Tostão


Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade, generally known as Tostão, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward or attacking midfielder and was a physician.
Tostão was an intelligent, hardworking and prolific left-footed forward, who was known for his creativity and technical skills, and was considered one of the best players in the world in his prime and arguably the best player in the world in the early 70s alongside Cruyff before health problems forced his early retirement. Tostão was widely considered at the time the second best or even the best Brazilian player in the late 60s alongside Pelé, even ahead of other stars that would be part of the legendary 1970 Brazil squad. He played most of his 11-year career with Cruzeiro.
Tostão represented Brazil in two World Cups, 1970 [FIFA World Cup|winning the tournament in 1970]. He formed a lethal offensive partnership with Pelé in the national team.

Football career

Born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Eduardo Andrade received, like the vast majority of Brazilian footballers, a nickname early into his football career, being dubbed 'Tostão'. Legend has it that as a six-year-old school boy he netted 47 goals in one game for his primary school football team.
Tostão made his professional debut aged only 15, for local América Mineiro, returning after two years to Cruzeiro, where he had started his youth career. Although being a centre midfielder, he was crowned the Campeonato Mineiro's topscorer on three consecutive occasions, the first in 1966, and left the club as its all-time scorer, with a total of 249 goals.
In the 1970 FIFA World Cup, improvised as a forward, Tostão scored two of his 32 goals for Brazil, and assisted four, as the national team won its third trophy, whilst finding the net on 19 occasions. The previous year, after being hit in the face by a ball during a match against Corinthians, he suffered a detached retina from which he never fully recovered. In April 1972, he signed for Vasco da Gama for a then record fee in the country but, after good overall displays, was forced to retire from the game at only 27, after his sight problems resurfaced, despite attempts at corrective surgery.
Weary of football and fame, Tostão became a medical doctor, but ultimately rejoined the footballing world, working as a journalist and pundit on TV.

Style of play

Tostão was, due to his relatively small stature and slender frame, not particularly skilled in the air; in spite of his lack of pace, strong physical attributes, or long-range shooting abilities, however, he was a mobile, intelligent, and hard-working footballer, who stood out throughout his career due to his anticipation and timing in the penalty area, which made him a prolific goalscorer. A predominantly left-footed player, in his prime, he was considered one of the best players in the world, and was known for his technique, balance, and dribbling skills, while also contributing with many assists thanks to his vision, creativity, precise passing and playmaking abilities, as well as his work-rate, which often saw him drop back into midfield in order to retrieve the ball and start attacking plays. He was also known for his ability to disorient defenders and get onto the end of passes or create space for teammates with his movement and runs off the ball, which saw him act in a role which was essentially functioning as a precursor of the modern false 9 role with Brazil during the 1970 World Cup, despite being deployed as a centre-forward on paper. Due to his versatility and wide range of skills, he was capable of playing in several attacking and midfield positions including as an attacking midfielder, as a second striker, as a left winger, or even as an out-and-out striker.

Career statistics

International goals

DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.5 June 1966Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil2–14–1Friendly
2.5 June 1966Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil3–14–1Friendly
3.8 June 1966Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil2–03–1Friendly
4.30 June 1966Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden1–03–2Friendly
5.30 June 1966Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden3–13–2Friendly
6.15 July 1966Goodison Park, Liverpool, England1–11–31966 FIFA World Cup
7.9 June 1968Pacaembu Stadium, São Paulo, Brazil1–02–01968 Copa Río Branco
8.16 June 1968Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, West Germany1–21–2Friendly
9.20 June 196810th-Anniversary Stadium, Warsaw, Poland3–26–3Friendly
10.20 June 196810th-Anniversary Stadium, Warsaw, Poland4–26–3Friendly
11.25 June 1968JNA Stadion, Belgrade, Yugoslavia2–02–0Friendly
12.30 June 1968Estádio da Machava, Lourenço Marques, Mozambique2–02–0Friendly
13.17 July 1968Estadio Nacional de Lima, Lima, Peru3–04–0Friendly
14.6 November 1968Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilFIFA XI3–04–0Friendly
15.9 April 1969Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil2–12–1Friendly
16.12 June 1969Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil1–12–1Friendly
17.6 August 1969Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia1–02–01970 [FIFA World Cup qualification#South America (CONMEBOL)|1970 FIFA World Cup qualification]
18.6 August 1969Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia2–02–01970 FIFA World Cup qualification
19.10 August 1969Estadio Olímpico, Caracas, Venezuela1–06–01970 FIFA World Cup qualification
20.10 August 1969Estadio Olímpico, Caracas, Venezuela3–06–01970 FIFA World Cup qualification
21.10 August 1969Estadio Olímpico, Caracas, Venezuela4–06–01970 FIFA World Cup qualification
22.21 August 1969Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil1–06–21970 FIFA World Cup qualification
23.21 August 1969Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil2–16–21970 FIFA World Cup qualification
24.24 August 1969Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil1–06–01970 FIFA World Cup qualification
25.24 August 1969Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil2–06–01970 FIFA World Cup qualification
26.24 August 1969Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil3–06–01970 FIFA World Cup qualification
27.14 June 1970Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico2–04–21970 FIFA World Cup
28.14 June 1970Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico3–14–21970 FIFA World Cup
29.30 September 1970Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil2–02–1Friendly
30.14 July 1971Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil1–01–0Friendly
31.31 July 1971Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina1–12–21971 Roca Cup
32.26 April 1972Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil2–03–2Friendly

Honours

Club

;Cruzeiro

International

;Brazil

Individual