A HISTÓRIA DO CRAQUE BOTAFOGUENSE "MENDONÇA"

THE STORY OF BOTAFOGO STAR "MENDONÇA" Milton da Cunha Mendonça was born in Rio de Janeiro on May 23, 1956. He was one of Botafogo's greatest idols, shining in the black and white jersey during the 1970s and 1980s. Mendonça is the son of a former defender for Bangu Atlético Clube, also known as Mendonça, who played for the club in the 1950s. A native of the Bangu neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Milton da Cunha Mendonça began his career in Bangu's youth teams at the age of 12. Soon after, he transferred to Botafogo's youth ranks, with whom he won the 1973 World Cadet Tournament, held in Croix, France. At the General Severiano club, Mendonça followed a victorious generation led by stars like Gérson and Jairzinho, icons of Brazil's third FIFA World Cup title in 1970, more as a fan than as a teammate. In 1975, he got his first chance with the Glorioso's "first team" and didn't lose his position for seven consecutive years. He played professionally for Botafogo from 1975 to 1982. For the Rio de Janeiro club, he scored 118 goals in 342 matches. He was on the field in the final of the Rio de Janeiro Torneio Início in 1977, won by Botafogo, which we can consider the only official title won during his time with the club, as he played for them during their famous 21-year title drought (from 1968 to 1989). Besides having the 1977 Torneio Início as his only official title, the playmaker left behind memories of goals and good performances for Botafogo fans. Alongside names like Paulo César Caju, Rodrigues Neto, and Dé, Mendonça was part of the team that achieved a 52-game unbeaten streak between September 21, 1977, and July 16, 1978. The most memorable goal of Mendonça's career was against Flamengo in 1981, when the red-and-black team was eliminated by Botafogo in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Championship. In the play that was later nicknamed "Baila Comigo" (Dance With Me), Mendonça executed two beautiful and disconcerting dribbles on Júnior, passing him and placing the ball powerfully, at waist height, giving goalkeeper Raul Plassmann no chance. The goal deserved a plaque at the Maracanã, which was later removed (the reason is unknown)................. SOURCE: https://www.terra.com.br/esportes/lan... https://terceirotempo.uol.com.br/que-... https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%AD...