Tostão

Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade (born 25 January 1947), aka Tostão, is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a forward. He is a medical doctor.

In his prime, he was considered one of the best players in the world, while also contributing with many assists thanks to his passing abilities. He played most of his 11-year career with Cruzeiro.

Tostão represented Brazil in two World Cups, winning the tournament in 1970.

Football career

Born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Eduardo Andrade received, like the vast majority of Brazilian footballers, a nickname early into his football career, being dubbed 'Tostão' (little coin). Legend has it that as a six-year old school boy he netted 47 goals in one game for his primary school football team.

Tostão made his professional debuts aged only 15, for local América Futebol Clube (MG), returning after two years to Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, where he had started his youth career. Although being a centre midfielder, he was crowned the Campeonato Mineiro's topscorer on three consecutive occasions, the first in 1966, and left the club as its all-time scorer, with a total of 242 league goals.

In the 1970 FIFA World Cup, improvised as a forward, Tostão scored two of his 32 goals for Brazil, as the national team won its third trophy, whilst finding the net on 19 occasions. The previous year, after being hit in the face by a ball during a match against Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, he suffered a detached retina from which he never fully recovered. In April 1972, he signed for CR Vasco da Gama for a then record fee in the country but, after good overall displays, was forced to retire from the game at only 27, after his sight problems resurfaced.

Weary of football and fame, Tostão became a medical doctor, but ultimately rejoined the footballing world, working as a journalist and pundit on TV.^[1][2]

References

External links

• Tostão at National-Football-Teams.com
• International appearances; at RSSSF