Valmiro Lopes Rocha

Valdo

Valdo in action for Levante
Personal information
Full nameValmiro Lopes Rocha
Date of birth23 April 1981
Place of birthVillablino, Spain
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing positionWinger
Club information
Current team
Racing Santander
Number16
Youth career
1993–2001Pozuelo
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2001–2003Real Madrid B60(8)
2002–2003Real Madrid1(0)
2003→ Osasuna (loan)13(1)
2003–2007Osasuna107(18)
2007–2009Espanyol42(5)
2009–2010→ Málaga (loan)19(2)
2010–2012Levante63(8)
2012–2013Atlante4(0)
2013→ Levante (loan)13(0)
2014Asteras Tripoli9(0)
2015–Racing Santander0(0)
National team‡
2003Spain U216(3)
2011–Cape Verde2(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 June 2014.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 8 October 2011

Valmiro Lopes Rocha, commonly known as Valdo (born 23 April 1981), is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Racing de Santander mainly as a winger.

During his professional career he played for several clubs in La Liga, mainly Osasuna, Espanyol and Levante. Over the course of 12 seasons in the competition he appeared in 258 games, scoring 34 goals.

Early years

Valdo was born in Villablino, León, in the region of Laciana, where his parents had moved to emigrating from Cape Verde, to work in the coal mines.[1]

He started playing football with amateurs CF Pozuelo de Alarcón, in Madrid, and stayed there for the following seven years.

Club career

Real Madrid / Osasuna

In 2001, Real Madrid knocked on Valdo's door and signed him for its reserve teams. He played 2001–02 with Real Madrid Castilla and, also during that season, received first-team opportunities in La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League games, with the Merengues eventually winning the latter competition.

In January 2003 Valdo moved to fellow league club CA Osasuna (first on loan),[2] where he developed as a top division player, scoring five goals in 35 games in his first full season. On 11 April 2004, he netted in a 3–0 away win against his former employer.[3]

In the 2005–06 campaign, although he featured much less mainly due to a groin ailment,[4] Valdo scored in a 2–1 home win over FC Barcelona on 12 March 2006, as the Navarrese qualified for the first time ever for the Champions League qualifying rounds. After the "demotion" to the UEFA Cup, he helped the club reach the last-four against Sevilla FC, netting twice in ten matches.

Espanyol

RCD Espanyol signed Valdo at the end of 2006–07, to a four-year deal.[5] He played his first game for the Barcelona team against lowly CF Peralada, during preseason.

On 14 July 2009, after having appeared sparingly for he Catalans, Valdo moved to Málaga CF in a season-long loan. After being dropped out from the squad for several months due to his bad performances, he was brought back on 27 February 2010; he scored his first goal for the club against Barcelona on the same day, but the Andalusians lost 1–2 away.[6]

Levante

On 13 August 2010 Valdo left Espanyol and signed with Levante UD, reuniting with Málaga teammates Gustavo Munúa and Xavi Torres.[7] He contributed heavily during his first season – 2,119 minutes, 25 starts – as the Valencian Community side finally retained its top flight status, scoring against Getafe CF in a 2–0 home win[8] and Villarreal CF for a 1–0 away success.[9]

Valdo was even more important in 2011–12, and found the net on six occasions as Levante qualified for the Europa League for the first time ever after finishing sixth. Two of those goals came in the campaign's final stretch, in home wins over Atlético Madrid (2–0)[10] and Granada CF (3–1).[11]

International career

Valdo played for the Spanish under-21s in the early 2000s. In late August 2011, aged 30, he was called by the Cape Verdean national team for a match against Mali on 3 September, for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers,[12][13] and made his debut in the 0–3 away loss.

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 8 October 2011 Estádio da Várzea, Praia, Cape Verde  Zimbabwe 2–1 Win 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

References

  1. ↑ El Bierzo no es Alcorcón (El Bierzo is not Alcorcón); El Mundo, 28 January 2007 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Valdo move made permanent; UEFA.com, 27 June 2003
  3. ↑ Real Madrid 0–3 Osasuna; ESPN Soccernet, 11 April 2004
  4. ↑ Valdo falls victim to groin injury; UEFA.com, 23 March 2006
  5. ↑ Valdo jugará en el Espanyol las cuatro próximas temporadas (Valdo to play in Espanyol the next four seasons); Diario AS, 23 June 2007 (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Barca battle back to stay top; ESPN Soccernet, 27 February 2010
  7. ↑ Valdo, nuevo fichaje del Levante UD (Valdo, new Levante UD signing); Levante's official website, 13 August 2010 (Spanish)
  8. ↑ Valdo and Caicedo on target; ESPN Soccernet, 29 January 2011
  9. ↑ Villarreal shocked by Levante; ESPN Soccernet, 5 February 2011
  10. ↑ Granotas leap into top four; ESPN Soccernet, 8 April 2012
  11. ↑ Levante leap back into top four; ESPN Soccernet, 28 April 2012
  12. ↑ Keylor Navas y Valdo, convocados con Costa Rica y Cabo Verde (Keylor Navas and Valdo, called by Costa Rica and Cape Verde); Levante's official website, 22 August 2011 (Spanish)
  13. ↑ Entrevista a Valdo, convocado con la selección de Cabo Verde (Interview to Valdo, called by Cape Verde national team); Levante's official website, 23 August 2011 (Spanish)

External links