Tostão facts for kids
Tostão in 1970
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 January 1947 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward / Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1961 | Cruzeiro | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1962–1963 | América Mineiro | 26 | (16) | |||||||||||||
| 1963–1972 | Cruzeiro | 378 | (249) | |||||||||||||
| 1972–1973 | Vasco da Gama | 45 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 449 | (271) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1966–1972 | Brazil | 54 | (32) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade (born January 25, 1947), known to everyone as Tostão, is a famous Brazilian former footballer. He played as a forward or an attacking midfielder.
Tostão was a very smart, hardworking, and skilled player. He was known for his amazing creativity and technical abilities. Many people thought he was one of the best players in the world in the early 1970s. Some even said he was as good as, or better than, Pelé in the late 1960s. He spent most of his 11-year career playing for Cruzeiro.
Tostão played for the Brazilian national team in two World Cups. He helped Brazil win the tournament in 1970. He and Pelé formed a very strong attacking team together.
Contents
Tostão's Football Journey
Eduardo Andrade was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Like many Brazilian footballers, he got a nickname early in his career. People called him 'Tostão', which means 'little coin'. There's a story that when he was just six years old, he scored 47 goals in one game for his school team!
Tostão started playing professionally when he was only 15 years old. He first played for América Mineiro. After two years, he went back to Cruzeiro, where he had played as a young boy. Even though he was a midfielder, he was the top scorer in the Campeonato Mineiro three times in a row, starting in 1966. He left Cruzeiro as their all-time leading scorer, with 249 goals!
In the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Tostão played as a forward. He scored two goals and helped set up four others. Brazil won their third World Cup trophy that year, scoring 19 goals in total. A year before, he had a serious eye injury during a game. A ball hit him in the face, causing a detached retina. He never fully recovered from this injury. In 1972, he moved to Vasco da Gama. But because of his eye problems, he had to stop playing football at just 27 years old, even after trying surgery.
After his football career, Tostão became a medical doctor. Later, he returned to the world of football as a journalist and TV commentator.
How Tostão Played Football
Tostão was not very tall or strong, so he wasn't great at heading the ball. He also wasn't super fast or known for powerful long-range shots. However, he was a very smart and hardworking player who moved around the field a lot. He was excellent at knowing where to be in the penalty area, which helped him score many goals.
He mainly used his left foot. In his best years, he was considered one of the world's top players. He was known for his great technique, balance, and dribbling skills. Tostão also gave many assists to his teammates. This was because he had amazing vision, was very creative, and could pass the ball perfectly. He also worked hard to win the ball back in midfield and start new attacks.
Tostão was good at confusing defenders and finding open spaces for his teammates. He could also make runs without the ball to create chances. In the 1970 World Cup, he played a role similar to a modern false 9, even though he was listed as a centre-forward. Because he was so skilled and could do many things, he could play in different attacking and midfield spots. These included attacking midfielder, second striker, left winger, or even a main striker.
Tostão's Achievements
Club Trophies
- Cruzeiro
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1966
- Campeonato Mineiro: 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
International Trophies
- Brazil
- FIFA World Cup: 1970
- Independence Cup: 1972
Individual Awards
- Bola de Prata: 1970
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Top Scorer: 1970 (12 goals)
- South American Footballer of the Year: 1971
- IFFHS Brazilian Player of the 20th Century (5th place)
- IFFHS South American Player of the 20th Century (13th place)
- World Soccer: The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time
- Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame
See also
In Spanish: Tostão para niños
