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Victor Bezerra

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Victor Bezerra
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-02-05) February 5, 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Detroit City
(on loan from Chicago Fire)
Number 7
Youth career
2011–2019 Chicago Fire
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2021 Indiana Hoosiers 57 (28)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Chicago Fire 5 (0)
2022–2023 → Chicago Fire II 26 (11)
2024– → Detroit City (loan) 18 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 30, 2024

Victor Bezerra (born February 5, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Detroit City FC of USL Championship, on loan from Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire.

Club career

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Youth and college

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Bezerra attended Jones College Prep High School, also playing club soccer with the Chicago Fire academy, where he was the number three scorer in the Central Region in the 2018–2019 season with 21 goals in 22 games. With Chicago Bezerra scored 58 official USSDA and eight Generation Adidas goals.[2] Over the years, Bezerra was called to train and develop in multiple youth United States Soccer Federation camps.

In 2019, Bezerra attended Indiana University Bloomington to play college soccer. In three seasons with the Hoosiers, Bezerra tallied 28 goals and 12 assists in 57 appearances for a total of 68 points. During his freshman year, Bezerra led the Hoosiers in points and goals with eight goals and three assists, helping the team win both the Big Ten Conference regular season and Big Ten tournament titles. Bezerra scored a hat-trick at the NCAA tournament game against Kentucky, being the third player in program history to score a postseason hat trick and the first since 2012. As a sophomore, Bezerra was a MAC Hermann Trophy runner-up, after winning both the Big Ten regular season, the Big Ten tournament titles and helping the Hoosiers to reach the Final of the NCAA National Championship. As a sophomore Bezerra was also United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team, TopDrawerSoccer Best XI First Team, United Soccer Coaches All-North Region First Team, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Tournament (leading the conference in goals and points with 28 points, 12 goals and four assists in the season), Big Ten All-Tournament Team and elected as IU co-Male Athlete of the Year.

In his junior season, Bezerra led the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list, regarded by TopDrawerSoccer as the number one college soccer player in the country, dealt with injuries at the beginning of the season, led the Hoosiers again in number of goals with eight goals and five assists. Bezerra helped the team reach the Big Ten tournament final, finished the season as first in the Big Ten in game-winning goals and second in total goals scored, earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors. Bezerra scored the decisive goal in their first-round win over Bowling Green in the NCAA tournament, helping IU reach the round of 16 as well as scored the first goal in the NCAA tournament game against the national runner-up Washington.[2][3]

Chicago Fire

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On December 22, 2021, it was announced that Bezerra had signed a homegrown player contract with Chicago Fire ahead of their 2022 season.[4][5][3] He made his professional debut for Chicago on April 19, 2022, appearing as a substitute during a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tie in regular time versus Union Omaha, Bezerra converted his penalty on the shoot out.[6] His league debut came on May 7, 2022, coming on as an 81st–minute substitute against Atlanta United.[7] In addition to the MLS Games and MLS Next Pro games in 2022, Bezerra also started and played the full game for the Chicago Fire in the friendly 1–1 draw and penalty shoot-out win vs Liga MX side Club León[8]

Bezerra also featured for Chicago Fire FC II during their inaugural MLS Next Pro season in 2022. Bezerra was the team's leading scorer with eight goals and two assists, with direct impact in all eight team wins in games that Bezerra also started.[citation needed]

Bezerra played 10 games for Chicago Fire II in 2023, scoring three goals and contributing an assist.[9]

Detroit City FC

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On March 19, 2024, Chicago Fire and Detroit City FC announced that they had agreed to loan terms for the remainder of the 2024 season.[10]

Personal

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Both of Bezerra's parents were born in Brazil and he holds dual nationality.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Victor Bezerra". Chicago Fire FC. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Victor Bezerra - Men's Soccer". Indiana University Athletics.
  3. ^ a b McCraney, Patrick (December 22, 2021). "Victor Bezerra signs homegrown deal with the Chicago Fire". Hot Time In Old Town.
  4. ^ "Chicago Fire FC Sign Academy Product Victor Bezerra to Homegrown Player Contract | Chicago Fire FC". chicagofirefc.
  5. ^ "Victor Bezerra signs with Chicago Fire | College Soccer". TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  6. ^ "Chicago Fire vs. Union Omaha - 20 April 2022 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  7. ^ "ATLvsCHI 05-07-2022 Recap | MLSsoccer.com". mlssoccer.
  8. ^ "Chicago Fire vs Club León FC 09-24-2022 Recap | Chicago Fire FC". chicagofirefc.
  9. ^ "Victor Bezerra | MLSsoccer.com". mlsnextpro.
  10. ^ "Chicago Fire FC Loans Homegrown Forward Victor Bezerra to Detroit City FC". Chicago Fire. March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  11. ^ "Victor Bezerra fits seamlessly into Indiana's light-hearted, work-driven program". November 1, 2019.
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