Hindmarsh Stadium is home to a 1-in-1000 goal
Hindmarsh Stadium is often referred to as one of the best purpose-built football stadiums in Australia and the Adelaide venue once witnessed a goal from one of the world’s best.
When reminiscing about the glittering career of former Brazil international Romario, it is easy to forget that a World Cup-winning frontman once graced the A-League stage. Said clouds in the memory bank are easily forgiven as the South American’s spell in South Australia was a rather ‘blink-and-you-miss-it’ affair.
Back in the November of 2006, some 12 years on from achieving global glory with his country, a charismatic character was acquired by Adelaide United on a short-term deal intended to span five games.
Only four outings were actually taken in, with a hasty retreat to the familiar surrounds of Vasco da Gama beaten in January 2007, but another line was written in the most remarkable of sporting fairytales.
Romario was not your average footballer, as shown by the fact that he now fills a political role in his homeland, but he was one of the finest goalscorers – if not the greatest – to have ever graced the game.
He took in close to 900 official appearances at club level, won 70 caps for Brazil and hung up his boots having surged past the 1,000 goal mark when friendly and exhibition outings were added to his final tally.
🗣️ “God sent Romario to the Maracana.”
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) September 19, 2020
🙏 An injury crisis forced Carlos Alberto Parreira to eat humble pie & recall @RomarioOnze for a must-win #WCQ 🆚 🇺🇾 #OnThisDay in 1993
🇧🇷 'Shortie' spared @CBF_Futebol's proud record of reaching every #WorldCup & fired them to glory 🏆 pic.twitter.com/98tni4sxB1
The legendary Pele is also considered to have reached that notable milestone, but few others can make such bold declarations and Romario forms part of a very exclusive club.
Australian football, and most notably Hindmarsh Stadium, can claim to have played a small part in a story that will stand the test of time and remain part of sporting folklore for years to come.
Romario’s time in Australia
Adelaide United were defending champions when Romario was snapped up, and fought hard to defend that crown in a 2006-07 campaign that saw them finish as runners-up.
Another bid for domestic glory has been opened in the present and A-League markets at Space Casino are set to follow that quest every step of the way, with head coach Carl Veart crying out for a proven goalscorer.
Romario ticked that box and then some following his arrival, but he struggled to make the desired impact. His solitary strike was registered in a winning cause, as the Newcastle Jets were edged out in a five-goal thriller, but that effort on 15 December, 2006 was all that he could muster. Those in attendance that day can, however, claim to have witnessed a small part of history, with Romario’s strike considered to have been his 987th.
For all you Romario fans. 🇧🇷@starfish_dev Star Moment⭐️#AUFCArchives
— Adelaide United (@AdelaideUnited) May 13, 2020
🎥: @FOXFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/vOo9xi2ucU
There were only 12,214 at Hindmarsh Stadium, but they witnessed a once in a lifetime event. Only a select few can claim to have watched a World Cup winner live, with Alessandro Del Piero’s time at Sydney FC bolstering those numbers, and even less can say they saw one of the best to ever do it.
Romario did hint at making a return, saying “I want to play here”, while club officials said he was “organising to come back” as he “loves the lifestyle”, but ultimately it was not to be.
That, though, only serves to make the one effort that was recorded by an all-time great all the more special for the man himself and those that got to celebrate it. After all, who knows when a player of Romario’s ilk will pass through Adelaide again.
