Barça will go after Cesc Fabregas (why promote someone and then spend big money on a replacement?) and anyone serious about austerity measure for FCB would also applaud the move. And, really, for a team that trumpets the number of youth players in the squad during the Champions League final in Rome, promoting youth seems like simply the right move to make.

ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - FC Barcelona - A Young Gun Lights It Up