Rafael Cruz

Here’s a profile of Rafael Cruz (born January 18, 1985) — a Brazilian footballer:

Introduction

Rafael Cruz Llampa (also known as Rafael Cruz Ojer) is a Brazilian professional footballer, born on 18 January 1985 in São Paulo, Brazil. He primarily plays as a right back / defender. Over his career, he has played for multiple Brazilian clubs across various divisions.

Early Life & Youth Career

Rafael Cruz began his footballing journey in the youth ranks of Esporte Clube Santo André, a São Paulo–state club, where he played in junior competitions. In his youth with Santo André, he won titles such as the Copa São Paulo de Juniores (2003) and the Copa do Estado de São Paulo (2003).

Thus, even in his formative years, he experienced success in regional tournaments, setting a foundation for his professional career.

Professional Career & Achievements

Club Career Progression

• Santo André (2003–2004): Cruz made his senior break with Santo André, with the club winning the Copa do Brasil in 2004 during his time there.

• Democrata (Sete Lagoas) (2005–2007): He next moved to Democrata, a club in Minas Gerais, where he spent multiple seasons.

• Atlético Goianiense (2008–2010): This was a more high-profile stint. He made about 32 appearances in this period. During this time, Atlético-GO won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C (2008) and earned promotion.

• Atlético Mineiro (2010–2013): Cruz signed with Atlético Mineiro. During his tenure, he played matches in the Brazilian Série A and other competitions. He won the Campeonato Mineiro in 2010 with them.

• Loans / Moves:
  • Loan back to Atlético Goianiense (2011–2012)
  • Loan to Ceará (2013)
  • Later, he returned to São Bernardo (from 2014 onward)

• Later Career and Activity: His career path involves many club switches, including loan spells and play in lower divisions. His profile on Transfermarkt shows that as of November 1, 2022, he was listed as without a club (i.e., contract expired) after his most recent affiliation with Cerrado.

Over his professional career, Cruz appears to have accumulated over 200 matches and scored 1 goal, according to Transfermarkt data.

Style & Reputation

Rafael Cruz is considered a dependable right-back/defender. He has been praised in some seasons for his consistency and defensive contributions. His career shows he was rarely part of teams that got relegated; in fact, he never experienced relegation across his many clubs over his first 12 years of professional play (by 2015).

He also achieved individual recognition:

• In 2011, while playing for Atlético Goianiense, he earned the Troféu Armando Nogueira as the best right back in the Brazilian league that season.

• In 2010, while at Atlético Mineiro, he was selected as the 2nd best right back in the Campeonato Mineiro.

These honors reflect that, at his peak, he was well respected in Brazil’s competitive football circuits.

Challenges & Later Years

After 2015, his career trajectory included shorter contracts, returns to former clubs, and play in regional/state leagues. His movement across lower divisions suggests the typical challenges many professional players face as they age: competition from younger talent, injuries, contract instability, and shifting club needs.

As noted above, by 2022 he was no longer attached to a club per the Transfermarkt listing.

Legacy & Influence

While Rafael Cruz is not among the global superstars, his career offers a useful example of the life of a professional Brazilian footballer who carved a steady, respectable path in domestic competition.

• He illustrates versatility and resilience in Brazilian football’s complex league system, moving through clubs in different states and national divisions.

• His honors as one of the best in his position in certain seasons show that consistent performance can earn recognition even outside the limelight.

• He also avoided relegation over many seasons, which speaks to his professionalism and serviceable quality.

For fans of Brazilian domestic leagues, Cruz remains a familiar name, especially to supporters of Atlético-GO, Atlético Mineiro, and São Bernardo.

Quotes & Public Remarks

There is limited record of widely known quotes from Rafael Cruz that are documented in mainstream sources. Searching for “Rafael Cruz quotes” largely returns generic quote listings incorrectly attributed to him (political or American-themed) that are unrelated to the footballer.

Hence, in his case, his contributions are best appreciated through his on-field work, match performances, and statistical legacy rather than a corpus of public statements.

Conclusion

Rafael Cruz (born 18 January 1985) is a Brazilian right back whose career spanned multiple clubs in Brazil’s football hierarchy. With over 200 professional matches, state and national honors, and personal recognition, his story is one of steady achievement and durability in one of the world’s most competitive football cultures.