Kaku (footballer)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Romero and the second or maternal family name is Gamarra.
Kaku
Kaku with Paraguay in 2018
Personal information
Full name Alejandro Sebastián Romero Gamarra
Date of birth (1995-01-11) 11 January 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Ciudadela, Argentina
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, winger
Team information
Current team
 Al Ain
Number 10
Youth career
Huracán
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2017 Huracán 94 (9)
2018–2020 New York Red Bulls 72 (13)
2021–2023 Al Taawoun 52 (16)
2023– Al Ain 25 (6)
International career‡
2015 Argentina U20 5 (0)
2018– Paraguay 22 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:21, 25 October 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

Alejandro Sebastián Romero Gamarra (born 11 January 1995), nicknamed Kaku, is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Emirati club Al Ain and the Paraguay national team.

Club career

[edit]

Huracán

[edit]

Born in Ciudadela, Kaku began his career in the youth ranks of Huracán. In 2013, Kaku made his professional debut for Huracán in the Primera B Nacional. He scored his first goal for the club on 12 October 2013 in a 4–1 victory over Aldosivi.[1] On 14 December 2014, Kaku helped Huracán return to the top flight after three seasons in the Primera B Nacional, scoring the decisive second goal in a 4–1 victory over Atlético Tucumán.[2] With the promotion to the top flight, Huracán concluded a very successful season, having won the 2013–14 Copa Argentina a few weeks prior in a penalty shoot-out over Rosario Central with Kaku appearing as a second-half substitute.[3] This was the club's first official title in 41 years.

On 3 February 2015, he scored his first goal in the Copa Libertadores against Peruvian club Alianza Lima in a 4–0 victory.[4][5] On 1 March 2016, Kaku led Huracán to a historic victory in the Copa Libertadores over Peñarol at the Estadio Centenario, scoring the lone goal in the 1–0 triumph.[6] A few weeks later, on 24 March Kaku scored his first goal in the Argentine Primera División in a 2–0 victory over Aldosivi.[7] On 18 July 2016 he helped Huracán advance in the Copa Argentina scoring the opening goal in a 2–1 victory over Central Córdoba.[8]

On 27 May 2017, he scored an injury time equalizer from the penalty spot in a 1–1 draw with Boca Juniors.[9] On 1 June 2017, Kaku scored another important goal for his club, this time an injury time goal in a 4–0 victory over Deportivo Anzoátegui in the 2017 Copa Sudamericana. The goal helped Huracán advance to the next round by a 4–3 aggregate score after having lost the first leg by three goals.[10] On 16 June 2017, he scored the lone goal in a 1–0 victory over Unión de Santa Fe, helping his club to a crucial three points which helped Huracán avoid relegation.[11] On 28 October 2017, Kaku scored his club's second goal in a 4–0 victory over Lanús and celebrated the goal dedicating it to his recently deceased mother.[12]

New York Red Bulls

[edit]

On 23 December 2017, it was announced by Huracán that they had agreed a deal to transfer Kaku to New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer for a fee of $6.25 million.[13] After resolving various issues that held up the transfer, on 16 February 2018, it was announced that he had signed with New York.[14] Red Bulls also sent $50,000 of General Allocation Money to Atlanta United, who owned his discovery rights.[15] On 1 March 2018, Kaku made his debut for New York in a 2–0 victory over Olimpia in the CONCACAF Champions League.[16] On 10 March 2018, he assisted Ben Mines on the opening goal of the match on his Red Bulls league debut in a 4–0 victory over Portland Timbers.[17] On 13 March 2018, Kaku scored his first goal for New York in a 3–1 victory over Club Tijuana in the CONCACAF Champions League, helping the club advance to semifinals of the Champions League for the first time.[18] On 14 April 2018, Kaku scored his first league goal for New York in a 3–1 victory over the Montreal Impact.[19] On 28 April 2018, Kaku helped New York to a 3–2 victory over LA Galaxy, assisting on two goals and scoring the game winner with an 84th-minute penalty-kick goal.[20] The following week, 5 May 2018, Kaku opened the scoring for New York in a 4–0 derby victory over New York City FC, he also assisted on two other goals.[21] On 6 December 2018, Kaku was named the New York Red Bulls Newcomer of the Year for 2018 after leading the team in assists throughout the season.[22]

Al-Taawoun

[edit]

On 1 February 2021, it was announced by Al-Taawoun of the Saudi Professional League that they had agreed to a transfer for Kaku.[23] On 17 February 2021, Romero Gamarra's former club New York Red Bulls and Major League Soccer sought arbitration against Kaku and the MLS Players Association for breach of contract.[24] In April 2021 arbiter Shyam Das ruled against the MLSPA and Kaku and found that New York Red Bulls and Major League Soccer had exercised their unilateral contract option on Kaku prior to 31 December 2020.[25] On 12 May 2021, Major League Soccer and New York Red Bulls filed a petition in United States federal court seeking to have the arbitration decision enforced.[26] On 22 July 2021, MLS and New York Red Bulls filed suit in United States federal court against Kaku's agent Scott Pearson and Pearson's company Argentine Futbol Tours LLC, alleging "tortious interference" in Kaku's move to Al-Taawoun and seeking in excess of $6 million in damages.[27] On 16 September 2021, MLS and New York Red Bulls voluntarily dismissed their suit against Pearson.[28]

International career

[edit]

Kaku was born in Argentina to Paraguayan parents. He was selected by Argentina's U-20 manager, Humberto Grondona to participate in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.[29] On 16 May 2018, Kaku announced his desire to file a one-time switch request with FIFA to play for Paraguay.[30] The move was approved by FIFA on 23 May 2018, and he was immediately called up to the Paraguay national team for a friendly against Japan.[31] He made his competitive debut for Paraguay on 12 June, as a substitute in the second half of the friendly match against Japan.[citation needed]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 25 October 2024[32]
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Huracán 2013–14 Primera B Nacional 16 2 3 0 — — — 19 2
2014 6 3 0 0 — — — 6 3
2015 Argentine Primera División 17 0 0 0 — 11[c] 1 — 28 1
2016 16 1 2 1 — 9[d] 2 — 27 4
2016–17 27 2 3 0 — 3[e] 1 — 33 3
2017–18 12 1 0 0 — 0 0 — 12 1
Total 94 9 8 1 0 0 23 4 0 0 125 14
New York Red Bulls 2018 MLS 30 6 1 0 — 3[f] 1 4[g] 0 38 7
2019 26 5 1 0 — 4[f] 0 1[g] 0 32 5
2020 16 2 — — — 1[g] 0 17 2
Total 72 13 2 0 0 0 7 1 6 0 87 14
Al-Taawoun 2020–21 Saudi Pro League 11 7 3 2 — — — 14 9
2021–22 15 3 1 1 — — — 16 4
2022–23 26 6 1 2 — — — 27 8
Total 52 16 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 57 21
Al Ain 2023–24[33] UAE Pro League 20 5 2 0 3 1 11[h] 4 — 36 10
2024–25[33] 5 1 0 0 1 0 4[h] 0 — 10 1
Total 25 6 2 0 4 1 14 4 0 0 46 11
Career total 243 45 17 6 4 1 44 9 6 0 315 61
  1. ^ Includes Copa Argentina, U.S. Open Cup, King Cup, UAE President's Cup
  2. ^ Includes UAE League Cup
  3. ^ Three appearances in Copa Sudamericana, eight appearances and one goal in Copa Libertadores
  4. ^ Appearances in Copa Libertadores
  5. ^ Appearances in Copa Sudamericana
  6. ^ a b Appearances in CONCACAF Champions League
  7. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in MLS Cup Playoffs
  8. ^ a b Appearances in AFC Champions League

International

[edit]
As of 19 November 2024[34]
National team Year Apps Goals
Paraguay 2018 2 0
2019 3 2
2020 1 1
2021 7 2
2023 5 0
2024 4 0
Total 22 5

International goals

Scores and results list Paraguay's goal tally first.[34]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 10 September 2019 Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan  Jordan 4–2 4–2 Friendly
2. 13 October 2019 Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia  Slovakia 1–1 1–1
3. 17 November 2020 Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay  Bolivia 2–2 2–2 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
4. 14 June 2021 Estádio Olímpico Pedro Ludovico, Goiânia, Brazil 1–1 3–1 2021 Copa América
5. 9 September 2021 Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay  Venezuela 2–0 2–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
Correct as of 9 September 2021

Honours

[edit]

Huracán

New York Red Bulls

Al Ain

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "B Nacional: Huracán goleó al Aldosivi de Darío Franco". mundod.lavoz.com.ar (in Spanish). 12 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  2. ^ "Huracán es pura fiesta: goleó a Atlético Tucumán y vuelve a Primera División". lanacion.com.ar (in Spanish). 14 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Huracán es campeón de la Copa Argentina, tras vencer a Rosario Central en una emotiva definición por penales". lanacion.com.ar (in Spanish). 26 November 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Huracán goleó a Alianza Lima 4-0". diariojornada.com.ar (in Spanish). 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Primera Fade Repechaje 1 Finalizado". Conmebol.com.
  6. ^ "Huracán festejó en el Centenario una valiosa victoria frente a Peñarol". lanacion.com.ar (in Spanish). 1 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Vuela hacia la punta". ole.com (in Spanish). 24 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  8. ^ "Huracán-Central Córdoba, Copa Argentina: el Globo ganó 2-1 y sigue adelante". lanacion.com.ar (in Spanish). 18 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  9. ^ "Huracán Amarga a Boca en el último aliento con un penal polémico (1 a 1)". elpais.com (in Spanish). 27 May 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  10. ^ "4-0. Romero Gamarra consuma milagro para Huracán en el último minuto". efe.com (in Spanish). 1 June 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  11. ^ "Que Alívio, Globo!". ole.com (in Spanish). 16 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  12. ^ "Sólo pensé en llorar y mirar al cielo". codigoquemero.com.ar (in Spanish). 29 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  13. ^ "Huracán acordó la venta de Romero Gamarra". cahuracan.com (in Spanish). 23 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  14. ^ "New York Red Bulls Sign Alejandro 'Kaku' Romero Gamarra as Young Designated Player". newyorkredbulls.com. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Atlanta United acquires $50K in GAM from New York Red Bulls". atlutd.com. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  16. ^ "Post-Match Notes: Red Bulls Defeat CD Olimpia, 2-0; Face Tijuana in CCL Quarterfinals". NewYorkRedBulls.com. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  17. ^ "New York Red Bulls 4, Portland Timbers 0 - 2018 MLS Match Recap". mlssoccer.com. 10 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Red Bulls Moving On to SCCL Semis, Defeat Tijuana, 3-1". newyorkredbulls.com. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  19. ^ "New York Red Bulls Bounce Montreal Impact, 3-1". newyorkredbulls.com. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  20. ^ "Red Bulls Win A 3-2 Thriller Over Galaxy". newyorkredbulls.com. 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  21. ^ "Red Bulls Roll Past Rival NYCFC, 4-0". newyorkredbulls.com. 5 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  22. ^ "New York Red Bulls Announce End of the Year Team Awards". 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  23. ^ "Al-Taawoun presenta oficialmente al Kaku Romero". 2 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  24. ^ "MLS, NYRB want arbitration to settle Kaku contract saga". 17 February 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  25. ^ "MLS files petition against Kaku, MLSPA as transfer saga continues". 13 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  26. ^ "MLS Says Player Must Return From Saudi Arabia Under CBA". 12 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  27. ^ "MLS, New York Red Bulls sue agent over Kaku's Saudi club transfer saga". 22 July 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  28. ^ "MLS, New York Red Bulls dismiss lawsuit against Kaku advisor". 16 September 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  29. ^ "Grondona ya definió a los 21 mundialistas". afa.org.ar (in Spanish). 13 May 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  30. ^ "Kaku Considering One time Switch to play for Paraguay National Team". mlssoccer.com. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  31. ^ "New York Red Bulls Midfielder Kaku Makes One-Time Switch to Paraguay National Team". Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  32. ^ Kaku at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  33. ^ a b "Alejandro Romero Gamarra". Football Database. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Kaku". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  35. ^ "Al Ain claim historic second title". The AFC. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
[edit]
  • Kaku at Soccerway
  • Kaku at Fichajes.com (in Spanish)
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