Riverhead forward chooses American education over Portuguese pro soccer team, commits to Dowling College

Every time Riverhead forward Anthony Antunes visited his grandfather, he’d call him his Cristiano Ronaldo. Soccer was always something they bonded over. So when his grandfather died suddenly three years ago, Antunes vowed that he would do everything he could to become a professional soccer player, knowing his grandfather would be right there with him through it all.

Every game Antunes played, he wore a wristband that said avô which meant grandfather in Portuguese. Every goal he scored, he would kiss the wristband in memory of him.

Just seeing his name on my wristband motivated me every game to do my absolute best,” Antunes said. “He brought my whole family here to America and did everything for us.”

“Now it was my turn,” he said.

With the encouragement of his family and girlfriend, he improved daily and it wasn’t until his trip to Portugal this past summer that he truly realized his potential.

While in Portugal, he got a chance to tryout for a second division professional team, Varzim S.C. and after a week playing with them, he was offered a spot on the youth academy. Antunes was ecstatic. This was the chance he was looking for. But there was a catch.

“I had to stay there,” Antunes said. “I wanted to go back home and finish my high school degree at least and they wouldn’t let me. I would have to stay there, permanently.”

Unwilling to stay, Antunes decided to pursue another route. A route that would ultimately lead to stability in the future, a route that would eventually pay dividends after his soccer career was over — college.

He joined the International Soccer Academy based in Smithtown along with some of his teammates on the Mattituck travel team he had played with the year before. Finding success in tournaments as a part of that team, colleges began popping up on his radar.

“My coach kept telling us, ‘we’re going to get all of you in college’,” Antunes said. “And I truly believed him.”

Dowling College was among those in pursuit of Antunes. Lamine Traore, Riverhead’s head coach, who thought very highly of him, played and graduated from there so there was already a connection.

“I would always get emails and phone calls from schools but when Dowling popped up on the screen, I was like ‘I should definitely look into that,” Antunes said. “Playing under a coach at Riverhead that was an All-American there and the leading scorer in the nation there made me think maybe I could be that one day and follow in his footsteps.”

Though more offers came in after his team won the Disney Soccer Showcase in Florida, which featured teams all over the United States as well as teams from overseas, Antunes just felt Dowling was the best choice.

“I remember when they told me that they would be in attendance for one of my travel games,” Antunes reflected. “And it ended up being a horrible day. It was raining so hard and I thought they wouldn’t show but there they were, the head coach, the assistant coach and Lamine, in the rain watching me play. That’s when I knew it was for real.”

They offered him an academic and athletic scholarship which will allow him to attend the school for free. After a few days to mull it over, Antunes gave them his commitment.

“It’s a dream come true,” Antunes said. “I know my grandfather would be proud. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him.”

Top photo caption: Anthony Antunes after Disney Soccer Showcase tournament. (Courtesy photo)