|
Costa Rica's Paulo Wanchope doesn't mind being designated
as a "wild card" at this year's World Cup.
After all, he is after all returning from knee surgery
that kept him out of competitive soccer for three months.
Knee injuries have dogged Wanchope throughout his career,
but somehow haven't prevented him from becoming one
of Costa Rica's most prolific goal scorers, including
a team-leading 13 in World Cup qualifying.
That's why the Costa Rican brain trust was more than
willing to hold a spot open for him on the squad until
the last possibly moment.
"There's no reason to put my head down,"
Wanchope said of his recent woes. "Now I just need
to focus on recuperating to be fit for the World Cup."
Wanchope leads the attack-minded Costa Ricans, scoring
the majority of goals up front, while setting up fellow
strikers Rolando Fonseca, Hernan Medford and Winston
Parks for the rest.
During the final round of qualifying, he scored four
goals, as Costa Rica won the final spot in the CONCACAF
qualifying group. He was also the second-leading scorer
in the 2001 South American Championships in Columbia
with five goals in four games, as Costa Rica reached
the quarter-finals.
At six-foot-four, the Manchester City star is an intimidating
presence in the air, but also on the ground, where his
speed and knack for making chances out of nothing causes
defenders nightmares.
Football is definitely in the 25-year-old Wanchope's
blood. His father was a player, and his three brothers
are currently stars in Costa Rica.
Wanchope began his professional career in Costa Rica
with CS Heridiano in 1995 and quickly caught the eye
of Derby County, which signed him in 1997. He made an
immediate impact, scoring a glorious goal in his debut
against Manchester United.
Though undeniably talented, Wanchope's inconsistent
play has caused his club teams to become impatient with
him. He moved from Derby County to West Ham United to
Manchester City in successive seasons.
However, Manchester City seemed to be the right fit
for the youngster. In his first season with the club,
he netted nine goals in 25 games, but the team finished
in 18th place and was demoted from the Premiership to
the First Division. This season, Wanchope scored 12
goals in 14 appearances for City, helping them to the
First Division title and a berth back in the Premier
League.
|
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
