Nov. 22, 2015 – Eusebio inducted into New England Soccer Hall of Fame

Eusebio da Silva Ferreira emerged on the international scene as Benfica won the 1961 and ’62 Champions Cup. Eusebio, born in Lourenço Marques (Maputo), Mozambique, won the Ballon D’Or as Europe’s top player in 1965 and led Portugal to a third-place finish in the 1966 World Cup.

Eusebio, who totaled 733 goals in 745 matches, made his New England debut as Benfica played to a 2-2 draw with Sporting in the first soccer match at Foxboro Stadium on July 16, 1972. Eusebio led Benfica to 11 championships in Portugal, then moved to the Rhode Island Oceaneers of the ASL and Boston Minutemen of the NASL in 1975. With the Minutemen unraveling, Eusebio went to Monterrey in Mexico, then to Toronto Metros-Croatia, winning the 1976 NASL Soccer Bowl.

A statute dedicated to Eusebio was unveiled at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on Eusebio’s 50^th birthday, Jan. 25, 1992. The work had been commissioned by Victor Baptista of Medford, Mass., and executed by BU-based sculptor Duker Bower, a copy remaining in the Boston area (now at Lusitanio Stadium in Ludlow).

After Eusebio died on Jan. 5, 2014, three days of national mourning were declared in Portugal, and he became the only footballer interred at the Panteão Nacional (National Pantheon). Chris Aduama photos

Also on this date:

Nov. 22, 1987 – Massasoit 1:0 Miami-Dade. NJCAA final at Mercer (N.J.)

Nov. 22, 1988 – UMass 0:2 North Carolina. NCAA D1 Women’s final, Amherst, Mass.

TODAY IN NEW ENGLAND SOCCER HISTORY