Romario de Souza of Vasco da Gama keeps
his eyes on the ball during their Brazilian championship soccer match
against Sport-PE at Sao Januario stadium in Rio de Janeiro May 20,
2007.(Xinhua Photo)
RIO
DE JANEIRO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian Football Federation gave striker
Romario a medal on Monday for scoring his 1,000th goal, identical to the medal
given to Pele, the only other Brazilian to score 1,000 professional goals.
"The Federation is honored to be able to pay homage
to a player as important as Romario has been for the game and for the national
team," President of the Federation Ricardo Teixeira said in a statement
published on the body's website. Romario will also receive a national team
T-shirt with the number 1,000.
Teixeira said he felt a special affection for Romario
because in 1989 Brazil had not won the Copa America but that in that year, the
same year that Teixeira became Federation president, Romario scored the winning
goal in the Copa.
In 1994, after 24 years without a Cup Brazil won
their fourth World Cup with a great deal of help from Romario, known to fans as
Shorty.
Dunga, the current manager of the Brazil national
team, who was part of the same 1994 squad, said he was pleased that Romario had
achieved the feat.
"I am happy to have been part of the same generation
as a player who has made history in achieving a target only ever reached by one
other Brazilian".
Pele, who Brazilians call the king of football,
reached the 1,000 goal target in 1969.
RIO DE JANEIRO, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian soccer
star Romario scored for the 1,000th time in his career on Sunday, converting a
48th-minute penalty in Vasco da Gama's 3-1 victory over Sport of Recife in the
second round of the Brazilian national championship.
After the goal, the game was suspended with Vasco
leading 3-0as his mother, father, wife, children and a horde of journalists
rushed onto the field. Full story
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