Ex-high school soccer coach has fond memories of the late, great Pele

Dan Woog is the former Staples High School boys soccer coach, but at one time he was in awe of the man some say is the greatest soccer player to have ever lived. Woog says he met and interviewed Pele several times when he played on the New York Cosmos in the 1970s.

News 12 Staff

Dec 31, 2022, 3:19 AM

Updated 653 days ago

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As people around the globe mourn the passing of soccer legend Pele, one former Connecticut high school soccer coach remembers the impact he had on him.
Dan Woog is the former Staples High School boys soccer coach, but at one time he was in awe of the man some say is the greatest soccer player to have ever lived. Woog says he met and interviewed Pele several times when he played on the New York Cosmos in the 1970s.
“His grace, his style, his athleticism is beyond compare,” Woog told News Connecticut 12. “His mark is indelible. I mean he introduced soccer to America in the 1970s and it took a while to catch on, but we would be nowhere without him.”
Several Staples players also played with or against Pele during his time with the Cosmos.