António Simões

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Simões and the second or paternal family name is Costa.
António Simões
Personal information
Full nameAntónio Simões Costa
Date of birth14 December 1943
Place of birthCorroios, Portugal
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing positionWinger
Youth career
1957–1959Almada
1959–1961Benfica
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1961–1975Benfica312(46)
1975–1976Boston Minutemen27(5)
1975–1976Estoril6(0)
1976–1977San Jose Earthquakes33(0)
1977–1978União Tomar16(1)
1978New Jersey Americans4(0)
1979Dallas Tornado6(1)
1979–1980Detroit Lightning (indoor)2(0)
1980–1981Chicago Horizon (indoor)20(7)
1981–1982Kansas City Comets (indoor)3(0)
National team
1962–1973Portugal46(3)
Teams managed
1982–1984Phoenix Inferno
1984–1985Las Vegas Americans (assistant)
1987–1991Austin Sockadillos
2003–2004União Madeira
2004–2005Lusitânia
2008–2010Portugal Olympic
2011–2014Iran (assistant)
2012–2014Iran B
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

António Simões Costa (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ̃ˈtɔniu siˈmõȷ̃ʃ]); born 14 December 1943), known as Simões, is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a left winger.

He spent 14 professional seasons with Benfica, playing 449 official games and scoring 72 goals. In the late 70s/early 80s he represented several teams in the United States, and subsequently worked as a manager on both continents.[1]

Simões played more than 40 times for Portugal, appearing with the country at the 1966 World Cup.

Club career

Benfica

Born in Corroios, Seixal, Setúbal, Simões joined S.L. Benfica when he was 15, and was already an important first-team member just two years later, being part of the squads that won ten national championships and one European Cup. In the 1962 final of the latter competition, a 5–3 win against Real Madrid, he became the youngest ever player to conquer the tournament, at 18 years and four months.[1][2]

Simões left the Reds at the end of the 1974–75 season, after winning his last league. He contributed with 26 scoreless games in the process.

United States

Simões moved to the United States at the age of 32, signing with the Boston Minutemen of the North American Soccer League. He spent two seasons in the city before moving to the San Jose Earthquakes in 1976, and subsequently the Dallas Tornado.[1]

In 1979 Simões joined the Detroit Lightning of the Major Indoor Soccer League. After one season he moved to the Chicago Horizon, before finishing his career at almost 39 with the Kansas City Comets; he returned twice to his country during the offseason period, briefly representing G.D. Estoril Praia and U.F.C.I. Tomar.[1]

Immediately after quitting football Simões was hired as coach of the Phoenix Inferno of the MISL.[3] Fired in March 1984 he was replaced him with Ted Podleski, joining the Las Vegas Americans as assistant to Alan Mayer afterwards, and also leaving in January 1985; in 1989 he was the SISL indoor season Coach of the Year, with the Austin Sockadillos.[4]

International career

Simões made his debut with the Portuguese national team on 6 May 1962, in a 1–2 friendly defeat with Brazil in São Paulo. He was a member of the squad that finished in third place in the 1966 World Cup in England, scoring the opener in the group stage opener against the same opponent (3–1 win).

The recipient of 46 caps with three goals, Simões missed the Brazil Independence Cup due to injury. He made his last appearance on 13 October 1973, in a 2–2 home draw against Bulgaria for the 1974 World Cup qualifiers.

Simões joined Iran's coaching staff in April 2011, acting as assistant to countryman Carlos Queiroz.[5] He left in early 2014, due to personal reasons.

António Simões: International goals
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 29 April 1964 Hardturm, Zurich, Switzerland   Switzerland 0–2 2–3 Friendly
2 19 July 1966 Goodison Park, Liverpool, England  Brazil 1–0 3–1 1966 FIFA World Cup
3 13 October 1973 Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal  Bulgaria 1–0 2–2 1974 World Cup qualification

Honours

Club

Benfica

Country

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Simões" (in Portuguese). Vedeta ou Marreta?. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  2. "Eusebio-inspired Benfica rock Real". FIFA.com. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  3. Three NASL teams join in as MISL opens fifth season; The Miami Herald, 5 November 1982.
  4. The Year in American Soccer – 1989
  5. "Namazi celebrates World Cup berth with Iran". The Washington Post. 24 June 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.

External links