Eduardo has struck against England,
F.Y.R. Macedonia and - with a hat-trick - Israel in EURO qualifying
(¿Getty Images)
When the 15-year-old Eduardo da Silva left his home town
of Rio de Janeiro to join NK Dinamo Zagreb in 1998, he could not have
imagined the role he was to play in Croatian football over the next decade.
In fact he is now something of a national icon.
Croatian citizen
Eduardo make his senior debut at Dinamo in 2001/02, and took Croatian
citizenship. By 2003/04 the striker was scoring regularly for his club
and earned a call-up to play for his adopted nation in the 2004 UEFA European
Under-21 Championship. That was an annus mirabilis for the forward as
he was voted the Croatian league's player of the year and made his senior
international debut. And although he missed out on selection for the 2006
FIFA World Cup, it is in no small way due to Eduardo that Croatia lead
a UEFA EURO 2008T qualifying group containing Russia and England.
Record tally
The 24-year-old has struck five times in the competition while continuing
to star on the domestic stage - his 34 league goals in 32 games is a Croatian
record and he ended the season with the first ever hat-trick in a Dinamo
showdown with arch-rivals HNK Hajduk Split. Neither Estonia nor Russia
will fancy containing him this week and Eduardo is relishing the challenge.
"I expect, as we all do, that we will get six points," he told
uefa.com. "Of course, if I play I will give my all and try to score.
EURO aim
"If we manage to win those games, it will be much easier to play
against England at Wembley [in the last qualifier in November]. We have
showed great form and achieved excellent results in this group, but it's
not over yet. It will be a tough match in England and we need these six
points to be relaxed and to play without pressure. Our primary goal is
to reach [UEFA] EURO 2008T as quickly as possible and we would be very
close if we win in the next two matches."
High expectations
Expectations are high, but Eduardo is taking nothing for granted. "I
am sure it will be difficult," he said. "Russia have excellent
players, a quality team and top coach. But, I must be honest and say I
think it will be more difficult to play against Estonia in Tallinn than
against Russia in Zagreb. In the past Croatia have almost always had difficult
matches against Estonia but everyone thinks we ought to win that match.
People have already added on those three points against Estonia."
Brave selections
His breakthrough as a regular for the national team has coincided with
the arrival of Slaven Bilic as coach. Still only 38, the former Croatia
defender has given youth a chance in the shape of Luka Modric, Vedran
Corluka and of course Eduardo. "We have a brilliant coach,"
Eduardo said. "I think his bravery is the crucial factor in our success.
When he took over, he called up many of us young players. Everyone said,
'You will not make it with all those youngsters', but he did it and we
are now among the best players. It was his best move. Very brave and very
successful."
Transfer target
That last word also sums up Eduardo's season, and unsurprisingly he is
now the reported target of some of Europe's biggest clubs. "I have
been playing very well for the last three years," he said. "I
get many rewards and individual trophies and people have been telling
me for a while now that it's time to leave Dinamo Zagreb. Of course, it's
not just down to me, but I always want to make progress, I would like
to play at a big club, like every other player wants to. I recently signed
a new ten-year contract and I am relaxed. I think I have reached the maximum
level possible in the Croatian first division.
Sevilla dream
"I would really like to stay at Dinamo but I score all the time and
in that situation it's hard to avoid bids from other clubs. I think about
Europe very often, about big clubs, but sometimes I am sad when I score
a goal for Dinamo, because with every new goal I move a little bit further
from Zagreb." As for his ideal destination, he is emphatic. "Sevilla
[FC] are my favourite club! They are great club and very soon they will
be big like Real Madrid [CF] and [FC] Barcelona. If I got an offer from
them, it would be my priority no matter what other club is bidding for
me."
New challenge
Once the EURO qualifiers are over, Eduardo will return to Brazil for ten
days' rest before a season that could project him firmly into the football
spotlight and end with a little tournament in Austria and Switzerland.
"I am not tired, but I am happy to spend some time with my family
and I am looking to new challenges next season," Eduardo concluded.
,
1 June 2007.
Russian ladies dream about happy marriage.
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¿ Russian National Football Team - RussiaTeam.com
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