Photo: MLSSoccer.com
by Alfredo Fumacas, Portugal Correspondent
It has been almost 10 years since Steven Vitoria could call a pitch in North America his home ground. The Toronto, Ontario native traded his homeland for his parent’s homeland to pursue every schoolboy’s dream, to become a professional footballer.
Now 28, and at the height of his abilities, Vitoria has decided to return to his home continent, and give the ever growing MLS a chance, and what better place to start than the once capital of the new world Philadelphia?
A budding star playing for one of the best clubs in the Ontario area, and with his future MLS hometown team Toronto FC still in the early planning stages, Vitoria felt his chances of becoming a professional footballer lay across the Atlantic, namely Portugal where his parents hail from, and where he holds a second citizenship.
Vitoria had been approached by a couple of Portuguese scouts while at Toronto’s Woodbridge Strikers, and felt the jump across the pond was the next logical move in pursuit of a professional career.
His arrival in Portugal didn’t quite go as planned as Benfica, who had originally scouted Vitoria in Canada, were hesitant to sign him.
Vitoria was determined to not give up his dream, and approached Benfica’s northern rivals FC Porto. The Dragons offered him a junior contract after a brief trial period. At season’s end, Vitoria signed a senior professional contract with Porto, but with little room to break into FC Porto’s main team, Vitoria was sent out on loan in order to go through his development stages as a young player.
Steven Vitoria was a team leader at Estoril
The loans continued at the beginning of every season, first to Tourizense, then to Olhanense, where he spent two years, then to Sporting Covilha as Vitoria ran out his contract without ever putting on an FC Porto jersey.
Vitoria progressed well through his loan spells, logging in more minutes each year, and becoming an important starter for his loanee teams in the last 2 years of his contract. During his loan spells years, Vitoria was also part of Portugal’s u19 and u20 set-ups, who competed in the European Championship and the u20 World Cup that coincidentally took place in his home country of Canada.
At the end of his contract with FC Porto, and now a familiar name, Vitoria signed with Estoril where he would come to distinguish, and assert himself as the Steven Vitoria we know today.
Vitoria arrives in Philadelphia not only with European football experience, but also as someone who has paid his dues, and has worked hard to be where he is today.
Aside from his 6’5″ frame, typical for a center back, Vitoria also possesses good speed for a big man; his aerial game is quite refined as Vitoria adds jumping ability to an ability for quite accurate headers on both sides of the ball; but what distinguishes Vitoria from other center backs is his advanced technical ability.
Perhaps it was during his early development when Vitoria played as a “10” that helped him improve his technique, and touch. Those two traits not only make him a unique player at the center back position, but also a great asset in the back line. Vitoria’s skill set gives him the ability to bypass the first phase of construction with a well placed pass into a more advanced player, as well as the confidence to come out of the back with the ball at his feet creating mismatches for the opposing team. His confidence, along with his vision, and passing accuracy are some of the traits that make up Steven Vitoria’s calling card, who, can also play as a defensive midfield anchorman in front of the defense.
In his last 2 seasons at Estoril, he helped the team achieve promotion to Portugal’s top flight, and then captained the team to an historic 5th place to more than retain their place. Additionally that 5th place brought qualification to the Europa League.
