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O projeto de auto-sustentabilidade do CT do Caju e de internacionalização da marca do Atlético Paranaense parece estar se consolidando na medida em que o tempo passa. Depois de iniciar o aproveitamento do centro de treinamentos para receber delegações de jogadores da China, do Japão e da Coréia do Sul, o Furacão voltou seus olhos para um poderoso mercado: o norte-americano. Em parceria com o ex-goleiro Miguel de Lima, radicado nos Estados Unidos, o Atlético tem promovido desde 2003 diversos projetos destinados aos americanos. Nos últimos anos, o clube participou de duas Dallas Cup (e venceu as edições), disputou um amistoso contra o Rayados de Monterrey no Texas, recebeu centenas de jovens norte-americanos para períodos de treinamentos e foi sede do primeiro congresso internacional da NSCAA (Associação Americana de Treinadores de Futebol). Diante disso, é inegável que o trabalho desenvolvido pelo departamento de relações internacionais do clube vem conquistando os objetivos traçados.

Internacionalização da marca

A divulgação da marca do Clube Atlético Paranaense no exterior é percebida a partir de alguns exemplos. Em sua edição de quinta-feira, o Sacramento Bee (maior jornal da capital da Califórnia) publicou reportagem sobre o período de treinamentos que o jovem Chris Wright realizou no Brasil em 2003. Wright permaneceu por três semanas no CT do Caju, recebendo orientação dos profissionais atleticanos e aperfeiçoamento na prática do futebol. "Foi difícil voltar porque os brasileiros são muito legais e o país é muito bonito", elogiou ele, que chegou ao Atlético como centroavante e voltou ao seu país para atuar como volante.

A reportagem do Sacramento Bee explica que o Atlético representa para o Brasil o equivalente o que representa um clube de futebol americano para os Estados Unidos. Cita que o Rubro-negro possui sete campos e que o nível do futebol praticado no país é completamente diferente da realidade das universidades americanas.

Christopher Wright tem 18 anos e participou do intercâmbio no Atlético juntamente com outros três jogadores do San Juan. Na viagem, eles foram acompanhados por Phil Wright, pai de Chris, treinador do time sub-14 do San Juan e presidente do clube. O intercâmbio foi intermediado pela Delima Soccer, empresa de Miguel de Lima. "Depois de levar times por todo o o mundo em minha experiência de 27 anos como técnico de futebol, eu não posso imaginar uma experiência melhor para jovens atletas americanas do que o Atlético Paranaense", assegura Phil.

Chris é o camisa 11 do Rangers, a versão sub-19 do clube San Juan, que recentemente foi campeão da Copa do Norte da Califórnia ao vencer o Prestige 87s por 3 a 2, com participação decisiva do atleta. "Você pode notar de cara que que ele aprendeu muito nessa viagem ao Brasil. Ele voltou voltando um estilo mas técnico e mais inteligente", elogiou o técnico dos Rangers, Ruben Mora.

"Sempre que você pode treinar naquilo que é considerado o melhor futebol do mundo e num ambiente profisional como aquele, você vai melhorar muito", completou o treinador, aprovando o intercâmbio oferecido pelo Atlético.

Reportagem original

Confira, em inglês, a reportagem que foi publicada na edição de quinta-feira do Sacramento Bee:

Bringing home some Brazilian flair
Playing to a different beat suits Jesuit’s Chris Wright
por Mark Billingsley — Special To The Bee

Maybe it was the samba. Perhaps it was the exotic women or the gorgeous locales. Surely, it was the highest level of soccer that brought Chris Wright back to Brazil.

Wright, a Jesuit High senior bound for the University of New Mexico on scholarship in August, spent three months in Brazil playing for Clube Atletico Paranaense’s youth professional club and returned a week before Thanksgiving. The Fair Oaks resident soaked in the Brazilian soccer style and philosophy that has helped the Brazilians win five World Cups – the most of any country – since 1930.

It was a three-month boot-camp-like experience for the affable Wright, a striker in America who converted to a defensive center midfielder in South America.

"It was hard to leave because the Brazilians are so nice, and the country is so beautiful," he said. Wright stayed in a dorm on the club’s sprawling headquarters in Curitiba, roughly 500 miles southwest of Rio de Janeiro. The club, the equivalent of an NFL team, has seven fields, two of which are in stadiums, Wright said. In Brazil, boys as young as 13 can sign professional contracts and move to the complex, where they are groomed to play for the parent club and perhaps internationally. "The level of play is completely different down there," Wright said. "Everything is so forward, forward, forward. Must be something with the samba because they are always moving and always on the attack."

Wright brought back that style and experience to his club team, the Under-18 San Juan Rangers, and helped them down their rivals, the Placer United Prestige 87s, 3-2 in overtime in the California Youth Soccer Association North State Cup final. The Rangers (26-3-5) earned a spot in the United States Youth Soccer Far West Regionals in Aurora, Colo., from June 19-25.

"Oh man, you could tell right away that he got everything out of that trip to Brazil," said Rangers coach Ruben Mora, who has had three other Rangers train in Brazil. "He came back playing a more technical style and was more intelligent on the field. "All of a sudden, he started using his body more to his advantage, gaining better position and winning the ball in almost every tackle." Added Mora: "Any time you can train in what is regarded as the world’s best soccer country, and in a professional environment like that, you’re going to get better."

Against the Prestige 87s, Wright knocked in a header off a Kebba Manjang assist for a "golden goal." At least that’s what the official book said. Wright was careful to give most of the credit to Manjang and Nate Torricelli’s cross. "Nate won the ball, made a cross or maybe it was a shot, I missed the ball and so did my defender, but the ball squirted back to me off of Kebba’s deflection, and I headed it in off the post," Wright said. "So I can’t take the credit. It was a team effort. "After the game, Nate told me he was glad I scored because after he saw the ball squirt back, he had already taken off his shirt to celebrate."

Wright wasn’t even on the field during the final 15 minutes of regulation. He was dealing with the effects of dehydration brought on by competing in the hurdles, triple jump and long jump for the Jesuit track and field team the day before. But in the sudden-death overtime, Wright told Mora he was ready to go. The Prestige 87s and Rangers have a long history and have been rivals since their U-10 days.

It was the first State Cup final berth for the San Juan Soccer Club squad and a possible last hurrah – if they were to lose – for the admittedly blue-collar Rangers before they scatter across the nation to play collegiate ball or go on to college. No way Wright was sitting out the rest of this one. "Luckily, the game-winner came about two minutes into OT," Wright said. "I didn’t have to run around too much."

Mora said he didn’t need to do anything to motivate his players. "Most of them had been playing together since U-10s, and it was their first and last chance to put their stamp on the State Cup," he said. "There was a lot of pressure on both teams, and neither team played their best game. But our guys stuck together and played just well enough (to get the victory)."

Wright, who will use his Brazilian experience to minor in Portuguese at New Mexico, is pleased that when the team heads to Colorado, his focus will be entirely on soccer. Wright placed second in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I triple jump with a leap of 45 feet, 3 inches. He maintained a 4.15 grade-point average.

Meanwhile, Mora said the team to beat in Colorado will be the Irvine Strikers, the CYSA-South U-18 champions, winners of last season’s U-17 Far West title and the third-ranked team in the country, according to Mora. The Rangers beat the Strikers 2-1 at the Nomads Tournament in San Diego in November. "The boys feel confident they can compete against a team like the Strikers," Mora said.