Victor Cardoso, senior sports management major, describes himself as a lazy person unless soccer’s involved.
Cardoso grew up in Brazil where soccer is deeply ingrained in the culture. He started playing at 7-years-old in a small soccer club. Soon, at 9-years-old, he transitioned to competitive soccer in some of the biggest clubs in Brazil: Plameiras, São Paulo, and Corinthians.
“I feel like soccer is in my blood. Growing up, my brother and I would play soccer anywhere we found space,” Cardoso said.
At 14, Cardoso joined the Brazilian Youth National Soccer team and played there for three years. He also played for the national youth teams of Sweden, Denmark and Norway as well as a few other countries in South America.
Cardoso would have probably followed the same path as his brother, Nathan Cardoso, a professional soccer player in Plameiras soccer club in Brazil, if it weren’t for frequent injuries and surgeries.
“I would have surgery and stay out for six months and on the first day back, I tore all my ligaments,” he said. “All these injuries made me question whether soccer was really for me. I took a year off to figure out what I was going to do with my life.”
During this hiatus, Cardoso learned about an opportunity to come to the U.S. to go to school get a degree — and play soccer of course.
“I already had my chance, and I’m doing my best in a new path,” Cardoso said.
With only a year and a half of age difference, his brother was a best friend and a main source of inspiration throughout Cardoso’s life.
“My brother gets me going. When I see him on TV, I feel very proud because he always talks about me and mentions that I was better than him and how I couldn’t make it but he did,” said Cardoso.
Balancing soccer and academics is a big challenge for Cardoso. To him, time management, responsibility as well as resistance to peer pressure are very important to get through college.
“It’s hard. I’m a senior, so I’ve been doing this for four years. Time management and responsibility are important, but learning to say no to things is most important, because there are people who don’t have the same responsibilities I have,” said Cardoso. “They would say, ‘Hey, let’s hangout or let’s watch a movie,’ and I have to say no because I have things to do. It’s not easy.”
Cardoso hopes to continue the path he started as a kid and play professionally.
“I don’t see myself doing anything other than soccer. If that doesn’t work out, I plan on becoming a coach. As long as I’m involved,” said Cardoso.
I got the chance to sit down with Cardoso and ask a few questions.
What’s your favorite part of the game?
“When I score, because I give it everything I have. I just let everything out. A lot of people have celebrations and dances, but I don’t. I just scream and yell.”
How would you describe yourself as a player?
“I’m a little different from the traditional American soccer player. The culture of American soccer is different here. It’s way bigger in Brazil. Here, there’s a variety of different sports. In Brazil, it’s 99.9 percent soccer.”
What has been your most memorable moment?
“It was when I was playing in Sweden. I got to the final and I scored the final goal. There were 58,000 people watching. It was a big deal to me.”
Do you have any special rituals before games?
“I just think about my mom and my brother, and that gets me going.”
Who’s your favorite soccer player?
“My brother. But besides him, I like Neymar.”
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
“I would go to Brazil because I haven’t seen my family in four years. I would also like to visit Italy because I have a lot of team mates who tell me about beautiful places there.”
Is practice harder after losing?
“Yes. Definitely. It brings us down, and we don’t have as much energy as we usually do when we win. Even the bus ride seems longer; if it’s two hours, it feels like two days. Losing is horrible; no one likes losing.”
Do you have any personal goals you want to accomplish?
“I would like to have a project that would give other people the chance that I didn’t have. There are millions of people in Brazil who want to become professional soccer players, but there aren’t enough chances.”
Who’s your favorite soccer team?
“In Brazil, I’m a Palmeiras fan. Not because of my brother, I’ve always been a fan long before my brother became part of the team. I also like Barcelona, which is Neymar’s team.”
What do you miss the most about being away from home?
“Being able to hug my mom and my brother. We can talk everyday on Skype or Facetime but it’s different than actually being able to touch them. I don’t miss the food, like most people. I left really young and now I’m growing. I still feel the same way I did when I left.”
