[Frank Cunha]

Islands in the soccer stream
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff, 3/17/2004

SAO ROQUE, Azores -- Each time Pedro Miguel Carreiro da Ponte Resendes scores a goal for Portugal, or for his club team, Paris Saint Germain, he extends his arms, like a goshawk gliding over the ocean. He is sending a message to the Azores (Portuguese for "hawks") and to millions of Azoreans in Canada and the Northeast United States.

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Pedro Resendes, known as "Pauleta," a nickname derived from his grandmother's family on his father's side, is among the highest-profile symbols of this mid-Atlantic island chain, located 1,000 miles from Lisbon, twice that distance from Boston. The scope of Pauleta's life encompasses Europe, where he has been named the French Championnat player of the year and generates millions of euros in revenue; the US, where much of his family has emigrated; and the mid-Atlantic, where, like many "ritornados," he returns to be reinvigorated by clean air and lush vegetation.

"He comes home," says his father, Manuel Resendes, "because it is his terra [land]." . . .
The Jogos de Sao Roque stadium has a commanding view of the Atlantic and the Rua Praia dos Santos, a picture-postcard church. This is an idyllic setting, lush vegetation covering mountains behind the field. The stadium is tiny, the style of play rugged.

On Sunday, half the cement stands were filled with celebrating supporters from Capelense, which dominates Sao Roque in taking a 1-0 victory to stay on track for promotion to the Division 3 Serie Azores. The home fans are disappointed and frustrated, one woman angrily bustling past the club president screaming that the Sao Roque team "has no tactical discipline."

This is the "freguesia," or parish, next to Ponta Delgada, where Pauleta was raised by Manuel and Dona Magda Resendes, on the south side of the island of Sao Miguel, which contains half the Azores' 240,000 population. Manuel Resendes could have been an even more dynamic performer than his son, according to a former coach, but Pauleta's personality is better suited to advancement. Manuel reached Portugal's second division, and near the end of his career played for Fall River Sports in Massachusetts. Many dozens of Resendes relatives reside in New England and New Jersey, some in Missouri.

The perception of Azorean players has changed little since Manuel Resendes's day. Few get a chance to perform for Portugal's big clubs, fewer still for the national team. Pauleta, 31, has gone far in improving the image of the Azores, scoring 28 goals for Portugal, third on the all-time list behind Eusebio (41) and Real Madrid's Luis Figo (30). Portugal is preparing to play host to the European Championships in June, and despite several quality players, the team has few proven scorers. If Portugal is to succeed at Euro 2004, justifying the building of 10 new stadia and a ubiquitous publicity campaign, the country will have to depend on an Azoreano.

The standard of soccer is high in the Azores. Many factors -- geographical, historical, political -- have limited the sport's development. But in the late 1990s, a series of minor miracles occurred: Clube Desportivo Santa Clara advanced from the cinders of the amateur division to the glamour of the Superliga. Santa Clara became the first Azores team to compete against Benfica, which counts 6 million supporters in a country of 10 million, plus Porto and Sporting.

Recognizing the opportunity, the regional government committed to Santa Clara as a promotional vehicle.

"A new era began in 1998 because of Santa Clara," said Luciano Melo, an economist and television presenter. "This gave us a chance to reinforce the importance of the Azores in Portugal, regarding all issues."

The government provided about 40 percent of Santa Clara's budget, annually injecting 2.5 million euros into the club. CD Santa Clara finished in 16th place in the 1999-2000 season, was relegated, but returned and finished in 10th place in 2002. Last season was expected to be the best ever for an Azorean club. Instead, Santa Clara was again relegated. Santa Clara has an 8-9-9 record in the Liga de Honra and attendance is down from an average of 10,000 to about 500 per game.

Santa Clara, which will play an exhibition game against the New England Revolution today, is at once the failure and hope of Azorean soccer. The Encarnados are in ninth place in the Liga de Honra (second division). But they have the division's top-rated goalkeeper, Jorge Silva, plus an excellent prospect, Diogo Fonseca, who was born in Ponta Delgada, plays for Portugal's Under 18 national team, and resembles the Benfica striker Nuno Gomes. "We have an identification as Azoreans but it is not strong," Melo said. "Santa Clara could unite the islands, and united we could be strong. We are already small, and divided we are smaller than we really are."

© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.