From: manoel@cs.umd.edu (Manoel Mendonca) Subject: Brazilian Strikers and the Great Dada' Date: 15 Jun 1995 15:31:50 -0400 Following up on some comments I made on Tulio, I decided to publish this list of the strikers of the Brazilian Championship. Those lists point to some of the most talented goals scorers during the last 25 years of Brazilian Football (the modern version of the Brazilian Championship started in 1971). Here are the killer guys: Year Striker Goals 1971 Dario(Atletico-MG) ............................ 17 1972 Dario(Atletico-MG) e Pedro Rocha (Sao Paulo)... 17 1973 Ramon(Santa Cruz) ............................. 21 1974 Roberto(Vasco) ................................ 16 1975 Flavio(Internacional) ......................... 16 1976 Dario(Internacional) .......................... 16 1977 Reinaldo(Atletico-MG) ......................... 28 1978 Paulinho(Vasco) ............................... 19 1979 Cesar(America-RJ) e Roberto Cesar(Cruzeiro) ... 12 1980 Zico(Flamengo) ................................ 21 1981 Nunes(Flamengo) ............................... 16 1982 Zico(Flamengo) ................................ 21 1983 Serginho(Santos) .............................. 22 1984 Roberto(Vasco) ................................ 16 1985 Edmar(Guarani) ................................ 20 1986 Careca(Sao Paulo) ............................. 25 1987 Muller(Sao Paulo) ............................. 10 1988 Nilson(Internacional) ......................... 15 1989 Tulio(Goias) .................................. 11 1990 Charles(Bahia) ................................ 11 1991 Paulinho(Santos) .............................. 15 1992 Bebeto(Vasco) ................................. 18 1993 Guga(Santos) .................................. 14 1994 Amoroso(Guarani) e Tulio(Botafogo) ............ 19 Comments: Roberto, Reinaldo played in the 1978 world cup. Zico we all know. Numes was in the Flamengo team that beat Liverpool 3x0 in the 1981 Toyota cup. We all remember Serginho from 1982 (taking away Zico goals :-0 ). We also remember Careca in Mexico 86 and Italy 90. Muller has also played in the Brazilian team in 86 and 90. He was also called in 94. We also remember Bebeto, and interesting enough Romario was never the striker of a Brazilian Championship. Two interesting points to note is that Roberto "Dinamite" was the striker in 1974 (when Vasco won it all from Cruzeiro) and 1984. Ten years apart playing for the same team, Vasco. Roberto was never a "craque" , a skillful, player. He was a great goal scorer, tough. Another important name is Flavio he was one of the biggest goals scorers of all time. Unfortunately I don't remember him very well I don't know why. According to the list that follows he was one of the greatest goal scorers of all times. May because he was not so flamboyant as Dario. Or should I say Dada' Wonder ... Dada' Wonder: There is only one name that is mentioned three times in the previous list, Dario: Dada' Maravilha (Dada' Wonder), Dada' Peito de Aco (Dada' Steel Chest), Dada' Jacare' (Dada' Alligator), Dada' Beija-Flor (Dada' Hummingbird). Dada' , that is how the fans called him. He was a person from the people. A very poor guy. A construction worker (and believe me being a construction worker in Brazil is not easy) that once heard in the radio what was the salary of a soccer player. As he said in a interview, Dada' decided to play football at that moment. His reasoning was not based on his ability to play, but on his ability to run and will to make a better living. Quickly the will to fight and his outspoken ways made Dada' one of the most adored player in the history of Brazilian Football. Earlier in his career Dada' was playing a crucial game and his team was three goals down. During half time the coach gathered the team and during an angry speach the coach said: "Now our situation is really problematic". Dario with his outspoken way said: "If the situation is Problematic, I have the 'solutionatic'". The phase sounds as silly in Portuguese as it sounds in English. When asked, in a harsh way, what was the "solutionatic", he replied: "Goals !". In the second half he scored three or four goals and led his team to victory. The Legend of Dada' Mara- vilha (Dada' Wonder) had began. Dada' had nothing of skill, just will and his outspoken ways. "Better than me, there is only Pele', the rest don't come close", "The crowd wants goals and a goal with my sheen is a goal". "I have steel chest , that is how I cut through the defense". Dada' Peito de Aco (Dada' Steel Chest) was now a true legend. Dada' fighting spirity was such an inspiration that General Medici (Brazilian President during the darkest times of the Military dictatorship in Brazil ) forced Joao Saldanha to call him to Mexico 70. Saldanha refused and was fired. Zagallo called him but put him on the bench. Now Dada' was known throughout Brazil. He started to nickname his goals. Naming goals before the games started. His amazing speed made him almost unstopable in long deep passes and his goals promises was almost always kept. The fullbacks frenquently had to hold him or his shirt to stop him from scoring. Once he appeared in the playing field with an old and discolored team shirt for a game. When an reporter asked why he was wearing that shirt he said: "I asked my mother to wash it ten times, now if someone hold my shirt , it will tear apart and I will score". With the pass of time, Dada' turned into an opportunistic goal scorer. When asked how he apeared with such speed to seize goal scoring opportunities, he answered: "I am like an alligator looking for the prey, I am quiet and nobody notes me until it is too late". Dada' Jacare' (Dada' Alligator) was now his new nickname. Late in his carreer he was a legend. But without speed, the headers were his most effect scoring instruments. When asked what was the secret of his precise headers, Dada' once again gave us I bit of his infinite wisdon: "When I jump, I stop in the air and look where I will put the ball before I head it into the net. Like me there are only two animals in the world: Humminbirds and Helicopters". Dada' Hummingbird retired in the late seventies was one of the greatest scorers in the history of Brazilian football. With no doubt, he was (together with Garrincha) the greatest folk legend in Brazilian Football. But wait, his is not done yet. Dada' decided to be a coach. His first job was with the Nacional of Amazonas a small team with no tradition in Brazil. When asked what it would be his tactics, Dada' answered: "I have developed this new midfield formation 'The convex floating trio' it will revolutionalize football strategies". I haven't heard of him since then. I hope he has been doing very well all these years. I don't know if all the stories about Dada' are true. Certainly many are distorted. But Dada' will always live in the heart of any true fan of Brazilian Football. You know why ? "Because better than Dada', there were only one, Pele'. The rest doesn't even come close" :-))) God bless you Dada', Manoel ------------------------------------------ Greatest Brazilian scorers of all time : -Friedenreich, 1329; -Pele, 1284; -Flavio, 1025; -Dario, 926; -Zico, 800; -Roberto Dinamite, 744.