Return to Seleção and other talk..

By: Moka | October 13th, 2008

After an 11 month absence from international football, it took Kaká a mere 5 minutes to add to his tally of international goals, with a well-placed finish against Venezuela. He also set up the 3rd goal with a nice cross that found Elano, who crossed it to Adriano for an easy finish. The match ended 4-0 for the Samba.

Goal.com rating : Kaká – 8: What a return to the Seleção. Scored an absolute stunner for an opening goal and continued to menace the Venezuela defence throughout the game, running the show from the middle of the park.

In other Kaká-related news, the rumors about a Manchester City move are reborn. Again, the source is goal.com (known more commonly to the Offside regulars as BS.com, but yes, I know I use their ratings all the time), and apparently the amount needed to lure him to City is £50 million. I don’t think I need to say anything more. Also, after his goal against Venezuela, Zambrotta praised him:

I’m so happy for Ricky. It’s great news for Milan who can now count on a great champion once again, who has rediscovered his best form.

In other Milan-related news, reports from BS.com about possible transfer targets for January and next summer. In defense, there have been links to Mexes, Zapata, Rinuado and Santacroce. To be perfectly honest, they’re all reasonable targets. Maybe Mexes is a bit far-fetched, but even though he’s easily my first choice, Zapata or Santacroce would be an excellent addition. Never heard of Rinuado. Let’s just hope these links aren’t just a waste of time.

There have also been reports about a possible move for Fabregas. If that fails, Milan will apparently go for Moutinho. Meanwhile, Kuzmanovic has expressed his desire to play alongside Pirlo one day. Well, it would be difficult to say no to Fabregas, but I think that link is just pure BS; sure Milan have good ties with Arsenal, but no. If he’s leaving Arsenal, he’s going to Barcelona or Real Madrid. It’s simple. Moutinho? From what I’ve seen, he’s got creativity and would be a good replacement for Pirlo. If there’s extra cash after the defense has been overhauled, I wouldn’t mind him coming to Milan. I don’t know much about Kuzmanovic, but apparently his idol is Pirlo, so he’s another replacement for Pirlo. I’m actually glad Milan are looking for a Pirlo replacement, because the guy needs some rest, and Seedorf isn’t getting any younger.

However, let’s not forget GOURCUFF!

I stumbled upon an interesting article on BS.com about his stock rising. Basically, the kid is on fire with Bordeaux, and he earned a call-up to the national team, and he scored. That’s impressive, and I’m glad Milan did not sell him. The kid never got a real chance to prove himself with Milan last year for many reasons, but I just hope he maintains his form and returns to Milan next year full of confidence, which will only add more depth to a terrifying front-line. Ideally, his role is an attacking midfielder, but I heard he can also play in a midfielder role, which means he can also act as cover for Pirlo. Either way, he could definitely be used as an attacking midfielder in rotation with Kaká, Dinho and Seedorf. So, if Gourcuff is coming back next season, is there a real need to be in the market for another midfielder?

Let’s not forget Cardaccio, who is yet to make his formal debut. I saw a glimpse of him in a pre-season friendly, and he looks like he’s got quite the potential.