| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Wélton Araújo Melo | ||
| Date of birth | (1975-04-17)17 April 1975 (age 50) | ||
| Place of birth | Cambuci,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Striker /Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994 | Fluminense | ||
| 1995 | Flamengo | ||
| 1995 | América (RJ) | ||
| 1996 | New England Revolution[1] | 29 | (3) |
| 1997–1998 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 69 | (28) |
| 1999–2000 | Miami Fusion | 46 | (12) |
| 2001 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 25 | (6) |
| 2002 | Paraná | ||
| 2003 | Fredrikstad FK | 24 | (5) |
| 2004–2005 | Seattle Sounders | 48 | (14) |
| International career | |||
| 1995 | Brazil(youth) | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Wélton Araújo Melo (born 17 April 1975 inCambuci,Rio de Janeiro) is a formerBrazilianfootballer who played professionally as either aforward ormidfielder in South America, Europe and the United States, including five season inMajor League Soccer.
In 1994, Welton began his professional career withFluminense. In 1996,Major League Soccer invited him to a tryout where he was offered an MLS contract.[citation needed]
On March 4, 1996, theNew England Revolution selected Welton with their second pick (16th overall) in the1996 MLS supplemental draft.[1] Playing as both a forward and midfielder, Welton made a total of 29 appearances, starting 20 matches, scoring three goals and recording six assists in the Revolution'sinaugural season.[2] He started the Revolution's first-ever match on April 13, 1996, their first-ever win on April 20, and their first-ever home match on April 27.[2] In conjunction withAlexi Lalas, Welton recorded the first assist in New England Revolution history, setting upRobert Ukrop's goal on April 13.[2] He scored his first-ever Revolution goal on May 11 vs. theColumbus Crew.[2] Alongside his teammate Alexi Lalas, Welton was named to the1996 MLS All-Star Game, where he started in the East's 3-2 victory over the West.[2]
On 10 March 1997, New England traded Welton to theLos Angeles Galaxy for the Galaxy's first round pick in the1998 MLS Supplemental Draft.[1][3] Welton became a prolific piece of the Galaxy's attack under head coachOctavio Zambrano, netting 11 goals and recording 3 assists in 29 appearances during the 1997 season.[4] In 1998, the Galaxy scored a league-record 85 goals in the regular season, and Welton finished the season with a career-high 17 goals and 11 assists, second in scoring only toCobi Jones' 19.[5] For his prolific scoring, Welton was named to the MLS All-Star team for a second time, representing "MLS World" in the1998 MLS All-Star Game.[6] Welton tallied an additional goal in the Galaxy's 1998 playoff campaign, netting in the MLS Conference Semifinals in the Galaxy's 6-1 win over theDallas Burn.[5]
After making 7 starts in the 1999, the Galaxy traded Welton to theMetroStars in exchange forRoy Myers on June 1. Later that day, the MetroStars sent Welton,Eric Wynalda andArley Palacios to theMiami Fusion.[7] In April 2001, Welton moved to thePittsburgh Riverhounds of theUSL A-League.[8] In 2002, he played forParaná and in 2003, he was with andFredrikstad FK in Norway. On 4 April 2004, Welton moved to theSeattle Sounders of theUSL First Division.[9]
Melo currently resides in the Seattle area and plays on a local team.[citation needed]
Welton played once for theBrazil youth team at the1995 Pan American Games, againstBermuda.[10]
