On Friday, FC Dallas announced the signing of a partnership with Clube Atletico Paranaense (CAP) from Brazil's Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A. Included in the agreement is a home-and-away series between the clubs in 2007, free exchange of players and the opportunity for FCD to learn youth player development structure, coaching philosophies and techniques from one of the top football clubs in South America.
CAP officials toured the club's facilities at Pizza Hut Park on Friday at the end of the day's training and also stayed for FCD's 2-1 win against Real Salt Lake on Saturday which secured a playoff spot for the Hoops.
Mario Petraglia, President of CAP, was clearly pleased with the signing of the agreement and impressed by what he had seen in Frisco. He spoke to the media during halftime of Saturday's match.
"It's an honor to be received by FC Dallas and the Hunt family and to get the opportunity that is open for our club to develop and brand our club here in the United States," he said.
Petraglia was clearly impressed with FCD's state-of-the-art facilities. "It's wonderful," he said. "We've only been here a short time but it's such a great facility."
One thing that he is looking forward to doing with the agreement is sharing some of their youth development strategies with their new North American partner.
"Athletico Paranaense has established their development program over the last 10 years," Petraglia said. "We'll definitely bring those training methods to the U.S. and to FC Dallas in order to fuse them into the FC Dallas youth programs."
One interesting sight after training on Friday came when FCD midfielder Marcelo Saragosa, a native of Brazil, made his way over to the group, which included GM Michael Hitchcock, Petraglia and several other officials from both organizations, to introduce himself.
Saragosa is clearly excited about the Hoops partnering up with a club from his home country.
"I think it's very good for us to have a relationship with a team like Paranaense," he said. "They are one of the top teams there (in Brazil). They have a good structure and it's a good relationship to have."
When asked what he discussed with the group from CAP, Saragosa had a simple reply.
"I talked to them about Brazil and Paranaense," he quipped. "They knew who I was and that I was from Brazil. I also told them that even though I have only been in Dallas for a short time, it is a good institution and has a good structure."
The clubs will play a game in Frisco next year and will also meet on CAP's home field, Kyocera Arena in Curitaba, Brazil.
In early June, Hitchcock traveled to Brazil along with another FCD official to tour CAP's facilities and to iron out details surrounding the agreement. Earlier in the year, FCD signed a partnership with Mexican Primera Division side Tigres UANL and the two sides played for the inaugural Rio Grande Plate earlier this season, which the Hoops captured on penalty kicks.
One of Hitchcock's goals for this season was to have a partner club in Mexico, one in South America and another in Europe. The FCD general manager is already two-thirds of the way there.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
