Antonio Carlos Pecorari (born 1 February 1962), commonly known as Tatu, is a Brazilian football coach and former player, and is the most decorated professional indoor soccer player of all time. At the time this was published he was the head coach of the Mesquite Outlaws in the Major Arena Soccer League. His nickname means "armadillo" in Portuguese.
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In 1981, Tatu came to the United States after playing with São Paulo. He had intended to play for several months, earning enough money to buy a house in São Paulo.[1] Tatu signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL during the 1981-82 indoor season and scored a hat trick in his first appearance even though he had not yet had the opportunity to practice with his new club.[2] He quickly became a fan favorite while playing several more outdoor and indoor seasons in Tampa Bay.[3] He was a member of the Rowdies when they won the 1983 NASL Grand Prix of Indoor Soccer.
The NASL folded in 1984, and Tatu moved to the Dallas Sidekicks of Major Indoor Soccer League. When Tatu moved to Dallas, the Cleveland Force sued the Sidekicks, arguing they had an agreement with him to purchase his contract from the Rowdies. The Sidekicks eventually gave the Force their second round 1985 draft choice. As a Dallas Sidekick, Tatu was a part of all four Sidekick's championship teams (1987, 1993, 1998 and 2001). From 1984 until 1992, the Sidekicks played in MISL. The league collapsed in 1992, and Dallas moved to the newly created Continental Indoor Soccer League until that league also collapsed in 1997. The CISL played during the summer, and Tatu spent the 1993-1994 indoor season with the Wichita Wings of the National Professional Soccer League.[4]
In 1998, the Sidekicks competed in the Premier Soccer Alliance. The PSA became the World Indoor Soccer League in 1999. In 2002, Dallas entered the newly reconstituted Major Indoor Soccer League. Tatu retired from playing in 2003.
In 1998, Tatu replaced Gordon Jago as the head coach of the Dallas Sidekicks.Tatu is the only person to win the player of the year and the coach of the year in the same season (1998). As a head coach, he went 63-53 in the regular season and 7-3 in the playoffs.
Tatu also spent six years coaching at The Highlands school. Irving Texas where he coached the Blazers to three state championships in 1997, 1998 and 2000. The high school team which he coaches now is Prince of Peace Christian School in Carrollton, Texas. He led the Prince of Peace varsity boys to seven TAPPS state championships: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (all fall championships) and 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011–2012 (all winter championships). In the 2017/18 season, Tatu led his team to the TAPPS State Final Four where the Eagles lost during a torrential downpour against Brighter Horizons Academy. Tatu currently has also been coaching several girls' soccer teams for the Sting Soccer Club in North Texas.In April 2012, it was announced that the Dallas Sidekicks would return to the indoor game as part of the Professional Arena Soccer League for the 2012-13 season. Tatu was a co-owner of the team and served as both the team's general manager and head coach for the inaugural season. He would remain with the club for three seasons, leaving in 2015.
Tatu,in 2010, with the assistance of his Assistant Coach,Randy, who was the glue that held this wild team of GU 14-15 horses extraordinarily gifted and talented together, (Sting 95) blew though all competition from East to West Coast in many travel tournaments testing best-of-the-best from every part of the known soccer world. Sting 95' Royal , who were renamed to Sting '95 were a team who knew few defeats and crushed the competition winning a cornucopia of 1st Place Medals. In 2010, Sting '95 was challenged with 2 National Championships to contend with (within 1 week). ECNL was brand new at that time and NYSL (National Youth Soccer League) was phasing out but still active. Overland Park, KS was the venue for the Final in the NYSL final. Sting won 1-0 under amazing skies and after a short victory dance, packed up quickly for the ECNL. 1st time finals in Seattle the next week. They almost lost in final match vs. a very tough team from California, but persevered to win at the end, earning 2 National Titles in one week. This feat has never been matched and never will. Incidentally, Sting '95 won ECNL National title the next year 2011.On 22 July 2019, Tatu was named the first-ever head coach for the Major Arena Soccer League’s Mesquites Outlaws.
Tatu was known for throwing his jersey into the crowd after scoring a goal, a tradition that started during his time with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.[8] He is a well-respected sports figure in Dallas because he is considered to be one of the best players to have played the indoor game in the U.S. His community involvement includes running many soccer camps in the Dallas area. When the Olympic Torch came through Dallas for the 2002 Salt Lake City games,Tatu had the honor as serving as a torch bearer.
Tatu has many indoor soccer records. He is second all-time in goal scoring with 857. He has the second most seasons played (21). Only Victor Nogueira has played more with 23 seasons. He is seventh on the all-time list with games played (633). He is also second in points (1585), second in shots (4396) and second in game-winning goals (77). He is the leader in power play goals with 113.
In October 2011, Tatu was a member of the inaugural class of inductees into the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame. At halftime of the February 9, 2013, game against the Rockforward Rampage, the current Dallas Sidekicks retired Tatu's #9 jersey, honoring his long tenure as both a player and a coach for the original Dallas Sidekicks
Sidekicks Highlights
Major Indoor Soccer League
1984-85
- Scored a goal in every MISL arena
- Scored his first two goals as a Sidekick on November 24, 1984 at Baltimore
- Earned multiple points in 30 games
- Recorded 4 Hat Tricks (3 goals)
- January 19, 1985 vs Tacoma (first Hat Trick as a Sidekick)
- January 22 vs Cosmos
- February 10 at Chicago (4 goals)
- March 5 at San Diego
- Scored 2 goals at the All Star Game in Cleveland on February 24, 1985
- Scored a goal in 12 consecutive games, then a Sidekicks record.
- amassed 23 goals and 6 assists during this streak
- January 16 at Cleveland (2 goals)
- January 17 at Cosmos
- January 19 vs Tacoma (Hat Trick)
- January 22 vs Cosmos (Hat Trick)
- January 26 at Baltimore
- January 29 at Wichita (2 goals)
- February 5 vs Chicago (2 goals)
- February 8 vs Cleveland
- February 10 at Chicago (4 goals)
- February 12 at Tacoma (2 goals)
- February 15 at Las Vegas
- February 17 vs Baltimore
1985-86
- Scored the goal that tied the score at 3 during the All-Star Game at Chicago on February 18, 1986
- Recorded at least one point in 17 straight games from November 30 (at Wichita) through January 18 (vs Pittsburgh)
- Achieved separate Goal Scoring Streaks of 6, 5, and 4 (twice).
- Earned multiple points in 24 games.
- Scored Hat Tricks twice
- November 30, 1985 vs Wichita (4 goals)
- January 12, 1986 at Minnesota (5 goals)
1986-87
- Assisted on MISL Championship Winning Goal on June 20, 1987
- Received most votes of any player in All-Star balloting.
- Tatu became the first non-Yugoslavian player to become the Scoring Champion.
- Earned 9 Hat Tricks
- November 16, 1986 vs St. Louis (Game Winning Goal included)
- December 6 vs New York
- January 10 vs New York
- February 15 vs Kansas City (4 goals, including Game Winner)
- March 6 at Baltimore
- March 13 at Wichita (including Game Winning Goal)
- April 2 vs Cleveland (including Overtime Game Winning Goal)
- April 11 at San Diego (included Game Winning Goal)
- April 26 at Baltimore (including Game Wining Goal)
- Scored a goal in 14 consecutive games between February 7 and March 22, 1987
- Scored multiple goals in 20 games
- Recorded multiple points in 23 games.
- Became 4th player in MISL History to score more than 67 goals in a season.
- Scored 4 Playoff Game Winning Goals
- May 17 vs Baltimore (Eastern Division Semifinals Game 4)
- May 31 at Cleveland (Eastern Division Finals Series Winning Goal in Game 5)
- June 13 vs Tacoma (MISL Championship Game 3)
- June 14 vs Tacoma (MISL Championship Game 4)
- Scored the Overtime Game Winning Goal vs Cleveland on April 2 on a bicycle kick. (see clip)
1987-88
- Scored a goal despite suffering what would be determined to be a season-ending knee injury in the first minute of the first period of Opening Day.
1988-89
- Recorded 2 Hat Tricks
- November 25, 1988 at Los Angeles
- March 25, 1989 vs Los Angeles
- Scored 3 Game Winning Goals
- November 25 at Los Angeles
- March 31 at Los Angeles
- April 8 at Baltimore
1989-90
- Scored a club record 11 Game Winning Goals
- October 28, 1989 vs San Diego
- November 21 at Baltimore
- January 12, 1990 at Kansas City (3 goals in the 4th Quarter alone)
- January 27 vs Wichita (Overtime Game Winning Goal)
- February 11 at Tacoma (Overtime)
- February 24 at Cleveland Crunch
- March 9 at St. Louis Storm
- March 29 vs Tacoma
- April 6 vs Kansas City
- April 14 at Tacoma
- April 21 vs St. Louis Storm
- Scored 5 goals in a game for the second time in his career on Opening Day (October 28) vs San Diego.
- Reached 100 points for second time in his career after 6 point (the first ever by a Sidekick) performance on March 29 at Tacoma.
- Recorded a point in 16 consecutive games from February 9 (vs Baltimore) and March 29 at Tacoma.
- Bested his then-team record for most points in a season with a goal vs St. Louis Storm on April 19 (giving him 112 point. He finished with 113 points for the season).
1990-91
- Scored 16 goals and 15 assists in the month of November.
- Scored his 300 career goal on November 30, 1990 vs Wichita
- Earned his his 200th career assist on December 6 vs St. Louis Storm
- Passed the 600 point level for his career on at Baltimore on April 5.
- Scored 5 goals at St. Louis Storm on November 9.
- Recorded 2 assists for the Western Division in the All Star Game on February 13, 1991 at Kansas City.
1991-92
