Artur won’t get chance to face Kaka
When Kaka was shown a controversial red card Saturday late in Orlando City’s 3-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls, Crew SC midfielder Artur had a bittersweet feeling.
The red card means Kaka will be suspended for Orlando City's home game Saturday against the Crew. It also means Artur, a 21-yearold from Brazil, will for the second straight time be
denied a chance to play against the Brazilian soccer legend. Kaka also missed a 2-0 loss to the Crew on April 1 because of a hamstring injury.
“I feel sad because always you want to play against the best players, but also it’s good for us because he’s a good player on the other team,” Artur said. “He’s a legend in Sao Paulo. All the fans like him. Everybody knows what he did and what he can do.”
The two are separated by 14 years in age and play different positions — Artur is a defensive midfielder, Kaka an attacking midfielder — but both made their professional debuts with Sao Paulo FC.
Kaka played with the Brazilian club from 2001 to ‘03 before moving on to AC Milan in Italy’s Serie A.
Before being loaned to Crew SC for the season, Artur had just four games of professional experience with Sao Paulo. He grew up watching and cheering for Kaka’s teams despite growing up in Bahia, two states to the northeast.
“I was always a fan of Sao Paulo because Sao Paulo won championships,” Artur said. “They had great players playing, so I always watched Sao Paulo.”
After playing for three seasons in Bahia’s youth system, Artur made the switch, through his agent’s contacts, to Sao Paulo’s youth ranks, where he got a chance to start as a 19-year-old.
“Everything changed fast,” Artur said of moving away from home. “(My family was) sad I was far, but happy because I am playing and doing what I wanted to do.”
The change was exponentially different this offseason, when Artur landed in Ohio on loan and broke into the starting lineup in March.
His raw ability, from dribbling to covering the field, was evident from the start, but it’s clear he has become more comfortable. In