Paulo Roberto Corradi Nagamura (; born March 2, 1983) is a Brazilian former professional footballer and coach who most recently served as head coach of MLS club Houston Dynamo. He spent most of his playing career in MLS, where he won two MLS Cups and three U.S. Open Cups.
Career
Youth
Born in São Paulo, Nagamura came up through the system of hometown club São Paulo. In 2001, he was sold to English powerhouse Arsenal, and played with the club's youth and reserve sides through 2004, helping them to the English U-19 championship, scoring a goal in the final against Liverpool. He also scored in a pre-season friendly for Arsenal against Stevenage in 2002.
Professional
Los Angeles Galaxy
On March 22, 2005, Nagamura signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He made his Galaxy and MLS debut on April 2, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 loss to the Columbus Crew. Nagamura ended the regular season with 25 appearances, 24 of them starts, and 2 assists, helping the Galaxy finish 4th in the Western Conference and qualify for the playoffs. He started all 4 of the Galaxy's playoff games, helping Los Angeles reach MLS Cup 2005, where they defeated the New England Revolution 1–0. Nagamura also helped the Galaxy win the 2005 U.S. Open Cup, making 3 appearances during the tournament, although he did not appear in the final, a 1–0 win over FC Dallas.
In the 2006 season, Nagamura made 29 appearances and had 4 assists during the regular season as the Galaxy finished 5th in the West, failing to qualify for the playoffs. He also played 3 times in the Open Cup, helping LA reach the final, where Nagamura and the Galaxy fell 1–0 to the Chicago Fire.
Toronto FC
On November 17, 2006, Nagamura was selected by Toronto FC in the 2006 MLS Expansion Draft. He made his TFC debut on April 7, 2007, the first game in club history, in a 2–0 loss to Chivas USA. He made 4 appearances for Toronto prior to being traded.
Chivas USA
On May 4, 2007, Nagamura was traded to Chivas USA in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. He made his debut for the Chivas USA on May 6, playing the full 90 in a 2–1 loss to D.C. United. On June 9 he scored his first goal for Chivas USA to give the Goats a 1–0 win over the Chicago Fire. Nagamura ended the regular season with 2 goals and 2 assists in 22 appearances, helping Chivas finish 1st in the Western Conference. Nagamura played in both of Chivas's playoff games, losing in the Conference Semifinals 1–0 to the Kansas City Wizards on aggregate.
On April 12, Nagamura picked up his first goal and assist of the 2008 season in a 4–3 loss to the Columbus Crew. On August 14, he scored and had an assist against the LA Galaxy to help Chivas draw 2–2 against his former club. Nagamura made 24 appearances, scored 2 goals, and had 3 assists in regular season play, helping Chivas finish 2nd in the West. He played in both of Chivas's playoff games, with the Goats losing 3–2 on aggregate to Real Salt Lake in the Conference Semifinals. The 2008 season also saw Nagamura play once in the Open Cup, twice in the CONCACAF Champions League, and twice in the North American SuperLiga.
In the opening match of the 2009 season, Nagamura scored twice to give Chivas a 2–1 win over the Colorado Rapids. Chivas qualified for the playoffs again in 2009, finishing 4th in the conference, with Nagamura making 27 appearances, scoring 4 goals, and recording 2 assists in regular season play. Once again, Nagamura and Chivas would not advance past the first round, losing to the Galaxy 3–2 on aggregate in the Conference Semifinals. He also played in all 3 of Chivas's games in the SuperLiga group stage, with the Goats finishing bottom of the group. His contract with Chivas expired after the 2009 season.
Tigres UANL
In January 2010, Nagamura signed with Mexican Primera División club Tigres UANL. On January 23, he made his debut for Tigres, coming off the bench in a 3–1 loss to C.D. Guadalajara. Nagamura appeared in 14 of Tigres's 17 games in the Clausura season, making 11 starts. Tigres failed to qualify for the Liguilla playoffs.
Return to Chivas USA
On June 25, 2010, Nagamura signed with Chivas USA for a second stint. He made his first appearance of the 2010 MLS season on July 24 in a 1–1 draw to Real Salt Lake. he scored his first goal of his 2nd stint with Chivas on September 10, helping Chivas beat the New England Revolution 2–0. Nagamura made 15 appearances and scored 1 goal in the regular season as Chivas finished 8th in the Western Conference, missing out on the playoffs.