Marco Sau: One of Serie A’s best kept secrets

Date: 3rd September 2014 at 2:43pm
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Italy Soccer Serie AThe transfer window has closed once more in Italy and teams across the board have added to their rosters for the next four months, in hopes of achieving the objective set out by presidents, coaches and supporters. One player that didn’t move during the mercato was Cagliari striker Marco Sau, a player of immense quality and potential still untapped.

Last weekend, with hours to go until the close of the mercato, Sau opened his scoring account for the season. The Italian smoothly strolled into space and cooly directed Antonio Balzano’s cross into the back of the net. Pattolino’s goal secured a valuable point for Zdenek Zeman’s side as Cagliari will most likely battle relegation this season, which is something the club have just avoid over the last couple of years.

In recent times, the team have gone from one problem to the next. Fortunately, Cagliari’s stadium issues seem to be behind them under new owner Tommaso Giulini, while the club have a squad good enough to finish mid-table or there about.

As one of Serie A’s best kept secrets, Sau has flown under the radar while other Cagliari players have gotten the limelight. Radja Nainggolan, now at Roma, and Victor Ibarbo have received praise and attention from other clubs. At the same time, Sau has peaked the interest of some, but few seem willing to take a chance on the 26-year-old.

Since breaking into the Cagliari squad in 2012, Sau has tallied 19 goals overall. His best season in the Rossoblu shirt came that season as Sau scored 12 times. Unable to duplicate his efficiency in 2013, Sau notched just six goals, while he competed for playing time with Mauricio Pinilla and Ibarbo. The
Sardinia native started with Cagliari in 2007 at the age of 20. Cutting his teeth in the lower leagues, Sau emerged as a rising star in 2010 when he scored 20 goals for Foggia. Another 20 goal season followed, this time with Juve Stabia, before Cagliari called him home.

marco sau cagliariSau is now tasked with being Zeman’s main man up front and to get Cagliari’s goals in the coach’s kamikaze attack. The team further put their trust in him by signing the Italian to a new three-year contract at the end of August. Certainly that move put off other clubs from courting Sau as the player seems happy to continue his career on the island of his birth.

With several teams in the market for strikers around Europe over the summer, it’s surprising Sau stayed with the Rossoblu. English Premier League side Hull City signed Abel Hernandez from Palermo for €12 million. Hernandez did score 14 times last season, but those goals came in Serie B. In fact, Hernandez’s best Serie A season was in 2009 when he scored seven times. Like Hull City, Torino could have turned to Sau as the replacement of Ciro Immobile. Instead, Amauri joined Fabio Quagliarella to play as striker for the Granata.

Sau may not get the headlines other strikers in Serie A do and that is down to playing for Cagliari, a team that’s off-field problems overshadowed the product on-field in the past. Now with a new owner, a resolution to their stadium problems and a star striker in his prime, more people will discover Sardinia’s best kept secret.

Follow Drew Farmer on Twitter @CalcioFarmer

 

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