Zárate Kid strikes a blow for Lazio
Friday, September 19, 2008
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When Mauro Zárate joined S.S. Lazio there was none of the fanfare that greeted Ronaldinho at AC Milan, but as the two meet tonight the man dubbed the Zárate Kid has put the illustrious Brazilian firmly in the shade.
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When new signing Mauro Zárate was unveiled by S.S. Lazio during the summer there was none of the fanfare and certainly no 30,000-strong welcome party like the one which greeted Ronaldinho on his arrival at AC Milan. However, as the two players prepare to come face to face at San Siro tonight, it is the 21-year-old Argentinian standing in the spotlight after putting the illustrious Brazilian in the shade.
Stunning start
Zárate, who arrived on loan from Qatari club Al-Saad, scored twice on his Serie A debut against Cagliari Calcio before adding a cracker in the victory at UC Samporia last Sunday. Lazio fans have already dubbed the striker the Zárate Kid as their side sit proudly on top of the Serie A table. Milan by contrast may have Ballon d'Or winners Ronaldinho, Kaká and Andriy Shevchenko in their ranks, but the Rossoneri are still looking for their first point of the campaign after losing against Bologna FC and Genoa CFC.
Sudden impact
"I honestly didn't expect [Zárate] to have such an impact," Lazio coach Delio Rossi said. "However he worked very hard over the summer, he is very motivated and his skills are obvious to everybody." Lazio president Claudio Lotito, was less reticent, even going so far as comparing his new star to compatriot Lionel Messi. "He has room for improvement but he has a great character," Lotito said. "You can see he never wants to lose."
'Huge potential'
Club legend like Giuseppe Signori also scored twice on his Lazio debut on the way to hitting 107 goals in 152 games for the club. Signori, too, likes what he has seen from Zárate so far. "He has great qualities and started extremely well," he said. "There is huge potential, no doubt about that. However, you should judge a horse at the end of the race, not at the start."
Messi tribute
Zárate, the former CA Vélez Sársfield forward who spent the second half of last season on loan at Birmingham City FC, is fully aware of that. "Leo Messi is one of the best footballers in the world and it is not fair to say that I'm better than him or even like him," he said. Comparisons, though, will surely now be drawn on Sunday when he comes up against the likes of Ronaldinho, Kaká and Shevchenko.
