Furacao.com

O jornal Star-Telegram, de Dallas, destacou a ótima campanha que vem sendo realizada pelo Atlético na XXVI Dallas Cup. Lutando pelo bicampeonato, o Furacão venceu seus três jogos na primeira fase, tendo marcado 13 gols e sofrido apenas 3. O artilheiro do time é o atacante Anderson Aquino, com 5 gols. Schumacher já fez 4 e Edivaldo, 3.

Na reportagem sobre a vitória rubro-negra sobre o Deportivo Saprissa, o jornal americano destaca o talento individual dos atletas brasileiros, como Aquino e Schumacher. Confira, em inglês, a reportagem veiculada na edição desta quinta-feira do Star-Telegram:

Defending Super Group champions will advance
por Adam Williams, do Star-Telegram

Clube Atletico Paranaense, a Brazilian team trying for two titles in a row, scores two late goals to reach its group semifinals.

Dragging toward a 1-1 tie, Club Atletico Paranaense found its way to victory by way of a familiar Brazilian soccer characteristic: individual brilliance.

In the final seven minutes of a sluggish second half Wednesday, Paranaense scored two dazzling goals to overcome Deportivo Saprissa 3-2 in the final first-round game of Bracket B of the Dallas Cup Super Group. Paranaense, the defending Super Group champion, clinched a berth in Friday’s semifinals.

Early in the first half, it looked as if Paranaense woud have no problem with its opponent from Costa Rica. In the ninth minute, a Saprissa back played a weak pass back to goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who was standing almost 35 yards off his goal line. Navas panicked and hit a clearing attempt low. Paranaense forward Anderson Aquino intercepted the clearance and, with the ball on a slight hop, turned and hit a 50-yard chip into the vacant Saprissa net for a 1-0 lead.

But three minutes into the second half, it was Saprissa that found an opening. After Paranaense failed to clear its penalty area, Saprissa forward David Zamora gathered a loose ball at the top of the 18-yard box, beat a defender and walked in alone on Paranaense keeper Guilherme Marinato. Zamora faked a shot, sending Marinato to his knees, and calmly slotted the ball into the net by the near post to tie the game.

In the 62nd minute, Saprissa defender Daniel Arce was ejected after receiving his second yellow card. Down a man, Saprissa dropped its players back into the defensive third and attempted to hold on for the tie. For 25 minutes, it seemed as though that would be the result.

But with seven minutes remaining in regulation, Henrique de Brito sent in a cross along the top of the 18-yard box. Forward Edivaldo Hermoza leaped over a Saprissa defender and sent an improbable driven header into the far top corner to give Paranaense a 2-1 lead.

Four minutes later, with Saprissa pushing forward to try for an equalizer, Paranaense forward Thiago Santos ran onto a loose ball and hit a 20-yard blast past Navas to take the score to 3-1.

With less than a minute remaining, Saprissa forward Richard Castaneda scored off a rebound from a free kick to make it 3-2, but the final whistle blew 30 seconds later.

Paranaense went 3-0 in Bracket B play, outscoring opponents 13-3. Saprissa finished 2-1.

Briefly

• Ten countries are represented in the 2005 Dallas Cup, including an under-12 Peace Team, with players from Palestine and Israel.

• Paranaense is attempting to become the third Brazilian team, and fourth overall, to repeat as Super Group champion. Brazilian team SC Corinthians was the last repeat champion in 1999-2000.

• No U.S. team has won the Super Group.