Jorge Soares Explained

Jorge Soares
Fullname:Jorge Manuel Guerreiro Soares
Birth Date:22 October 1971
Height:1.87 m
Position:Centre back
Youthyears1:1984–1985
Youthyears2:1985–1987
Youthyears3:1987–1990
Youthclubs1:Messejanense
Youthclubs2:Aljustrelense
Youthclubs3:Farense
Years1:1990–1996
Years2:1996–1998
Years3:1998−2003
Years4:2003−2004
Years5:2004−2008
Clubs1:Farense
Clubs2:Benfica
Clubs3:Marítimo
Clubs4:União Madeira
Clubs5:Louletano
Caps1:132
Caps2:25
Caps3:117
Caps4:24
Caps5:98
Totalcaps:396
Goals1:6
Goals2:2
Goals3:3
Goals4:2
Goals5:2
Totalgoals:15
Nationalyears1:1992
Nationalcaps1:7
Nationalgoals1:0
Manageryears1:2008–2009
Managerclubs1:Farense (assistant)

Jorge Manuel Guerreiro Soares (born 22 October 1971) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a central defender.

He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 273 games and 11 goals over the course of 13 seasons, representing mainly in the competition Farense and Marítimo.

Club career

Born in the village of Messejana in Aljustrel, Beja, Soares joined S.C. Farense at the age of 15, being first-choice with the first team in his last four years, all spent in the Primeira Liga.[1] In the 1994–95 season he scored a career-best three goals in 26 games to help the club qualify to the UEFA Cup for the first time in its history; late into the following campaign he notably found the net in a 1–0 away win against S.L. Benfica, who subsequently signed him.[2]

During his two-year spell with them, Soares partnered Jorge Bermúdez, Hélder Cristóvão or Tahar El Khalej in the heart of the defense, becoming first-choice after the second moved to Deportivo de La Coruña in the winter transfer season of 1996. In a match against FC Porto on 11 January 1997, however, he was unsuccessful at blocking a cross directed towards Mário Jardel, who stopped it with his chest and scored his team's first in an eventual 2–1 success in Lisbon.[3] After being released he represented C.S. Marítimo in the top flight, C.F. União in the second division and Louletano D.C. in the lower leagues, retiring in 2008 at 36.[4]

International career

Soares amassed 7 caps for the under–21, playing in the 1992 Toulon Tournament, helping his nation win the competition.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jorge Soares . FPF.pt.
  2. News: Jorge Soares: o Paco marafado e o dia a dia com um príncipe . Jorge Soares: Paco and being treated like a prince. 21 June 2018 . Mais Futebol . 5 November 2014 . Portuguese.
  3. News: Jorge Soares: «O golo do Jardel? Foi só mais um» . Jorge Soares: "Jardel's goal? It was just another one" . 21 June 2018 . Mais Futebol . 5 November 2014 . Portuguese.
  4. News: Jorge Soares: adeus aos relvados para se tornar doutor e ensinar . Jorge Soares: "Goodbye to football and becoming a coach". 21 June 2018 . Mais Futebol . 5 November 2014 . Portuguese.
  5. Web site: Jorge Soares . FPF.pt . 21 June 2018.