Place of birth Sao Paulo, Brazil 1968 St. Louis Stars 1968 San Diego Toros Role Football player | 1967 Los Angeles Toros Name Eli Durante Years Team 1970 Kansas City Spurs | |
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Eli Durante is a Brazilian retired footballer who played in the North American Soccer League from 1967 to 1975.
In 1967, Durante moved to the United States and signed with the Los Angeles Toros of the National Professional Soccer League. He was the league's third leading scorer that season. At the end of the season, the NPSL merged with the United Soccer Association to form the North American Soccer League and the Toros moved to San Diego. Durante played six games with the Toros before moving to the St. Louis Stars.
In 1969, Durante signed with the Kansas City Spurs as it won the league title. The Spurs folded at the end of the 1970 season and Durante moved to the Rochester Lancers where he spent the last five seasons of his career. After retiring from soccer, Durante returned to Kansas City where he lived before buying Florida Forklift Supply, LLC in 2008.
Awards and honors
On December 27, 2014, the Rochester Lancers of the Major Arena Soccer League will induct Durante into the Rochester Lancers Wall of Fame as one of Rochester's "soccer pioneers". Durante played for the original Rochester Lancers of the North American Soccer League.