George Dos Santos Paladini

my first post ..i trust i'v transgressed @ least the netiquette

Striker adds to Phoenix Brazilian flavour
By FRED WOODCOCK - The Dominion Post | Saturday, 23 June 2007

Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert yesterday secured a signature he had desired for several weeks, with diminutive Brazilian striker George Dos Santos Paladini (known as George) taking the Brazilian contingent to three.

And it is also believed the Phoenix are close to securing a fourth and final Brazilian, with tough central defender Cleberson set to join the A-League's newest outfit.

George, who has signed a one-year deal, will combine with midfield countrymen Daniel and Felipe de Souza Campos at the club, which is following a recent A-League trend in pinning hopes on South American players. It also hints at an attractive style of play, with the Brazilians known for their technical ability and passing game in particular.

With midfield stocks already strong on paper, George's signing will make the fight for spots up front intriguing.

It can only be assumed Herbert has not signed the 29-year-old to sit on the bench, which means Vaughan Coveny, Shane Smeltz, Royce Brownlie and, to a lesser extent, rising teenage star Costa Barbarouses, would initially be vying for the other starting spot.

Herbert, who signalled early in the recruitment campaign that South America was his preference for foreign players, described George as a player who will complement Coveny and Brownlie, who are strong on the ball and hold it up well.

A pacy striker who can play centrally or wide out, George is 1.70m tall and weighs just 65kg. He has played in Brazil, most notably with Flamengo, and also in Venezuela and Portugal.

"I've looked for players who can fit into a structure and offer us options to any tactics that we may adopt," said Herbert, who leaves today for the week-long Uefa Pro Licence coaching course in England - world football's foremost coaching course.

"I think it's about putting any uncertainty you can into opposition teams by having different types of players available."

Recruiting lower profile Latin American players can be a volatile exercise - for every star there is often three or four duds - but Herbert has undertaken thorough research in the past few months to minimise the risk.

Early signs are that he got a good one in Daniel, the only Brazilian at present training with the squad.

"I've seen a lot of DVD footage of George and it's taken a lot of time to go through that. We've taken our time given the number of players available and we've made the decision to go with him.

"He also comes recommended from a very reliable source."

George is expected to join his Phoenix teammates in Wellington early next month. His signing takes the makeup of the Phoenix squad to nine Kiwis, seven Australians and three Brazilians, with up to four more players allowed in the maximum 23-man squad.

One of those spots is likely to go to Cleberson, two will be held for New Zealand under-20 players, likely to be named after the pending World Cup in Canada, and the other will be a New Zealand or Australian player - possibly a right back.

haha....thats the best call ive heard all day nembo. But im sure zephyr's imaginary team page gets a sh*t load of hits!

 Pause....NOT!