Isaías Marques Soares
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Isaías Marques Soares | ||
| Date of birth | 17 November 1963 | ||
| Place of birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1987 | Cabofriense | ||
| 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 | ||
| 2002–2003 | Friburguense | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Isaías Marques Soares (born 17 November 1963), simply known 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 Rio de Janeiro, Isaías started his career with lowly Associação Desportiva Cabofriense, then moved to Portugal in 1987, gradually moving up the ranks: first with Rio Ave F.C. then Boavista FC, 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).[1][2]
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 appeared in just 12 league games for the team over a period of two seasons, scoring twice.[3]
In 1997, aged nearly 34, Isaías returned to Portugal with S.C. Campomaiorense, after which he retired in his country at almost 40, playing amateur football. Subsequently he appeared in a few games with the Portuguese beach soccer team, courtesy of his previously obtained citizenship.
Honours
- Benfica
- Portuguese League: 1990–91, 1993–94
- Portuguese Cup: 1992–93
- Campomaiorense
- Portuguese Cup: Runner-up 1998–99
References
- ↑ "Izaías Marques Soares" (in Portuguese). Vedeta ou Marreta?. 17 November 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- ↑ "Arsenal 1–3 Benfica". UEFA.com. 6 November 1991. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ↑ Club-by-club guide: The prospects, the players to watch, the arrivals and departures; The Independent, 13 August 1995
External links
- Stats and profile at Zerozero
- Isaías profile at ForaDeJogo
- Isaías career statistics at Soccerbase