| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Cuba | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1948-1958 | Brookhattan | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Pito Villanon was a Cuban football (soccer) player who spent eleven seasons with Brookhattan in the American Soccer League. At the time, he was one of a handful of black professional atheletes, playing in an integrated American sports league.[1] He is reputedly the first black player in the American Soccer League.[2]
During his eleven seasons in the ASL, Villanon led the league in scoring twice (1948-49, 1952-53).[3] He was also the 1952-53 ASL MVP. In 1948, Villanon and his teammates finished runner-up in the 1948 National Challenge Cup. They also finished runner-up in league play in 1954.[4]