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.