Athletico 100 years: Caju’s “Maradoninha”

Among the madness of young fans, I have special affection for having followed with psychotic attention the Sesquicentenary Cup played in 2003, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the political emancipation of our “Paranã”.

Championship side B, with afternoon games on weekdays, including a historic Atletiba in CT do Caju that I saw over the wall standing on the hood of a car. The title came in another classic in an empty Pinheirão and all the effort was worth it as there was a super star wearing our number 10 shirt.

Short, skilled and decisive, a right-handed “Maradoninha” called Jason in the splendor of his 19 years. He had arrived at Umbará two years earlier, through a fruitful partnership with PSTC, like his partner Fernandinho, with an almost identical story. The pair of the most valuable gems ever cut by CAP to become jewels of world football.

In 2003, Jadson had a chance in the main team through the hand of the late Vadão and he scored the winning goal against São Caetano – which saved us from relegation. In 2004, however, the also late Mário Sérgio, criticized his behavior on and off the field and removed him from the Paranaense final, which until then was being decided by him, with one goal and two assists.

In the Brazilian Championship, under the command of Levir Culpi, the midfielder was unquestionably the best player in the competition. He scored 15 goals and scored two hat tricks, one of them against Corinthians at Pacaembu. His ability to place the ball in an angle from free kicks was something outstanding.

Among the many factors that made the title slip away, not having Jadson in the decisive game in São Januário was the main one. The following year, he went out to shine at Shakhtar Donetsk, our Ukrainian branch.

Since then, I have heard supposedly discrediting stories against Jadson, which for me has the opposite effect, as I prefer the mavericks to good guys. When it returned in 2020, we knew that the chance of it working was slim, because as the samba-canção says, “past loves in the present repeat old themes that are so banal”.

But the Jadson who led the eternal team of 2004 will be remembered on CAP’s sesquicentennial in 2074 and forevermore.