Manny Matos (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Manuel "Manny" Matos is a retired Portuguese-American football (soccer)
midfielder
who played professionally in the North American Soccer League
and American Soccer League
.
A native of Portugal, Matos grew up in New Bedford, MA. In 1971, he graduated from New Bedford High School
. He is a member of the New Haven Athletic Hall of Fame. He attended West Virginia University
where he was a 1973 and 1974 Honorable Mention (third team) All American soccer player. In 1975, he turned professional with the Philadelphia Atoms
of the North American Soccer League
. In 1977, Matos returned to New Bedford where he became the High School boys soccer coach. He would coach the team for twenty-four years and was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001. In 1978, he briefly returned to the NASL with the New England Tea Men
. He also played for the Rhode Island Oceaneers
of the American Soccer League
and for Portuguese Sports of the Luso American Soccer Association (LASA).
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
who played professionally in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
and American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
.
A native of Portugal, Matos grew up in New Bedford, MA. In 1971, he graduated from New Bedford High School
New Bedford High School
New Bedford High School is a public high school located at 230 Hathaway Boulevard in the West End of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The school has approximately 3,200 students, and is one of the largest schools in the state...
. He is a member of the New Haven Athletic Hall of Fame. He attended West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
where he was a 1973 and 1974 Honorable Mention (third team) All American soccer player. In 1975, he turned professional with the Philadelphia Atoms
Philadelphia Atoms
The Philadelphia Atoms were a soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League . They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium and Franklin Field ....
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
. In 1977, Matos returned to New Bedford where he became the High School boys soccer coach. He would coach the team for twenty-four years and was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2001. In 1978, he briefly returned to the NASL with the New England Tea Men
New England Tea Men
The New England Tea Men were a soccer team based out of Foxboro, MA that played in the NASL from 1978 to 1980. Their home field was Schaefer Stadium....
. He also played for the Rhode Island Oceaneers
Rhode Island Oceaneers
The Rhode Island Oceaneers was an American soccer club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island that was a member of the American Soccer League.-History:...
of the American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
and for Portuguese Sports of the Luso American Soccer Association (LASA).