José Roberto Gomes Santana

Who is José Roberto Gomes Santana?

José Roberto Gomes Santana, commonly known as Zé Roberto is an association footballer who currently plays for the San Diego Sockers in the PASL-Pro. Zé Roberto began his career in his native Brazil, where he played with several clubs in the lower divisions. In 2002, he went abroad to North America to sign with the Hershey Wildcats of the A-League. It was there he was first introduced to Bob Lilley, who first deployed him as a playmaker that would lead him to prominence.

After the Wildcats folded, Zé Roberto was signed by the Montreal Impact in 2002. In Montreal he played an important role that would transform the Impact into a league powerhouse that would eventually dominate the league for latter part of the decade. His accolades during his tenure with Montreal include the League Championship, Regular-Season Championship, and the Voyageurs Cup. On January, 2010 he was ranked 22nd in the USL First Division Top 25 of the Decade, which announced a list of the best and most influential players of the previous decade. Roberto has spent the last 3 years, winning 3 consecutive championships with the San Diego Sockers and earning league honors all 3 years. In the summer months Roberto plays beach soccer and has won 4 championships, even being named tournament MVP in 2011.