Eusébio

       Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, known by the playing name of Eusébio, (born January 25, 1942 in Lourenço Marques [now Maputo], Mozambique) nicknamed "The Black Pearl or "The Black Panther" is a Portuguese football icon. He is considered to be one of the best of his time and is arguably one of the great all-time players. His trademarks were his speed, quick dribble and a fierce, tremendously accurate right-footed strike.

In 1961, Eusébio joined Benfica as a 19 year old from his local club, Sporting Club of Lourenço Marques, for £7500, and immediately became a crucial element on the team. He made his debut for the Portuguese national team that year as well, against Luxembourg, in 19 October 1961, even if his country lost 2-4. In 1962, he won the European Cup, scoring two goals in the final against Puskás' and Di Stéfano's Real Madrid CF. Benfica won 5-3.

He was the leading scorer in the 1966 World Cup where he scored nine goals, including four against North Korea. He was the 1965 European Footballer of the Year and in 1968 was the first winner of the Golden Boot Award, as Europe's leading scorer, a feat he repeated five years later. The Portuguese League's top scorer seven times from 1964 to 1973, he helped Benfica to 10 league championships and 5 cup wins. He scored an outrageous 727 goals in 715 matches wearing Benfica's jersey. Eusébio was the all-time leading scorer for his country, with 41 goals (in 64 matches), until Pauleta surpassed his record against Latvia on October 12, 2005. His last game for the National Team was a 2-2 draw with Bulgaria on October 19, 1973 in a World Cup qualifier.

In 1976/77 and 1977/78, Eusébio played for two minor Portuguese teams, SC Beira-Mar, in I Division, and União de Tomar, in the II Division. He scored a total of 733 goals in the Portuguese League.

He also played in the North American Soccer League, for three different teams, from 1975 to 1977: Boston Minutemen (1975), Toronto Metros-Croatia (1976) and Las Vegas Quicksilver (1977). His most successful season in the NASL was in 1976 with the Toronto Metros. He scored in their 3-0 victory at the 76 Soccer Bowl to win the NASL title.

1976 was a busy year for Eusébio, he also played ten games for CF Monterrey in the Mexican league.

The following season (1977) he signed for the Las Vegas Quicksilvers. This was to be a very disappointing end to Eusébio's glorious career. By this time injuries had taken their toll on the Black Panther, and he was constantly receiving medical treatment whilst playing for the Quicksilvers. During the season he only managed to score 2 goals, a poor return for a striker of his calibre. At the end of the 1977 season Eusébio's knees finally "called it a day" and he later returned to Portugal. However, some sources state that Eusébio did play some games for the "New Jersey Americans" of the American Soccer League II during their 1978 campaign.

Despite being retired, Eusébio is a constant presence among the Portuguese national team where the players see him as a sort of inspiration and source of moral support.

Career
1957-1960 : Sporting Lourenço Marques (Mozambique, then a colony of Portugal.)
1960-1975 : SL Benfica ( Portugal)
1975 : Boston Minutemen ( United States)
1976 : CF Monterrey ( Mexico)
1976-1977 : Beira-Mar ( Portugal)
1976 : Toronto Metros Croatia ( Canada)
1977 : Las Vegas Quicksilver ( United States)
1977-1978 : União Tomar ( Portugal)
1978 : New Jersey Americans ( United States)

Honours
1961: Portuguese Championship, Intercontinental Cup runner-up
1962: European Cup, Portuguese Cup, Intercontinental Cup runner-up
1963: Portuguese Championship, European Cup runner-up
1964: Portuguese Championship, Portuguese Cup
1965: Portuguese Championship, European Cup runner-up, European Footballer of the Year
1966: World Cup 3rd place
1967: Portuguese Championship
1968: Portuguese Championship, European Cup runner-up
1969: Portuguese Championship and Cup
1970: Portuguese Cup
1971: Portuguese Championship
1972: Portuguese Championship, Portuguese Cup
1973: Portuguese Championship
1974: Portuguese Championship
1976: Mexican Championship
1976: NASL Championship