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Fri, Mar

Typography

Takashi Mormito is a Japanese journalist covering the CONCACAF Gold Cup at Miami's Orange Bowl and also a big fan of Trinidad and Tobago's Silvio Spann, who plays his football in the Japanese First Division (which is below the J-League).
If Spann does anything at this Gold Cup, the Japanese public will know it.

Mormito is a modestly-built man with a typically Japanese face. And yes, he does crack jokes.

Introducing himself in his own unique way, he said: "So you are the only journalist from Trinidad and Tobago here at the Gold Cup?" And before I could reply, he added with a mischievous smile: "Then you are the top Trinidad and Tobago journalist here."

"Numero uno," I exclaimed.

See, I could make jokes, too.

Then, Mormito diverges onto Spann, almost with adoration in his eyes.
"He looks kinda like Ronaldinho, eh," he said, prodding me.

"We call him the Ronaldinho of Japanese football. Anytime you want to know anything about him, how he plays and so, call me," he added, while handing over a call card.

By the end of Wednesday's match against Honduras as the Trinidad and Tobago players were filing over to the team bus, Mormito acknowledged only Aurtis Whitley and signalled him to come over.

"You see Silvio Spann," Mormito said to Whitley, interested in only one T&T player and prying for the whereabouts of Trinidad and Tobago's next training session as he planned to go crosstown to the University of Miami to interview and take pictures of the Ronaldinho of Japanese football in action. Midfielder Silvio Spann however, picked up a slight injury during yesterday's morning session.