STANFORD, Calif. – Men's water polo legend Tony Azevedo will play his final game for Team USA on June 11 at Stanford's Avery Aquatic Center. A member of the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame, Azevedo announced his retirement from international competition earlier this year.
Azevedo, a five-time Olympian and captain of Team USA, is widely considered the best player in USA Water Polo history. He was named the Pac-12 Men's Water Polo Player of the Century in 2016. The June 11 match against Croatia at Avery Aquatic Center, which is part of a four-game exhibition series in California, will be Azevedo's final match for Team USA.
The June 11 match is set for 3:30 p.m. PT. For tickets to the event, click here.
"I couldn't be more excited to play my last game at Stanford, because during my four years at the University I was molded into the person/player I am today," Azevedo said during an interview with Team USA. "I met my wife at Stanford, won four Cutino awards as a student, and made best friends for life on campus. To officially retire at Stanford is a dream scenario: with my Team USA boys, in front of USA fans, and playing against Croatia (I lived in Croatia for three years and my son was born there)."
Azevedo was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. He left The Farm as Stanford's all-time leading scorer with 332 goals, until Bret Bonanni eclipsed the mark in 2015 with 360. As a sophomore, Azevedo scored a single-season school record 95 goals, and was the first four-time winner of the Peter J. Cutino Award, given annually to the top collegiate men's water polo player.
Azevedo was a four-time All-American and MPSF Player of Year. He led the Cardinal to consecutive NCAA titles in 2001 and 2002.
As an Olympian, Azevedo played in five Olympic Games. He scored 13 goals in Sydney in 2000, 15 goals in Athens (2004), 17 goals in Beijing (2008) while capturing a silver medal, 10 goals in London in 2012 and five in Rio (2016).
"Tony is the most recognizable water polo player in the world," said Stanford's Dunlevie Family Director of Men's Water Polo, John Vargas. "He brought the game of water polo in the United States to another level that will not be eclipsed. It was a real honor to have coached Tony at the Olympics and at Stanford. I can't say enough about him and what he has meant to the sport and the legacy he leaves as a player. Tony is retiring as a player, but will continue to make an impact on the sport for years to come."
