Carlos Metidieri

Carlos Metidieri
Personal information
Full name Jose Carlos Metidieri
Date of birth (1942-12-18) December 18, 1942
Place of birth Sorocaba, Brazil
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Playing position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1963–1966 Toronto Italia ? (70)
1967 Boston Rovers 0 (0)
1968 Los Angeles Wolves 32 (16)
1970–1973 Rochester Lancers 78 (40)
1971 Rochester Lancers (indoor) 2 (1)
1974–1975 Boston Minutemen 20 (5)
1979–1980 Buffalo Stallions (indoor) 32 (10)
National team
1973 United States 8 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Jose Carlos Metidieri (born December 18, 1942 in Votorantim (SP), Brazil) is a retired Brazilian-born American soccer forward. He played professionally in Canada with Toronto Italia. In an exhibition game between Torino of Italy and a German side at Varsity Stadium, Meditieri in the beginning of the second half, donned a Torino uniform and substituted a Torino player to the surprise of all fans. In the United States, he was the leading scorer of the North American Soccer League in 1970 and 1971 and named the league's Most Valuable Player - the only player in the league's history to accomplish both awards in consecutive seasons.[1] He also earned two caps with the United States national soccer team in 1973.

Professional

Metidieri began playing soccer at age 16 at the local club Clube Atlético Votorantim, thereafter he was contracted by SE Palmeiras of Säo Paulo from where he moved to Italy, to play for SSC Napoli. His young age and the limits for the number of foreigners playing in Italian sides then saw him leaving thic ckub soon to join Como Calcio. There a broken arm was a major setback to his development.

Known as Topolino ("Little Mouse" in Italian; also the name of Mickey Mouse in Italy) due to his 5'4" stature and explosive speed on the field,[2] , moved on to Canada and joined Toronto Italia of the Eastern Canadian Professional Soccer League in 1963. There he was the 1965 and 1966 league leading scorer and the 1966 Most Valuable Player.[3][4] In 1967, he moved to the Boston Rovers in the United Soccer Association before joining the Los Angeles Wolves, alongside cousin Gilson, for the North American Soccer League's first season. After one season in Los Angeles, Metidieri moved to the Rochester Lancers. He achieved his 'double double' with the Lancers, a team he played with for four summers. In 1971, he was the MVP and league leading scorer.[5] Rochester fans affectionately remember his game-winning goal in the longest professional soccer match ever played lasting 176 minutes in duration at Holleder Stadium against the visiting Dallas Tornado in 1971. He scored 35 points in 23 games in 1970 and 46 points, including 19 goals, in 24 games in 1971. In 1971 as a member of the Lancers, Metidieri also took part in the league's first ever indoor tournament, scoring one goal and earning two penalty minutes.[6] Metidieri finished his NASL career in 1974 playing for the Boston Minutemen. He made a brief and final return to the professional spotlight for the Major Indoor Soccer League's Buffalo Stallions from 1979 to 1980.

National team

Metidieri played in two 'A' internationals for the United States national soccer team in 1973. His first game was a 4-0 loss to Bermuda on March 17. His second was a 4-0 loss to Poland on March 20. He also played an unofficial match, a 6-0 loss to Belgium, on March 29.[7]

He is the nephew of the former president of Esporte Clube São Bento and the Football Association of the state of São Paulo, Alfredo Metidieri.

After his retirement from soccer he lived in Rochester, New York where he owned a pizza restaurant.[8] He later moved to Phoenix, Arizona.[9]

He married an Italian-American woman with whom he has four children. He now resides in Gilbert, Arizona with his wife and youngest daughter.

Honors

NASL Championship (1)

  • 1970

NASL Most Valuable Player (2)

  • 1970, 1971

NASL Scoring Champion (2)

  • 1970 (14 goals, 7 assists, 35 points) • 1971 (19 goals, 8 assists, 46 points)

NASL Goal Scoring Champion (1)

  • 1971 (19 goals)

NASL All-Star First Team selection (2)

  • 1970, 1971

References

  1. ↑ "NASL League History". National Soccer Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
  2. ↑ ROCHESTER REMEMBERS `MOUSE' THE SEATTLE TIMES - Sunday, May 19, 1996]
  3. ↑ League Drops Club Record
  4. ↑ The Year in American Soccer - 1965
  5. ↑ The Year in American Soccer - 1971
  6. ↑ Flachsbart, Harold (March 20, 1971). "Fans Get A Kick Out Of Hoc-Soc". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 6. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  7. ↑ USA - Details of International Matches 1970-1979
  8. ↑ Menezes Pizza
  9. ↑ Remembering the Lancers
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