Alejandro Sebastián Romero Gamarra (born 11 January 1995), nicknamed Kaku, is a professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who plays as an

attacking midfielder A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...

or winger for Emirati club

Al Ain Al Ain ( ar, ٱلْعَيْن, , ) is a city in the western side of Tawam (region), Tuwwam region and the seat of the administrative division of its namesake, Al-Ain Region, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ...

and the Paraguay national team.

Club career

Huracán

Born in Ciudadela, Kaku began his career in the youth ranks of

Huracán Huracan (; es, Huracán; myn, Hunraqan, "one legged"), often referred to as ''U Kʼux Kaj'', the "Heart of Sky", is a Kʼicheʼ people, Kʼicheʼ Maya mythology, Maya god of wind, storm, fire and one of the creator deities who participated in ...

. In 2013, Kaku made his professional debut for

in the

Primera B Nacional Primera Nacional (usually called simply Nacional B, in English "National B Division", and known as Primera B Nacional until the 2019–20 season) is the second division of the Argentine football league system. The competition is made up of 37 tea ...

. He scored his first goal for the club on 12 October 2013 in a 4–1 victory over Aldosivi. 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 Club Atlético Tucumán (mostly known as Atlético Tucumán) is an Argentinian football club based in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán of Tucumán Province. Although several sports are practised at the club, Atlético is mostly known for its fo ...

. With the promotion to the top flight, Huracán concluded a very successful season, having won the

2013–14 Copa Argentina The 2013–14 Copa Argentina was the fifth edition of the Copa Argentina, and the third since the relaunch of the tournament in 2011. The competition began on October 29, 2013. Arsenal was the defending champion, but were eliminated by Institut ...

a few weeks prior in a penalty shoot-out over

Rosario Central Club Atlético Rosario Central () is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded on December 24, 1889, by a group of railway workers, taking its name from the Englis ...

with Kaku appearing as a second-half substitute. This was the club's first official title in 41 years. On 3 February 2015, he scored his first goal in the

Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...

against Peruvian club

Alianza Lima Club Alianza Lima, popularly known as Alianza Lima or simply Alianza, is a Peruvian professional sports club based in La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. It is widely known for having one of the most historical and successful football teams i ...

in a 4–0 victory. On 1 March 2016, Kaku led Huracán to a historic victory in the

over

Peñarol Club Atlético Peñarol (; English: ''Peñarol Athletic Club'') —also known as ''Carboneros'', ''Aurinegros,'' and (familiarly) ''Manyas''— is a Uruguayan sports club from Montevideo. The name "Peñarol" comes from the Peñarol neigh ...

at the

Estadio Centenario Estadio Centenario is a stadium in the Parque Batlle of Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centenary of Uruguay ...

, scoring the lone goal in the 1–0 triumph. A few weeks later, on 24 March Kaku scored his first goal in the

Argentine Primera División The Primera División (; en, "First Division"), known officialy as Liga Profesional de Fútbol, or Torneo Binance for sponsorship reasons, is a professional football league in Argentina, organised by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Th ...

in a 2–0 victory over Aldosivi. On 18 July 2016 he helped Huracán advance in the

Copa Argentina The Copa Argentina (English: ''Argentine Cup''), officially known as the "Copa Argentina AXION energy" due to sponsorship reasons, is an official football cup competition organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA), with the aim of qual ...

scoring the opening goal in a 2–1 victory over Central Córdoba. On 27 May 2017, he scored an injury time equalizer from the penalty spot in a 1–1 draw with

Boca Juniors Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine sports club headquartered in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its professional football team which, since its promotion in 1913, has always played in the A ...

. 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 ''Deportivo'' (Spanish, 'sporting') may refer to: * Deportivo de La Coruña, commonly known as simply Deportivo, a Spanish football club * Déportivo, a French rock band * Deportivo (Mexicable), an aerial lift station in Ecatepec, Mexico * Deport ...

in the

2017 Copa Sudamericana The 2017 Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana was the 16th edition of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana (also referred to as the ''Copa Sudamericana'', or pt, Copa Sul-Americana), South America's secondary club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. Argent ...

. The goal helped Huracán advance to the next round by a 4–3 aggregate score after having lost the first leg by three goals. On 16 June 2017, he scored the lone goal in a 1–0 victory over

Unión de Santa Fe Club Atlético Unión (; mostly known as Unión de Santa Fe ) is a sports club from Santa Fe, the capital city of the Santa Fe Province, in Argentina. The club was founded on April 15, 1907 and plays in the Argentine Primera División. Althoug ...

, helping his club to a crucial three points which helped Huracán avoid relegation. On 28 October 2017, Kaku scored his club's second goal in a 4–0 victory over

Lanús Lanús () is the capital of Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. It lies just south of the capital city Buenos Aires, in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area. The city has a population of 212,152 (), and the Partido de Lan� ...

and celebrated the goal dedicating it to his recently deceased mother.

New York Red Bulls

On 23 December 2017, it was announced by Huracán that they had agreed a deal to transfer Kaku to

New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

for a fee of $6.25 million. After resolving various issues that held up the transfer, on 16 February 2018, it was announced that he had signed with New York. Red Bulls also sent $50,000 of General Allocation Money to

Atlanta United Atlanta United FC, commonly known as Atlanta United, is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began pl ...

, who owned his discovery rights. On 1 March 2018, Kaku made his debut for New York in a 2–0 victory over Olimpia in the

CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Ameri ...

. 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 The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at P ...

. On 13 March 2018, Kaku scored his first goal for New York in a 3–1 victory over

Club Tijuana Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente, commonly known as Tijuana, or simply as '' Xolos'', is a Mexican professional football club based in Tijuana. The club's badge is the founder's (Jorge Hank) hairless xoloitzcuintle, Hermoso. Founded ...

in the

, helping the club advance to semifinals of the Champions League for the first time. On 14 April 2018, Kaku scored his first league goal for New York in a 3–1 victory over the Montreal Impact. On 28 April 2018, Kaku helped New York to a 3–2 victory over

LA Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...

, assisting on two goals and scoring the game winner with an 84th-minute penalty-kick goal. The following week, 5 May 2018, Kaku opened the scoring for New York in a 4–0 derby victory over

New York City FC New York City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in New York City that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the highest level of American soccer, as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. The club is co-owned ...

, he also assisted on two other goals. 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.

Al-Taawoun

On 1 February 2021, it was announced by Al-Taawoun of the

Saudi Professional League The Saudi Pro League (SPL for short) ( ar, دوري المحترفين السعودي, link=no, ''Dawriyy al-Muḥtarifayni as-Suʿūdī''), known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL for short) for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of associat ...

that they had agreed to a transfer for Kaku. 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 The MLS Players Association, also referred to as the MLSPA, is the union of professional Major League Soccer players. The MLS Players Association serves as the exclusive collective bargaining agreements representative for all current players in M ...

for breach of contract. 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. 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. 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 Tortious interference, also known as intentional interference with contractual relations, in the common law of torts, occurs when one person intentionally damages someone else's contractual or business relationships with a third party, causing e ...

" in Kaku's move to Al-Taawoun and seeking in excess of $6 million in damages. On 16 September 2021, MLS and New York Red Bulls voluntarily dismissed their suit against Pearson.

International career

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 The 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the twentieth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. The competition took place for the first time in New Zealand, the third time on Oceanian soil after ...

in New Zealand. On 16 May 2018, Kaku announced his desire to file a one-time switch request with FIFA to play for

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

. 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. He made his competitive debut with Paraguay on 12 June as a substitute in the second half of the friendly match against

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

:''Scores and results list Paraguay's goal tally first.''

Honours

Huracán *

: 2013–14 *

Supercopa Argentina The Supercopa Argentina (English: Argentine Super Cup) is an official National association football cup of Argentina organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The annual football match was played for the first time in 2012, being cont ...

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

New York Red Bulls *

Supporters' Shield The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield has been annually awarded at the MLS Supporters' Summit since 19 ...

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

Individual *

top assists:

2022–23 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...

* Saudi Professional League Player of the Month: December 2022

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kaku 1995 births Living people Footballers from Buenos Aires Citizens of Paraguay through descent Paraguayan men's footballers Paraguayan expatriate men's footballers Paraguay men's international footballers Argentine men's footballers Argentine expatriate men's footballers Argentina men's under-20 international footballers Argentine sportspeople of Paraguayan descent Men's association football midfielders Club Atlético Huracán footballers New York Red Bulls players Al Taawoun FC players Al Ain FC players Argentine Primera División players Primera Nacional players Designated Players (MLS) Major League Soccer players Saudi Pro League players UAE Pro League players 2021 Copa América players Expatriate men's footballers in Saudi Arabia Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Expatriate men's footballers in the United Arab Emirates Argentine expatriate sportspeople in the United States Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in the United States Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia Argentine expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates