Mauricinho (beach soccer)

Mauricio Pereira Braz de Oliveira (born 9 December 1989), known better as Mauricinho, is a Brazilian beach soccer player who plays as a forward. He won the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup representing Brazil and claimed the Silver Ball (second best player) award at the competition; he has also appeared at two other World Cups (2015, 2019). In addition, he was named the best player in the world at the 2017 Beach Soccer Stars awards.

Mauricinho
Mauricinho at the 2019 South American Beach Games.
Personal information
Full name Mauricio Pereira Braz de Oliveira
Date of birth (1989-12-09) 9 December 1989
Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward
International career‡
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012– Brazil 121 (148)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 November 2022

Biography

Mauricinho began playing beach soccer competitively in 2010;[1] he was spotted by Brazilian beach soccer legend, Júnior Negão, playing with friends on Copacabana Beach and was subsequently invited to play for Vasco da Gama.[2]

He was first called up to the Brazilian national team in 2012.[3] Mauricinho began to thrive under the leadership of coach Gilberto Costa, post-2015.[4] This rise peaked in 2017 when he was voted by fellow players and coaches as the best player in the world; this followed being declared the second best player of that year's World Cup in the Bahamas in which he scored a brace in Brazil's win in the final over Tahiti. He was also the top scorer in Beach Soccer Worldwide competitions that year, with 54 goals.[5]

He made his 100th appearance for Brazil in an 8–2 win against Oman at the 2019 World Cup.[6]

As well as continuing to play for Vasco da Gama and winning the Copa Libertadores with the club,[2] outside of Brazil, as is typical of top beach soccer players,[7] Mauricinho has played for numerous clubs in Europe.[2] In 2017, he joined top Portuguese side, Braga, and immediately won the Euro Winners Cup (EWC).[8] In 2018, he switched to Russian rivals Kristall.[1] Reaching the 2018 EWC final against his former Iberian club, he missed the crucial attempt in the penalty shootout, handing Braga the victory.[9] He redeemed himself in the 2020 edition when, in a repeat of the 2018 final, Mauricinho scored to help Kristall become European champions.[10]

Statistics

Honours

The following is a selection, not an exhaustive list, of the major international honours Mauricinho has achieved:

References
  1. MAURICINHO PEREIRA BRAZ DE OLIVEIRA (in Russian). BSC Kristall. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  2. Beach Soccer: Melhor jogador do mundo, Mauricinho é a arma do Vasco para conseguir o bi da Libertadores (in Portuguese). NetVasco. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  3. Novidades da seleção, Mauricinho e Rafinha comemoram a convocação (in Portuguese). Rede Globo. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  4. Best Player of the Year: The three nominees. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  5. BAREFOOT: The Beach Soccer Mag - ISSUE 05. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  6. Holders entertain, while debutants play like veterans. FIFA.com. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  7. FIFA Beach Soccer Workshop held in Dubai. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  8. Braga lift Euro Winners Cup with victory over Artur Music. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 4 June 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  9. Braga retain Euro Winners title. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  10. Kristall reclaim the European throne!. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 13 September 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
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