They call him 'El Zorro': Matias Coccaro hopes to win new fans at Montreal CF

MONTREAL — Fans wept when Mathias Coccaro left his last team.

Now the 26-year-old striker from Uruguay could be equally popular at Montreal CF after joining in the off-season from Argentine club CA Huracan.

Huracan fans have nicknamed Coccaro “El Zorro” for his well-manicured mustache that resembles a fictional masked vigilante. Coccaro bought it in 2021 wearing a cape and mask to celebrate one of his victories.

Beneath that signature is an infectious smile. Instead of putting a “Z” on his defeated opponents, a happy Coccaro makes his mark by autographing every fan who tries to see him.

That's why, he says, a little girl in Argentina cried next to him on TV when it was announced he had moved to Montreal. This moment also brought tears to Coccaro's eyes.

“I have a responsibility to the fans,” Coccaro said in Spanish through a translator at CF Montreal's training complex. “Fans can travel as far as 1,000 kilometers to watch a football game.

“When the game is over, you have to spend some time with them. Maybe the fan quit his job or put things aside and made a big sacrifice to be with you.”

Coccaro surprised CF Montreal fans last week when he signed autographs and posed for pictures with the latest fans at the team's kickoff. She also hopes to overcome the language barrier by taking weekly French lessons.

“El Zorro” and his bold style of play will be on display Saturday as Montreal (2-3-1) hosts Cincinnati (3-1-3) in the first game of its season-opening six-game road trip. at Saputo Stadium.

“We think any straight center fielder is going to be afraid of him,” first-year Montreal head coach Laurent Courtois said. “He's an animal in a good way.”

The five-foot-10 Coccaro has the ability to score and get underneath opponents. In six Premier League games, he has three goals – two from the penalty spot – one assist and 13 fouls.

While his teammates aren't ready to call Coccaro a fan favorite just yet, captain Samuel Piette won't wait long for him to earn that label.

“He's always smiling, you can always see he's happy, there's nothing negative about him,” Piette said. “And the style of football he plays is super aggressive, works hard, wins a lot of fouls, can keep the ball up, I think that's what the fans in Montreal like.

“If you give it your all and get your shirt wet, at the end of the day that's all the fans can ask for. It's something he does every day, so I think they'll like him very quickly.”

Coccaro's workmanlike approach stems from humble beginnings. Born and raised in Piraraja, a small farming village of just over 1,000 people in southeastern Uruguay, a future as a professional soccer player seemed out of reach.

“It's almost impossible,” Coccaro said. “I'm unique in my town, but I'm resilient.”

He had a father and his family lived a modest life, and Coccaro says his goal was not to become a footballer: “My plan was really to study.”

According to Coccaro, he changed when he was 18 and playing soccer was a way to finance his studies in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.

He briefly joined the youth academy of Italian club Cagliari in 2017 before returning to South America to play for the youth team of Argentinian side CA Tucuman.

He then progressed to the professional level in Uruguay before joining Huracan in 2021, scoring 31 goals over 110 appearances on his way to becoming a popular figure in Argentina's top flight.

Influenced by playing in the same league as superstar Lionel Messi and Uruguayan legend Luis Suarez, Coccaro moved to MLS in January.

“The level, first of all, was much stronger,” Coccaro said of MLS. “The quality of the marketing, the marketing was huge, the league expanded so much, Messi and Suarez came.

“It makes the league a lot more visible right now, it's all over the world now. That's why (I wanted to join MLS).”

Coccaro has ambitions to play in one of Europe's top leagues, but must first find his footing in North America.

“He's a great competitor,” Courtois said. “But it's a new league, new teammates, new coach, new language, new rules — so he's got things to learn.”

As for his facial hair, Coccaro says he grew it when he was young to make himself feel more masculine, but now his nephew is begging him to shave it off.

“I don't want to do it,” he said.

After a strong start to the season, Montreal has lost three games in a row, including last week's 5-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders.

This Canadian Press report was first published on April 12, 2024.

Daniel Rainbird, Canadian Press