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Position: Forward
USF Career Years: 1978-1981
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Career Highlights: Four-time letter winner for Men's Soccer; Three-time First Team All-Pacific Conference; Two-time NCAA Champion; USF Second All-time in Points (116)
Luiz Felipe Magalháes arrived at USF in the fall of 1978 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He played with the Dons from 1978 to 1981 as a forward, and became one of the most prolific goal scorers in school history. "Growing up I knew I didn't compete like any average player. I was above average with a good vision of the game," said Magalháes. "My impact on the game was to involve all players as equal with one another, with the same objective and goal (USF Athletics)."
While it was apparent that the Brazilian native grew as an athlete at USF, his journey before college was what molded him into the player and person he would ultimately become. Magalháes spent his childhood playing multiple sports each day. His motivation for athletics was apparent during his years at USF, and his rigorous schedule balancing school and soccer brought out the best in him.
The three-time First Team All-Pacific Conference honoree led the Dons to the 1978 and 1980 NCAA national championship titles. In his sophomore campaign he was a key member of a Dons' squad that scored 133 goals, a program record. He sent 19 to the back of the net that season which ranked seventh in a single season. He was a four-time letter winner. At the end of his USF career, he ranked second all-time in points (116), third in goals (46) and second in assists (26).
Magalháes helped establish the Mission Youth Soccer League in San Francisco along with Mission resident Andy Solow, Juan Gonzalez, Larry Kischmichian, Juaquin Trigueros, Fernando Alvarex, and Inaki Alvarea. In 1992 the League affiliated with the California Youth Soccer Association (CYSA-North).
International Flavor: Magalháes who came to USF from Brazil fit right in with USF during his freshman season, as the 1978 Dons featured players from 13 different countries. It was the team that the media called the “UN Team.” There were only six Americans on the squad, but as Eric Visser from Amsterdam, Holland pointed out, “It doesn’t really matter how many countries we come from, soccer is all that matters.”
Did You Know?: In the 1980 Far West Championship game, Magalháes scored both goals in the 2-1 win over UCLA. That win vaulted the Dons on the NCAA quarterfinals, and they eventually won the national championship 4-3 in overtime against highly touted Indiana.
They Said It: "Steve Negoesco was a father figure to me and for most players. He cared for those that needed it and deserved it," said Magalháes. "But, like all excellent coaches, Steve knew how to pump us up for each game. In the locker room he used to post articles saying that we did not speak English. That got us all very excited to play."
Life After USF: Following his playing days, he stayed in San Francisco and earned his FIFA referee license and coordinated tournaments in Marin County for the Brazilian community. Months later, Magalháes took his coaching expertise to Europe where he put together local youth tournaments which involved Holland, Denmark and Sweden Cups. Since 1995, Magalháes has resided in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro as a real estate agent.
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