Antônio Wilson Vieira Honório

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Coutinho
Coutinho, 1962.tif
Personal information
Full name Antônio Wilson Vieira Honório
Date of birth (1943-06-11)11 June 1943
Place of birth Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
Date of death 11 March 2019(2019-03-11) (aged 75)
Place of death Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1958–1968 Santos 457 (368)
1968 Vitória ? (1)
1969 Portuguesa ? (1)
1970 Santos ? (1)
1971 Atlas
1971–1972 Bangu ? (3)
1973 Saad ? (1)
National team
1960–1965 Brazil 15 (6)
Teams managed
1981 Santos
1985 Valeriodoce
1987 Comercial-SP
1987 Aquidauana
1988 Santo André
1992 Valeriodoce
1992 São Caetano
1993 Bonsucesso
1995 Santos
Honours
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Antônio Wilson Vieira Honório (11 June 1943 – 11 March 2019), nicknamed Coutinho, was a Brazilian coach and footballer who played as a forward for Santos Futebol Clube, where he was a teammate and one of the best partners of Pelé, and became a member of the Brazilian national team that won the 1962 FIFA World Cup. He is considered one of the greatest strikers in the history of Brazilian football with 368 goals in 457 matches[1][2] even though he prematurely ended his football career before the age of 30 due to knee problems. His main virtues as a striker were coldness and precision in finishing, the ability to dribble in tight spaces and a keen awareness of team play, which allowed him to make several one-two passes with Pelé in the midst of opponent defenses. In Brazil, during his time as a player, he received the nickname "genius of the small area" many years before other great Brazilian striker Romario. Pelé himself declares that "Coutinho, within the area, was better than me. His coldness was something supernatural".

Early years[]

Born in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo in 1943 he was son of Antônia and Waldemar Honório. His start in football occurred in an unusual way, after fleeing his home in Piracibaba, in the countryside of São Paulo, to pursue his dream to become a professional football player. Coutinho was spotted at the age of 13 by Santos' coach Luís Alonso Pérez ("Lula") in a preliminary match of XV de Piracicaba against Santos in his hometown. After being praised by Santos FC players during that match he decided travel to Santos and try his chances in becoming a professional football player for Santos. He borrowed some money and a suitcase and left Piracicaba directly to Santos, 231 km from his hometown. The day after his arrival in Santos, his father arrived desperately in Santos from Piracicaba and went to pick him up to go home. His father (Mr Waldemar Honório) didn't want to hear about it and left with his son directly to the bus station. They embarked back home, but the Santos FC board of directors placed an emissary following the bus by car. And, at the first stop, they convinced Coutinho's father that football was a good investment in the future. And that was how Coutinho returned to Santos, starting his career in professional football.[3] One year later he became part of the Santos' lower division.[1] At the age of 13 years and 11 months, Coutinho debuted as a professional player a record never broken for any other players.[4]

Club career[]

Coutinho debuted on Santos' professional team on May 17, 1958, still at the age of 14, in a match in Goiânia, against Sírio Libanês Futebol Clube. Coincidentally, the score was the same as the debut of his legendary partner Pelé, which had happened almost two years before: a 7-1 victory for Santos. And, like Pelé, Coutinho also scored one of Peixe's goals in his first match for the club's adult squad.

In a game at the Olympic Stadium, journalists and people at the stadium report seeing one of the largest tables ever held in the history of football. Pelé received a ball in the midfield, in the head. At first, it passed to Coutinho, who, in his head, gave it back to Pelé. And so they went, even to the small opponent's area, only with head touches. In the final move, with only the goalkeeper in front of him, Coutinho could have finished on goal, but he saw Lima coming from behind and just adjusted, once again with his head, for him to finish. Goal of Santos. And the Grêmio fans standing up applauded a historic move between two geniuses of the ball.

Coutinho, in addition to remembering Pelé in the way of playing, also had physical characteristics very similar to the King of Football. Therefore, a legend arose that the player started to wear a white ribbon on one of the arms. The legend said: "When I made a beautiful move, they said it was Pelé, when I missed a pass or a shoot, it was Coutinho". In 2007, in an interview on the TV show "Juca Entrevista" (ESPN), with the journalist Juca Kfouri, he revealed why he used the prop: "I had a small wrist injury and started wearing a band for a while of adhesive tape. But as soon as the pains ended, I took it off."

From 1958 to 1970, he wore the shirt of Santos, winning 19 titles and scoring 368 goals in 457 matches.I this period, he won alongside Santos FC five Taça Brasil and seven Campeonato Paulista titles, two Copa Libertadores, and two Intercontinental Cups.

Coutinho has been named the greatest Santos' player after Pelé, with whom he formed an effective attacking duo with 1461 goals scored (370 by Coutinho).[5][6] Coutinho also holds a mark of respect against one of Santos' main rivals, Corinthians. In 12 years of classics he played, he never lost a game. In the year that the taboo was broken, in 1968, Coutinho no longer worked for Santos.

After his tenure at Santos, he also played for Vitória of Bahia, Portuguesa of São Paulo, and Atlas of Mexico.[1]

International career[]

Coutinho with Brazilian National Team in 1962

Coutinho made his first match for the Brazilian national team in Uruguay, against the home team. He was 16 years old and was the starter in that match valid for the Atlantic Cup.

At the international level, Coutinho earned 15 caps and scored 6 goals with the Brazil national football team between 1960 and 1965. He was meant to be a starter in the 1962 FIFA World Cup squad, but he was sidelined by injury just before the tournament and did not appear, even though he remained in the squad. Brazil went on to win the title.[1]

In his book, Coutinho, o Gênio da Área, Carlos Fernando Schinner states that João Saldanha tried to convince Coutinho to return to Brazil national football team few months prior to the 1970 FIFA World Cup in order to replace Tostão who was Brazil's main centre-forward at that time and had suffered a major injury putting in doubt his participation on that World Cup. Coutinho, who at that time was semi-retired and overweight, refused the invitation.[4]

Death[]

Coutinho died on 11 March 2019 in Santos, São Paulo. His death was caused by a myocardial infarction due to diabetes and hypertension. Coutinho's health had been deteriorating in recent months, and in January he had been hospitalized for pneumonia.[2][6][7][8]

Honours[]

Club[]

Santos FC
  • Campeonato Paulista: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967[6]
  • Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965[6]
  • Copa Libertadores: 1962, 1963[6]
  • Intercontinental Cup: 1962, 1963[2]
  • Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 1959, 1963, 1964, 1966[2]
  • Torneio de Paris: 1960, 1961
  • Taça das Américas: 1963
  • Torneio Pentagonal do México: 1959
  • Taça Tereza Herrera (Espanha): 1959
  • Torneio de Valência (Espanha): 1959
  • Torneio Dr. Mario Echandi (Costa Rica): 1959
  • Torneio Giallorosso (Itália): 1960
  • Quadrangular de Lima (Peru): 1960
  • Torneio Itália 1961 (Itália): 1961
  • Torneio Internacional da Costa Rica (Costa Rica): 1961
  • Pentagonal de Guadalajara (México): 1961
  • Torneio Internacional da Venezuela (Venezuela): 1965
  • Hexagonal do Chile (Chile): 1965
  • Torneio de Nova York (Estados Unidos): 1966

International[]

Brazil
  • FIFA World Cup: 1962[1][2]
  • Copa Roca: 1963
  • : 1961
  • : 1961, 1962

Individual[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Morre Coutinho, ex-atacante de Santos e seleção brasileira". UOL (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Coutinho, ídolo do Santos e campeão mundial pelo Brasil, morre aos 75 anos". ESPN Brasil. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  3. ^ "O eterno menino da Vila : Em 1963, Coutinho calou o Boca em Buenos Aires; hoje Kaio Jorge tenta fazer o mesmo".
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Doro, Bruno; De Almeida, Napoleão. "Simplesmente Coutinho". UOL (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  5. ^ Source: "Archived copy" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Ídolo do Santos e campeão do mundo em 1962, Coutinho morre aos 75 anos". Globo.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Coutinho, ídolo santista e campeão Mundial de 62, morre aos 75 anos" (in Portuguese). Lance!. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Brazil World Cup winner Coutinho dies, age 75". ESPN.com. 12 March 2019.

External links[]

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