Alexandre Pato of Tianjin did little to impress during his debut against Guangzhou R&F in the first round of the CSL season in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on March 4, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

The bizarre meandering journey of Pato continues

A sigh for Alexandre Pato please. A Brazilian who threatened to live up to the weighty label wonder kid for a couple of sparkling years at AC Milan, got injured, wildly lost, and suffered an ignominious fall from stardom.

If Pato sees football in the portside city of Tianjin with cultural rendezvous around Beijing as a way to mend a reputation and a wounded heart, his debut against Guangzhou R&F will surely only draw the agony out a little further. Pato did little to impress and missed a slew of golden chances in the second half with his side going on to lose 2-0, sigh.

Aside from demonstrating the fact Fabio Cannavaro’s side won’t win by simple virtue of star power, the Brazilian forward may have to remind Chinese fans, who may have missed his prestigious early days that dried up circa 2009, exactly what his credentials are. Unless, of course, he is genuinely seeking the specialist title of journeyman.