Graciano Brito
Encyclopedia
Graciano Brito is a Cape Verde
an footballer currently playing for F.C. New York
in the USL Professional Division.
, and played college soccer
at Quinnipiac University
. As a junior in 2007 he was named to the NSCAA/adidas All-America Second Team, was featured in Sports Illustrated
's "Faces In The Crowd" section, was selected to the NSCAA/adidas North Atlantic Region First Team, and was named Northeast Conference Player of the Year, the first Quinnipiac men's soccer player to earn the award since 2001. As a senior in 2008 he was named the NEC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, was Quinnipiac’s Male Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row, and was named to the All-NEC First Team, was an NCSAA/adidas All-American for the third consecutive year, and was an College Soccer News All-American. He finished his four-year career with Quinnipiac as the program’s Division I career leader in goals (40) and points (92).
in the Portuguese Second Division
2010, before becoming the first player to sign with the expansion FC New York of the new USL Professional League
when he signed in February 2011. He scored the only goal of FCNY's first ever league victory, 1-0 over the Charleston Battery
on May 13.
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
an footballer currently playing for F.C. New York
F.C. New York
F.C. New York is an American professional soccer team based in Queens, New York, United States. Founded in 2009, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
in the USL Professional Division.
Youth and college
Brito came from his native Cape Verde to the United States in 2004, settling with relatives in Bridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, and played college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park...
. As a junior in 2007 he was named to the NSCAA/adidas All-America Second Team, was featured in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
's "Faces In The Crowd" section, was selected to the NSCAA/adidas North Atlantic Region First Team, and was named Northeast Conference Player of the Year, the first Quinnipiac men's soccer player to earn the award since 2001. As a senior in 2008 he was named the NEC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, was Quinnipiac’s Male Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row, and was named to the All-NEC First Team, was an NCSAA/adidas All-American for the third consecutive year, and was an College Soccer News All-American. He finished his four-year career with Quinnipiac as the program’s Division I career leader in goals (40) and points (92).
Professional
Brito was an assistant coach at Quinnipiac in 2009, attended the 2009 MLS Combine, and briefly played professionally for Operário dos AçoresC.D. Operário
Clube Operário Desportivo, commonly known as Operário dos Açores or just Operário, are a Portuguese football club from Lagoa, Azores. They currently play in the Portuguese Second Division - Serie C, having finished second to C.D...
in the Portuguese Second Division
Portuguese Second Division
The Portuguese Second Division is a football league in Portugal, situated at the third level of the Portuguese football league system...
2010, before becoming the first player to sign with the expansion FC New York of the new USL Professional League
USL Pro
The USL Professional Division, commonly known as USL Pro , is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011....
when he signed in February 2011. He scored the only goal of FCNY's first ever league victory, 1-0 over the Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery is an American professional soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
on May 13.