Jose de Sousa is a darts cult hero – and his accidental checkout to secure his first PDC European Tour title showed why he’s a fan favourite.
The much-loved maverick is known for his hilarious miscounts and for often opting against conventional checkouts.
That was on show during his Premier League clash against Nathan Aspinall on Night 16 in 2021.
In what has become known as the ‘De Sousa way’, the Portuguese star pinned three double 20s when tasked with a 120 checkout.
But perhaps his most iconic was his stunning finish against Michael van Gerwen at the European Darts Grand Prix in 2020.
De Sousa had only received his PDC Tour card the year prior, where he was quickly rising up the rankings thanks to his two PDC Pro Tour titles at Players Championship 23 and 28 towards the end of 2019.
And ‘The Special One’ truly lived up to his nickname by racing into a 7-4 lead over then-world number one Van Gerwen in the first-to-eight leg final.
Against the throw, De Sousa secured his first checkout in the 12th leg after leaving 88 after nine throws.
The usual two-dart approach to secure 88 would be treble 20, double 14, or alternatively, darts stars can go treble 16, double 20.
And that was the method that De Sousa went for as he aimed to leave himself tops to secure a maiden European title.
But he ended up finding the bed next door as he hit treble eight, leaving him the route of hitting either single 14 and then bullseye, or treble 14, double 11.
He did neither.
De Sousa hit double 14 on his second throw – much to his frustrationPDC The Portuguese star instantly looked furious with himselfPDCMuch to his dismay, he ended up hitting double 14, with his immediate anguish on his face clear as day.
De Sousa instantly closed his eyes and looked to the floor, before standing back to give himself a few seconds to calm down as he looked at the board in almost despair.
It left him needing double 18, which would represent a rare and completely unorthodox double-double finish.
Speaking on commentary, a shocked – and somewhat excited – Dan Dawson said: “He’s hit double… oh my word.
“This is incredible, what a Jose way to win the title his would be!”
As De Sousa looked pained, Van Gerwen couldn’t hide his delight at his rival potentially throwing away the leg, as he could be seen grinning over his shoulder.
Van Gerwen was smiling behind De Sousa as he sensed he would get a chance of a return to the ochePDCBut that smirk was quickly wiped off MVG’s face as De Sousa nailed double 18 at the first attempt in incredible scenes.
Dawson roared in delight following the title-winning throw, as he stated: “Oh my days! Jose de Sousa, flawless counting all the way through the match.
“And then right at the end, he produces an accidental double-double finish to secure his first Euro Tour title.”
As De Sousa was named as the champion, he could be seen breathing a massive sigh of relief, before doing a double fist pump as he took in the rapturous applause from the fans at the Glaspalast in Germany.
His victory over Van Gerwen, which saw him average 105.79, took him to 39th in the PDC rankings.
And he also improved his bank balance by pocketing a cool £25,000.
De Sousa made no mistake after hitting double 18 to secure his first PDC European Tour titlePDC The relief was there for all to see on his face after his winning throwHe was overcome with emotion when speaking to PDC TV following his win, where he pinned eight of his 13 attempts on doubles.
De Sousa remarked: “I can’t describe my feelings because it’s unbelievable.
“Every title I win, it’s a dream because it’s so difficult, but this is my biggest title and I’m very, very happy.
“I thank the crowd, they were wonderful and this title is for me and all of them.
“I want to share it with them and all the people who support me; my management and my family.
“I can do anything right now, that’s what I think. It doesn’t matter who I play against, I just play my game.
“I know that I can do it and I have so much confidence in my game.”
Just one month after his title, De Sousa created history in becoming the first Portuguese player to win a major tournament.
He triumphed in the Grand Slam of Darts – prevailing in the final against James Wade in a 16-12 leg victory to see him enter the world’s top 16 for the first time.
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