Julio "Ringo" Cantillo is a former professional soccer player who played as a

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

. He played five seasons in the American Soccer League where he was the league MVP as a rookie. He won MVP honors a total of three times in the ASL. Cantillo also spent parts of seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and four in NASL indoor, one in the

United Soccer League United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...

and one in Major Indoor Soccer League. Born in Costa Rica, Cantillo earned eleven caps with the U.S. national soccer team between 1979 and 1982.

Professional career

Cantillo, a native of Costa Rica, began his professional soccer career with the Cincinnati Comets of the American Soccer League in 1972. Cantillo was only 17 years old, but quickly established himself as among the most talented players in the league when he won MVP honors as a rookie. The Comets also won the league championship that season. Cantillo earned MVP honors in 1974, and in 1975 was a first team All Star for the fourth consecutive year. In February 1975 the Comets loaned him to the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League for the upcoming NASL indoor tournament. Castillo went on to win the Regional MVP award, before getting injured early in the championship final. He scored five goals in four games for the 1975 indoor Rowdies. At the end of the 1975 ASL season, the Comets traded Cantillo to New York Inter-Giuliana SC, of the semi-pro

German-American Soccer League The Cosmopolitan Soccer League is a regional soccer league consisting of semi-pro and amateur teams based in and around New York City. Established in 1923, it is one of the oldest soccer leagues in the United States and has contributed greatl ...

, which played in the winter months. They also loaned him to Tampa Bay for the 1976 NASL season. He played a single season, twenty-one games total, with the Rowdies before returning to the ASL, this time signing with the New Jersey Americans. Cantillo was part of the ASL's most exciting team as the Americans played a free-flowing attacking game which took them to the 1977 championship. Cantillo was again the league MVP, his third in five years in the ASL, and a first team All Star. Cantillo jumped leagues again at the end of the 1977 season. He joined the

New England Tea Men The New England Tea Men were an American professional soccer team based in Greater Boston. They played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1978 to 1980. Their home venues for outdoor play were Schaefer Stadium (shared with the NFL' ...

of the NASL. He would remain with this team in its various incarnations until 1985, except for 1983 when he played for Team America. The Tea Men spent the 1978-1980 seasons in New England before moving to

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

at the end of the 1980 season. Cantillo moved with the team and played the 1981 and 1982 seasons with Jacksonville. In the fall of 1982, he signed with the

New York Arrows The New York Arrows were an indoor soccer team that played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) from 1978 to 1984. They won the first four MISL championships. History Preparing for the first season In 1978, the New York Arrows beg ...

of Major Indoor Soccer League. He spent one season with the Arrows. In 1983, he signed with Team America. That year, the U.S. Soccer Federation attempted to create a more successful U.S. national team by entering the team into the NASL as a franchise. However, the team stumbled to a 10-20 record and the bottom of the league standings and USSF pulled the national team from the NASL at the end of the season. In 1984, Cantillo returned to the Tea Men who by then played in the

National team

Cantillo earned eleven caps with the U.S. national soccer team between 1979 and 1982. He has represented his country in four

FIFA World Cup qualification The FIFA World Cup qualification is a competitive match that a national association football team takes in order to qualify for one of the available berths at the final tournament of the (men's) FIFA World Cup. Qualifying tournaments are hel ...

matches. Although part of Team America in 1983 he was never called up for the U.S. games that year. Cantillo played his first game with the U.S. in its only 1979 match, a 3-1 win over Barbados. He played his last game on March 21, 1982, in a 2-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago.

Honors

;Cincinnati Comets * ASL: 1972 * ASL: 1973 ''(finalist)'' ;New Jersey Americans * ASL: 1977 ;Tampa Bay Rowdies * NASL indoor: 1975 ''(finalist)'' * NASL regular season: 1976 Individual ;American Soccer League *Most Valuable Player: 1972,

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of President of the United States, United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom K ...

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrati ...

*All-Star selections: 1972,

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

;North American Soccer League *Regional MVP: 1975 indoor

References

External links

Career stats

- Nación * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cantillo, Ringo 1956 births Living people People from Cartago Province Costa Rican emigrants to the United States Association football midfielders Costa Rican footballers American soccer players American Soccer League (1933–1983) players Cincinnati Comets players Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople Jacksonville Tea Men players Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players New England Tea Men players New Jersey Americans (ASL) players New York Arrows players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993) players Team America (NASL) players United Soccer League (1984–85) players United States men's international soccer players