Caue Munareti Rodrigues, senior business administration major, left his home country of Brazil to pursue his passion for soccer in the U.S.
Munareti Rodrigues began playing soccer at age 4 but was incredibly skilled for his age.
“I was too young to play for the team [in my area], but I was pretty tall, so my mom lied to the coach and told him that I was 6 so I could play on the team,” he said.
Before coming to NSU, Munareti Rodrigues attended Illinois Central College, where he played soccer for two seasons. In 2014, while competing for ICC, he was an all-region and all-conference selection.
He has scored a total of 18 goals and 6 assists in his career.
Munareti Rodrigues explained the impact soccer has had on his life.
How did you end up at NSU?
“My best friend from Brazil, Victor Cardoso, played at NSU a few years ago, and he told me it was a good school in terms of education and soccer. He also said that Fort Lauderdale was great, just the entire city and the weather. It’s a lot like Brazil, so I decided to transfer to play soccer here.”
Do you plan to continue playing soccer after graduation?
“I plan to. It’s my goal right now. Hopefully, I’ll have a really good senior year, both as an individual and as a team, so I’ll be able to continue playing soccer.”
If you do not continue playing soccer, what would you want to do career-wise?
“I would want to work in the international business area. I know more than two languages, so maybe knowing all of those languages will be able to help me out. If not that, I would like to go into accounting because my dad is an accountant.”
Do you have any goals or expectations for the upcoming season?
“My goal for the team is to perform better than we did last year. Maybe win the conference title and go to nationals. My ultimate goal is to be an NCAA Division II Champion, but we’ll have to work hard for it. But my goal as an individual is to be on the conference and regional team, and maybe become an All-American. I know I’ll have to work hard for it, but I’m willing to do it.”
What is the most difficult thing about playing soccer?
“For me, right now, it’s giving up my family and friends back home in Brazil to be by myself here. Every time I step on the field, I know it’s for the best, and I’m working for them.”
What has been your greatest achievement as an athlete?
“When I was 16, I played for a really good club in Brazil, and it was during the final tournament. There were about 4,000 people watching. The score was 0-0 after 44 minutes in the second half. I had a free kick and scored, so we won the tournament. It’s definitely one of my best memories.”
What has been the most rewarding part of playing soccer?
“Meeting a lot of amazing people, some people whom I never thought I would meet in my life. I love getting to learn other people’s cultures, languages and just being around different people. Every day, I learn something different, and that’s a really great thing.”
Have you had any coaches who have influenced you throughout your athletic career?
“Back in Brazil, I had two really good coaches who helped me a lot. First of all, the coach whom I lied to in order to play soccer has been really helpful. I ended up telling him that I lied a few years later, and he laughed about it. He was very happy that I really wanted to play soccer and that I loved it, so he helped me a lot with building my confidence, which was something I had to work on. Then, when I was about 13 or 14, I had another coach who coached me for about four years. He was a really good friend of mine, and we’re still connected; I’ve talked to him a couple of times. He’s doing really well now. He’s a professional soccer coach in Brazil now.”
If you could play soccer with any professional player, who would it be?
“Cristiano Ronaldo.”
