Waldir de Souza (born 7 June 1952) is a Brazilian former football player and manager who played as a defender.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 June 1952 | ||
| Place of birth | São Paulo, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1970–1975 | Palmeiras | ||
| 1976–1978 | Windsor Stars | ||
| 1979 | New York Eagles | ||
| 1979–1980 | Detroit Lightning (indoor) | 20 | (4) |
| 1980–1982 | Baltimore Blast (indoor) | 39 | (13) |
| 1981–1982 | Kansas City Comets (indoor) | 37 | (12) |
| 1982–1983 | Phoenix Inferno (indoor) | 43 | (4) |
| 1983–1984 | Buffalo Stallions (indoor) | 12 | (0) |
| 1984 | Charlotte Gold | ||
| 1984–1985 | Columbus Capitals (indoor) | 16 | (1) |
| 1986–1987 | Windsor Wheels | ||
| 1989–1990 | Windsor Wheels | ||
| 1991 | Windsor Wheels | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1992 | Windsor Wheels | ||
| 1994 | Detroit Wheels | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
DeSouza played with Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.[1] In 1976, he played abroad in the National Soccer League with Windsor Stars.[2] In his debut season he was selected for the NSL Selects team.[3] He re-signed with Windsor for the 1977 season and also played in the 1978 season.[4][5] In 1979, he played in the American Soccer League with New York Eagles.[6]
In the winter of 1979, he played in the Major Indoor Soccer League with Detroit Lightning.[7] The following season, he signed with league rivals Baltimore Blast.[8] After a season in Baltimore he was released and signed with the Kansas City Comets.[9] In 1982, he was traded to the Phoenix Inferno, and later played with Buffalo Stallions.[10][11] In 1984, he played in the American Indoor Soccer Association with Columbus Capitals.[11]
In the summer of 1984, he played in the United Soccer League with Charlotte Gold.[12] In 1986, he returned to the National Soccer League to play with Windsor Wheels.[13] The following he assisted in securing the regular season title for Windsor.[14] After a years, absence he returned to Windsor for the 1989 season.[15] In 1990, he departed from Windsor after a dispute with management over missed payments.[16]
After his departure from Windsor, he played with Caboto Sting in the Michigan-Ontario League where he assisted in securing the Ontario Cup.[17] He subsequently returned to Windsor for the 1991 season.[18]
Managerial career
In 1992, he transitioned into the managerial side and became the head coach for the Windsor Wheels in the National Soccer League.[19] In 1994, he served as an assistant coach under Mike Francis for the Detroit Wheels in the United States Interregional Soccer League.[20][21] He later was elevated to the head coach position.[1] He would also serve as an assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines men's soccer.[22]