Isaías Marques Soares

Isaías
Personal information
Full name Isaías Marques Soares
Date of birth (1963-11-17) 17 November 1963
Place of birth Linhares, Brazil
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Forward
Youth career
1983 Fluminense
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1983 Fluminense
1984–198? Friburguense
198?–1987 Cabofriense 10 (1)
1987–1988 Rio Ave 30 (5)
1988–1990 Boavista 67 (22)
1990–1995 Benfica 125 (52)
1995–1997 Coventry City 12 (2)
1997–1999 Campomaiorense 57 (18)
2000–2001 Cabofriense
Total 301+ (100+)
National team
Portugal (beach soccer)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

Isaías Marques Soares (born 17 November 1963), known simply as Isaías, is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a forward.

Over the course of ten seasons he amassed Portuguese top division totals of 279 games and 97 goals, mainly with Benfica (five years, three major titles won).

Football career

Born in Linhares, in the Espírito Santo state, Isaías started his career with Fluminense. He was direct included into the first team squad but, later in the year, was relegated to the youth ranks. As he turned 20 and without a place with the senior players, he was released and later signed by Friburguense. In 1987, he joined Associação Desportiva Cabofriense, who had won the second division of the Campeonato Carioca in 1986.[1] With Cabofriense, he played 10 times and scored once in the 1987 Campeonato Carioca.[2]

In Portugal, he first had a trial at Belenenses, but was rejected after the club had more interest in signing Tita. After that, he joined Rio Ave F.C., later switching to Boavista FC and then arriving at S.L. Benfica in 1990.

With Benfica he quickly became a fan favourite at the Estádio da Luz, being also referred to as a "force of nature" due to his stamina and combativeness – he also scored regularly, being the owner of a powerful long-range shot. Arguably his greatest moment with the Lisbon side came on 6 November 1991, in the last round prior to the group stage of the season's European Cup: against Arsenal, at Highbury Park, he assisted once and netted twice in a 3–1 win (4–2 aggregate success).[3][4]

However, Isaías would be left out of the Benfica squad in 1995 by coach Artur Jorge, who was proceeding to a team reshuffle that would result in the darkest period in the club's history – at that time, the veteran was still one of the squad's most influential players and top scorers.

Subsequently, Isaías moved to England with Coventry City for £500.000, signing a two-year contract with the Sky Blues and becoming the first Brazilian to ever play in the Premier League. He had eleven appearances in his first season, but was overlooked after Gordon Strachan took charge of the team and refused to cancel his contract after no compensation would be paid, playing only once in the 1996-97 season. In two years, he appeared in just 12 league games for the team over a period of two seasons, scoring twice.[5]

In 1997, aged nearly 34, Isaías returned to Portugal with S.C. Campomaiorense, reaching the 1999 Taça de Portugal Final. He returned to Cabofriense in 2000, retiring in the following year.

Beach soccer

After retiring from association football, he played for the Portuguese beach soccer team, courtesy of his previously obtained citizenship.

Honours

Benfica
Campomaiorense

References

  1. ↑ http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/tablesr/rj1986l2.htm
  2. ↑ http://brfut.blogspot.com.br/2010/02/campeonato-carioca-1987-primeiro-turno.html
  3. ↑ "Nº133 – Izaías [sic] Marques Soares" (in Portuguese). Vedeta ou Marreta?. 17 November 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "Arsenal 1–3 Benfica". UEFA.com. 6 November 1991. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  5. ↑ Club-by-club guide: The prospects, the players to watch, the arrivals and departures; The Independent, 13 August 1995

External links

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