Oceano Cruz

Oceano Andrade da Cruz (born 29 July 1962), known simply as Oceano, is a Portuguese former footballer, and is a current manager.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Andrade and the second or paternal family name is Da Cruz.

Oceano
Oceano with Iran in 2014
Personal information
Full name Oceano Andrade da Cruz
Date of birth (1962-07-29) 29 July 1962
Place of birth São Vicente, Cape Verde
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1976–1980 Almada
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1982 Almada
1982–1983 Odivelas
1983–1984 Nacional 22 (3)
1984–1991 Sporting CP 202 (17)
1991–1994 Real Sociedad 96 (17)
1994–1998 Sporting CP 106 (22)
1998–1999 Toulouse 30 (6)
Total 456 (65)
National team
1985–1998 Portugal 54 (8)
Teams managed
2009–2010 Portugal U21
2012 Sporting B
2012 Sporting CP (caretaker)
2014–2019 Iran (assistant)
2019–2020 Colombia (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

A defensive midfielder with tremendous physical strength and leadership skills as his main assets,[1] he was widely regarded as the best footballer ever hailing from Cape Verde, and represented most notably Sporting, appearing in more than 400 official matches for the club over 11 seasons (two separate spells).

Having earned more than 50 caps for Portugal, Oceano represented his adopted nation at Euro 1996.

Club career

Born in São Vicente, Cape Verde, Oceano's family emigrated to Portugal when he was a child. He started his career at Almada A.C. in the lower leagues and, after spells in the second division with Odivelas F.C. and C.D. Nacional, signed with Sporting CP for the 1984–85 season.[1]

Oceano was an undisputed starter for the Lisbon side during his stay, which consisted at first of seven seasons. In 1991, he moved alongside compatriot and teammate Carlos Xavier to Spain's Real Sociedad, where the pair was equally influential, having been reunited with former Sporting boss John Toshack.[2][3]

Both Oceano and Xavier returned to the Lions in the summer of 1994, and the former continued to perform at a consistent level until the end of the 1997–98 campaign, when he was almost 36. His Sporting trophies consisted, however, of a single Portuguese Cup, in 1995; he wrapped up his career in 1999, after a stint in France with Toulouse FC.

After retiring, Oceano worked as a color commentator for several TV networks. In early March 2011, he returned to his main club Sporting, joining newly appointed José Couceiro's coaching staff; exactly one year after, he moved in the same capacity to U.D. Leiria under another old Sporting acquaintance, José Dominguez.[4]

Oceano started the 2012–13 season in charge of Sporting's reserves, in the second division. On 4 October 2012, however, following Ricardo Sá Pinto's dismissal, he was named caretaker manager of the first team.[5]

Oceano's tenure as head coach of Sporting first consisted of three away games and losses – against FC Porto in the league (0–2),[6] against Moreirense F.C. in the season's domestic cup (2–3)[7] and at K.R.C. Genk in the UEFA Europa League group stage (1–2)[8]– and his spell ended on 29 October 2012 with a 0–0 home draw to Académica de Coimbra in the national championship.[9]

International career

Oceano played 54 times for Portugal, scoring eight goals. His debut came on 30 January 1985 in a 2–3 friendly defeat to Romania, and his last game occurred thirteen years later in a 0–3 loss against England on 22 April 1998. He was a leading presence in the national team throughout the 1990s, notably at UEFA Euro 1996 where he helped them to the quarter-finals.[10][11]

Following the Portuguese Football Federation's appointment of Carlos Queiroz in July 2008, Oceano took up a position within the scouting department. He worked alongside former Porto's José Alberto Costa and former IFA Premiership player Julian Ward.[12]

In August 2009, Oceano was appointed head coach of Portugal under-21s, succeeding Rui Caçador.[13] His first match was on the 11th, a 2–1 win over Northern Ireland.[14]

After failing to qualify for the 2011 European Championship, Oceano was dismissed from his position. In late March 2014 he again reunited with Queiroz, joining his coaching staff at the Iranian national side prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament.[15] On 20 February 2019, the pair started working with Colombia.[16]

Oceano da Cruz: International goals[17]
GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
116 January 1991Nou Estadi Castalia, Castellón de la Plana, Spain Spain0–11–1Friendly
212 February 1992Estádio de São Luís, Faro, Portugal Netherlands1–02–0Friendly
311 November 1992Stade de Paris, Paris, France Bulgaria2–12–1Friendly
410 February 1993Estádio de São Luís, Faro, Portugal Norway1–01–1Friendly
510 November 1993Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal Estonia2–03–01994 World Cup qualification
619 January 1994Balaídos, Vigo, Spain Spain2–22–2Friendly
718 December 1994Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal Liechtenstein3–08–0Euro 1996 qualifying
827 March 1996Estádio do Restelo, Lisbon, Portugal Greece1–01–0Friendly

Managerial statistics

[18]

Nat Team From To Record
GWDLWin %GFGA+/-
Portugal U21 August 2009 September 2010 1061360.0%159+6
Sporting B August 2012 October 2012 971177.7%167+9
Sporting October 2012 October 2012 401300.0%28–6
Total 23133756.5%3324+9

References
  1. "Perfil de Oceano Cruz" [Oceano Cruz profile]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 5 October 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  2. Rodrigálvarez, Eduardo (19 September 1992). "Toshack acusa de indisciplinados a los jugadores de la Real" [Toshack accuses Real players of indiscipline]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  3. Rodríguez, Néstor; Aguinaga, Iban (23 April 2015). "25 años, 71 extranjeros" [25 years, 71 foreigners]. Noticias de Gipuzkoa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  4. Paulo, Joaquim (14 March 2012). "Oceano é o adjunto de Dominguez" [Oceano is Dominguez's assistant]. Record (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  5. "Official – Sá Pinto relieved of his duties; Oceano appointed caretaker coach". PortuGOAL. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  6. "FC Porto vence Sporting por 2–0" [FC Porto beat Sporting by 2–0]. Sol (in Portuguese). 7 October 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  7. "Wagner's extra-time winner beats Sporting". PortuGOAL. 21 October 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  8. "Sporting lose again after a late Genk winner". PortuGOAL. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  9. "O fim e o princípio do Leão" [The end and the beginning of the Lion] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  10. Hodgson, Guy (1 June 1996). "The rising force in Europe counting on their foreign legion; CHAMPIONSHIP COUNTDOWN: No 9 Portugal". The Independent. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  11. "Portugal progress as Group D winners". UEFA. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  12. "Selecção: Queiroz já tem equipa técnica" [National team: Queiroz already has technical staff] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 6 August 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  13. "Quadro técnico definido" [Technical staff selected] (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  14. "Portugal vence Irlanda do Norte por 2–1 na estreia de Oceano" [Portugal defeat Northern Ireland 2–1 in Oceano debut] (in Portuguese). TSF. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  15. "Oceano appointed as an assistant to Queiroz". Team Melli. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  16. "Hombre por hombre, los encargados del nuevo destino de Colombia" [One by one, the men charged with Colombia's new destiny]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). 20 February 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  17. "Oceano". European Football. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  18. Oceano Cruz coach profile at Soccerway
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