Robert (footballer, born 1981)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert de Pinho de Souza | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 August 2007 | |||
Robert de Pinho de Souza, commonly known as Robert, (born February 27, 1981 in Salvador, Brazil) is a Brazilian footballer, who recently joined Mexican club Monterrey. Robert plays as a striker.
Career
Beginnings
Robert began his professional career with Botafogo de Ribeirão Preto of Brazil, where he played in 2001. He made a move to São Caetano in 2002, and played with them until mid-2003, when he was transferred to Spartak Moscow. After less than a season with Spartak, however, he returned to the Americas, signing with CF Atlas. He did exceptionally well in his first season with Atlas, scoring 16 goals in 21 games during the 2004 Clausura. He repeated his performance in the 2004 Apertura, leading them to the semifinals of the liguilla, where they were eliminated by UNAM Pumas.
PSV Eindhoven
Robert moved from to PSV Eindhoven for £2.0 million, in January 2005. He made 7 league appearances, scoring 1 goal. During the UEFA Champions League quarter-final match against Olympique Lyonnais, he kept his nerves in check to deliver his decisive spot-kick which sent his team into a semi-final showdown with eventual losing finalist AC Milan. Although he hardly had the time to impress in the Champions League games, he played an excellent match against the Italian giants in the return leg at Philips Stadion, with PSV winning 3-1 and being ousted on away goals, and he himself came close to scoring when he cracked a long range shot which just missed the Milan left post by a matter of inches.
Real Betis
Robert was loaned by PSV to Real Betis for two years, arriving during the 2006 January transfer window. His signing was pivotal in the efforts of Betis to avoid relegation, scoring 7 La Liga goals, including two against Villarreal in a 2-1 win at El Madrigal and a winning penalty against bitter rivals Sevilla FC in a 2-1 win at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera. Robert also scored one UEFA Cup goal against AZ Alkmaar. Due to the injury of fellow Brazilian and team-mate Ricardo Oliveira, Robert's importance to Betis gradually grew in importance, as he finished the club's top goalscorer for the season. His second season, however, was poorer (still managed 9 league goals in 29 appearances) and he eventually left Real Betis in July 2007, with a return to CF Atlas the most likely outcome.
On August 22 2007 Robert signed for Saudi Arabian team Al-Ittihad. On December 4, 2007 Mexican media announced the transfer of Robert to CF Monterrey, where he will be likely paired up in attack with Humberto "El Chupete" Suazo, formerly of Colo Colo.