St. Louis Ambush forward Eduardo Mota De Carvalho, better known by his nickname “Duduca”, has has been named Rookie of the Year for the 2019-20 Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) season, the league announced today.
Duduca finished second on the Ambush in points (29) and goals (20) while appearing in all 21 Ambush games. He also led all rookies in the MASL in both categories.
Duduca is the fourth player in the seven-year history of the current Ambush franchise to capture the Rookie of the Year award. Odaine Sinclair won the MISL honor for the 2013-14 season, Gordy Gurson grabbed the MASL prize for the 2014-15 season and Zach Reget garnered the award for the 2018-19 season.
The 2019-20 season was Duduca’s first with the Ambush and in the MASL. He is under contract with the Ambush through the 2021-22 season. Duduca joined the Ambush as a Brazilian futsal veteran and adapted quickly to the American indoor game. His stature (6’1”, 209 pounds) and strength helped him maintain control as opponents found him difficult to move off the ball and he also became a fan favorite for his intensity and focus on the field.
Duduca joins teammate Paulo Nascimento, better known simply as Paulo, in the MASL annual awards. Paulo, the Ambush starting goalkeeper, earned a spot on the All-MASL Honorable Mention squad on April 8. It marks the second consecutive season that Paulo has placed on the Honorable Mention team. The 2019-20 season was Paulo’s third with the Ambush. He appeared in 18 games and posted a 6.64 goals against average with a .675 save percentage. Paulo is is a native of Natal, a city in the state of Rio Grande do Norte in northeastern Brazil. In addition to playing for the Ambush, Paulo has over a decade of experience in Brazilian professional futsal.
The Ambush will kick off their 2020-21 season this fall. For up-to-date information during the off-season, follow the team on their official website, stlambush.com and on Facebook and Twitter.
