July 11, 2008

By Dylan Butler
BigAppleSoccer.com Associate Editor

When Joe Balsamo thought about what his team was lacking heading into what he hopes is another long run in the Premier Development League playoffs, the Brooklyn Knights coach figured he needed an experienced forward who was lethal in the box, but also someone who could fit into his team’s ball control system.

In other words, he wanted Julio Cesar Dos Santos.

“Julio is a professional player,” Balsamo said. “He’s got the tempo and having him on the team, he helps the team to breathe. He opens up the space. He’s a great player. He’s the one player who fits into the team.”

Who is Julio Cesar Dos Santos? Born in Brazil, Dos Santos grew up playing with World Cup winner Bebeto, began his career on the Vasco de Gama books and played for American, where his job was to give service to a young Ronaldo.

Years later, Dos Santos played for the New Jersey Stallions, twice leading the USL Second Division in scoring. The Stallions lost in the USL-2 final and were bounced in the semifinals a year later. Dos Santos moved across the Hudson and immediately became the New York Freedoms leading scorer.

And in six seasons with the New York Pancyprian Freedoms, the amateur juggernaut that competed in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, he scored 143 goals in 125 games.

Simply put, Dos Santos is quite possibly the most prolific striker in the New York area – even though he’s about 5-foot-8 and well on the other side of 30.

“The guy scores goals for fun. He’s always in the right place, always composed, always hits the frame,” Knights captain Jeff Matteo said. “He’s a great pro. Everywhere he goes, he works hard. I don’t know how old he is – he’s old – but he still works his (butt) off, he gets in the right positions, he opens up. For a little guy he holds big men off all the time.”

And Matteo knows better than most. While also playing for the Knights, Matteo recently completed a season with the Pancyprian Freedoms, which won the Manning Cup and the ENYSASA Super Cup this season.

Another player on that team is Matia Damiani, who, like Matteo, is a former St. John’s standout and plays centrally in the Knights midfield.

“He’s definitely a great player for us,” Damiani said. “When you play with a great player, he can play with any team. It doesn’t matter. He knows the movement, he knows how to get the ball and score.”

Dos Santos has proven that in just two appearances with the Knights. In a 4-3 victory against the New Jersey Rangers, Dos Santos forced an own goal and also scored in his debut. On Wednesday night, he scored a pair of goals and set up two others in a 4-1 win against the Ocean City Barons after coming on just before halftime.

Despite not having a single training session with the Knights, Dos Santos immediately looked comfortable with his new teammates.

“During my career sometimes when I go to a new team it takes a little while for the people to get you the ball,” Dos Santos said after his debut Sunday. “It didn’t happen today. I received a lot of good balls and it worked out good for the first game.”

When Dos Santos played for the New York Freedoms, his roommate on road trips was a young Hemir Niebles, who said he was amazed when he first saw Dos Santos play.

Now the veteran right-sided midfielder, a former Los Angeles Galaxy draft pick, is reunited with Dos Santos on the Knights.

“I think the way he plays so calmly, it rubs off on everybody else. That’s what we need up front right now,” Niebles said. “He’s a true forward. He gets along on every team he comes in. He knows how to play soccer. We need finishing and this guy puts away everything inside the area.”

While there are still two games remaining in the regular season, Dos Santos could be that final piece the Knights needed to go one step further in the postseason. A year ago, Brooklyn advanced to the PDL national semifinals, only to lose on penalty kicks.

“His style is so perfect for our play,” said midfielder Frank Alesci, a junior at Long Island University. “I think he’s that link that we’re missing.”

In just two games with the Brooklyn Knights, veteran Julio Cesar Dos Santos has three goals and has set up three others.
Photo by Christina Santucci