Houston Dynamo FC signed Brazilian defender Zeca (José Carlos Cracco Neto) for the 2022 season with two club options, the Club announced today. The contract is pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
The versatile outside back joins the Dynamo after spending 2021 as a regular starter with Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama, reaching the knockout round of the Copa Do Brasil tournament. The 27-year-old appeared in 39 games for Vasco da Gama and tallied four assists as a defender.
“Zeca is a versatile outside back that we have been following for many years and we expect him to make an immediate impact on our squad,” said Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad. “He fits our profile for an attacking outside back with a great deal of comfort on the ball, excellent work rate, and a threat in the offensive third. He had a number of offers in Brazil and from clubs around the world and we are excited that he chose to come to Houston."
The Paranavai, Brazil native has earned 131 appearances in Serie A, the first division of Brazilian soccer. Zeca most recently represented Esporte Clube Bahia in the topflight in 2020 and finished with 11 appearances during a shortened league season. The defender was on loan from Internacional in 2020 and also represented Esporte Clube Bahia on the international stage by competing in the Copa Sudamericana.
Zeca led Internacional to back-to-back berths in the Copa Libertadores, the premier international club competition in South America, in his two seasons with the club from 2018-2019. The defender appeared in 39 games for the club and finished with a top three finish in 2018, earning a direct berth to the group stage of the Copa Libertadores in 2019.
The defender began his professional career in 2014 with Santos FC as a 19-year-old. Zeca made his professional debut in a 2-0 victory over Figueirense FC on May 11 and would go on to represent Santos in 87 matches, scoring three goals and tallying seven assists.
Internationally, the defender has represented Brazil at the U-23 level and won the first Olympic Gold Medal in program history at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. Zeca finished with six starts during that gold-medal run conceding just one goal in six games.
