24-year-old whose ‘life was soccer’ dies when SUV crashes into his kitchen, coach says

A 24-year-old soccer player was killed when an SUV crashed through his home while he was in the kitchen, according to his coach and Florida police.

Yuri dos Santos Vasconcelos was inside the home where he was staying in Lakeland when a vehicle crashed through the wall and struck him just after 4 p.m. on June 19, according to his coach and a news release from the Lakeland Police Department. Vasconcelos, who was from Brazil, was playing for club team Lakeland United FC.

The driver of the 2016 Dodge Durango had failed to stop at a stop sign and struck two signposts before crashing into the house and striking Vasconcelos, the release says. He was pronounced dead on scene.

The driver of the SUV and a passenger did not need medical treatment, according to police. Two other people inside the home were not hurt.

Police did not respond to questions about whether the driver has been charged. Lakeland is about 60 miles southwest of Orlando.

Vasconcelos was from Palmeira dos Indios, a municipality located in Brazil’s eastern state of Alagoas. He came to the U.S. around 2021 to play soccer for Eastern Oklahoma State College, Tauan Salgado, director of soccer for Lakeland United FC, told McClatchy News.

He began playing on Lakeland United’s summer league team in 2022 and transferred from Eastern Oklahoma State College to Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama, in January, according to Salgado and a statement from the university.

“We have hundreds of kids that have passed through our club, (and) I can honestly say that Yuri was probably our number one in terms of character, ethics, passion, desire, hunger,” Salgado said. “He was always optimistic about everything, always grateful.”

Vasconcelos was mature for his age and had a sense of responsibility and purpose that was beyond his years, Gabriel de Queiroz, head coach for men’s soccer at Faulkner University, told McClatchy News.

“Any environment he was in, he would just shake things and speak his mind,” he said. “He was just always there for the guys and for the program and for what he believed in.”

For Vasconcelos, soccer was his life, Salgado said. He saw it as a way to come to the U.S., find new opportunities and help support his family.

“He wanted to open doors, to grind, to hustle and a have a better life than he had in Brazil,” he said.

But although Vasconcelos was passionate about the game, he wasn’t always the most skilled player on Lakeland United, Salgado said. During his first season, he never played as a starter. But he worked hard, and when he came back this year, he started every game, according to Salgado.

His focus was always on his teammates, though, and he excelled as a defensive player.

“He (was) one of the most altruistic people/players that I’ve ever been around,” Salgado said. “He was never about himself. … He was that guy that would do the dirty work for the team so the team can shine.”

Queiroz said Vasconcelos had a bright future ahead of him. He wanted to marry his girlfriend and start a family, and he was going to move into an official leadership role with the team at Faulkner University in the fall.

“I knew that he was going to achieve big things because of who he was,” Queiroz said.

Lakeland United will compete in a game in Naples on June 27 and host a farewell event for Vasconcelos, Salgado said.

Vasconcelos’ coaches said his legacy will live on and his attitude will continue to inspire young players.

“He was always so grateful to be alive,” Salgado said. “Do your best every day, and be grateful every day.”

“You have to live intensely what you believe in,” Queiroz said. “That’s what he did.”

This story was originally published June 21, 2023 at 7:15 PM.