Kait de Oliveira Santos watched her husband, Élton Lexandro de Oliveira Santos, hurtle down the turf at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium when it began to rain. More than 8,000 cheers buzzed in her ears. Flags bearing the Annapolis Blues FC logo furled in the muggy air.
Her three children, Rue, 11, River, 8, and Maddox, 5, sat beside her, as well as her sister-in-law, Izabelle, and father-in-law, Victor. It was July 15, 2023, the day of the Mid-Atlantic Conference Championship game between the first-year semipro club and the Alexandria Reds — the game was tied and headed to a shootout. Izabelle, an accomplished athlete in her own right, had flown up from Curitiba in southern Brazil for her brother’s season.
She’d already felt emotional, seeing him play in front of thousands of adoring fans. And then she heard the chants: “Élton. Élton.
Élton.” “It was so beautiful,” she said. “He’s an amazing dad, coach and person, and this is what he loves.
He deserves this.” Oliveira Santos’ teammate, Jacob Murrell, lined the final shot, a slam to the left side that the Reds’ goalkeeper couldn’t touch — and the world erupted around Kait. Down on the field, the Blues — her husband included — rushed Murrell and hoisted him into the air.
“I got chills. I was crying. I’d fallen in love with the sport by then, but to see him out there working so hard and win? I was so proud,” Kait said.
“It’s so good to see him happy like that.” Oliveira Santo.