Soccor Velho
Velho pictured in 2011 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 27 July 1983 | ||
Place of birth | Goa, India | ||
Date of death | 22 June 2013 | (aged 29)||
Place of death | Margao, Goa, India | ||
Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2003–2005 | Cabral SC | ||
2005–2006 | Golden Gunners | ||
2006 | → Air India (loan) | (0) | |
2006–2007 | Central Railway | ||
2007–2013 | Air India | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Soccor Velho (27 July 1983 – 22 June 2013) was an Indian footballer who last played for Air India in the I-League. He previously played for Cabral, Golden Gunners and Central Railway.
Life and career[]
Velho was born in Goa,[1] where he played football for Cabral before joining Golden Gunners of the Mumbai District Football Association's Elite Division in 2005.[2] Described in the Hindustan Times as "the potent firepower in Golden Gunners arsenal",[3] Velho scored seven of Gunners' twelve goals as they finished in fourth place and qualified for the championship stage,[4] but was not afraid to admit he needed to work on his finishing.[2][5] He represented Maharashtra in the 2005–06 Santosh Trophy, scored four goals as his team progressed through the group stages,[6] and flicked on Rauf Khan's corner to open the scoring in the final, albeit in a losing cause as Goa won 3–1 after extra time.[7] Rated by Daily News and Analysis as one of the "finds of the tournament",[8] he was named among the "probables" by the All India Football Federation for the 2005 SAFF Cup[9] but did not play.
He signed on loan for Air India in January 2006.[10] He made several appearances in the National Football League, without scoring,[6] though he had a "goal" against Mahindra United disallowed for handball.[11] Coach Bimal Ghosh attributed his goal drought to inexperience and needing "a bit of luck".[12]
In the latter part of 2006, he returned to regional competition with Central Railway, contributing to their second-place finish in the Mumbai Elite Division and scoring once as they finished fourth in the championship round.[13] He scored just twice in the Elite Division as Central Railway finished in fourth place in 2007.[14] In July, Velho scored a hat-trick as Central Railway beat Air India's under-19 team 7–1 in the quarter-final of the Nadkarni Cup;[15] in the final, he opened the scoring as Central Railway beat ONGC 3–1.[16]
Velho signed for Air India ahead of the 2008–09 I-League season,[17] and made his debut on the opening day of the season, in a 1–1 draw away to Mohammedan Sporting.[18] He scored his first I-League goal on the second matchday, away to Mohun Bagan; just before half-time, 's free kick was poorly cleared and Velho, playing as an attacking midfielder, was first to react.[19] After the next game, Air India's first win of the season, coach Ghosh commented favourably on the pace and positioning of both Velho and goalscorer , particularly on the counter-attack.[20] Velho scored once more during the season, in a 2–0 win against Mumbai FC in November.[21] He sustained a facial injury in an incident in January 2009 in which Mohammedan Sporting's was sent off; according to Goal.com's Rahul Bali in March, "[he hadn't] been at his best ever since".[22] Air India avoided relegation by just two points.[21]
Under Velho's captaincy,[23] Air India finished one point nearer relegation in 2009–10.[24] He scored the opening goal in the IFA Shield semifinal, only for his club to be eliminated by Churchill Brothers on penalties.[25]
Death[]
On 22 June 2013 Velho participated in a friendly match between Margao XI and the India U19 team in Goa.[26] Velho played for Margao in that match and lasted the whole 90 minutes.[26] After the match Velho went home. According to the Salgaocar youth team coach, Joaquim Crasto, Soccor was completely fine after the game and went home normally.[26] After he arrived home, according to Dempo forward Joy Ferrao, Velho had dinner and a shower but then complained of feeling uneasy before having a heart attack.[26] He died on his way to the hospital; he was 29.[26]
Velho was survived by his wife and young daughter.[26]
References[]
- ^ "S. Velho". Soccerway. Global Sports Media. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ a b Pandey, Ankita (5 October 2005). "Soccor's strike helps Gunners draw level". Daily News and Analysis. Mumbai. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "MDFA Leagues – Velho fires blanks as Gunners drop points". Hindustan Times. 24 October 2005. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava (31 January 2008). "India 2005 Regional Championships: Mumbai". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Mohapatra, Bikash (25 October 2005). "Drama aplenty, goals scanty". Daily News and Analysis. Mumbai. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ a b Chaudhuri, Arunava (9 January 2007). "India 2005/06: Santosh Trophy". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Basu, Saumyajit (25 November 2005). "Goa walk extra mile for title". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Pandey, Ankita (3 December 2005). "A rewarding end for a fruitful season". Daily News and Analysis. Mumbai. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ "Bhutia among probables". Deccan Herald. 19 November 2005. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ "Air-India sign Musah & Soccor Velho". IndianFootball.com. 9 January 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ D'Souza, Stanislaus (7 April 2006). "AI stun Mahindra, again". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ "Air-India 1:1 East Bengal Club". IndianFootball.com. 23 April 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava (31 January 2008). "India 2006 Regional Championships: Mumbai". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava (18 September 2008). "India 2007 Regional Championships: Mumbai". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Ghosh, Abhishek (20 July 2007). "Central Railway run over Air India boys". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava (2007). "Nadkarni Cup 2007". IndianFootball.com. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
- ^ "Season ending transfers 2008". IndianFootball.com. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Mohammedan hold Air India 1–1 in ONGC I-League". Zee News. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Bagan holds Air India". The Hindu. Chennai. 4 October 2008. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ Pawar, Vaibhav (13 October 2008). "Roy of hope". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ a b Chaudhuri, Arunava (24 September 2009). "India 2008/09". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Gray is the silver lining for Md. Sp". The Telegraph. Kolkata. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
Bali, Rahul (7 March 2009). "I-League Preview: JCT–Air India". Goal.com. Retrieved 26 February 2013. - ^ Mandrekar, Kabir (8 October 2009). "Pune FC on a roll, Air India wary". Indian Express. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
"Churchill beats Air India". The Hindu. Chennai. 2 November 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2013. - ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava (18 October 2012). "India 2009/10". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ Verma, Garima (8 September 2009). "IFA Shield: Churchill in finals". Fox Sports Asia. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Bali, Rahul. "Soccor Velho dies of cardiac arrest". Goal.com. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
External links[]
- Soccor Velho at Soccerway
- 1983 births
- 2013 deaths
- Association football forwards
- Air India FC players
- I-League players
- Footballers from Goa
- People from Margao
- Indian footballers
- Maharashtra football team players