Careca facts for kids
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Careca in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Antônio de Oliveira Filho | ||
| Date of birth | 5 October 1960 | ||
| Place of birth | Araraquara, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.83 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1978–1982 | Guarani | 77 | (46) |
| 1983–1987 | São Paulo | 67 | (54) |
| 1987–1993 | Napoli | 164 | (73) |
| 1993–1996 | Kashiwa Reysol | 60 | (31) |
| 1997 | Santos | 9 | (2) |
| 1998 | Campinas | 10 | (6) |
| 1999 | São José (RS) | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 389 | (212) | |
| National team | |||
| 1982–1993 | Brazil | 64 | (30) |
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Antônio de Oliveira Filho (born October 5, 1960), known to everyone as Careca, is a famous Brazilian footballer. He played as a forward and was known for scoring many goals!
Careca played for several clubs during his career. He is most famous for his time with the Italian team Napoli. He also played more than 60 games for the Brazilian national team.
Contents
Careca's Amazing Club Career
Careca started his football journey in 1978 with a team called Guarani. This was in his home state of São Paulo, Brazil. He quickly became known as one of the best young strikers in the country. He was very fast and great at scoring goals.
With Guarani, he won the top Brazilian Championship in his first season (1978). He also helped them win the Brazilian Second Division in 1981.
Playing for São Paulo
In 1983, Careca joined São Paulo. He continued to score many goals, which made him even more famous. By 1986, Careca led São Paulo to win the Brazilian Championship. They beat his old team, Guarani, in the final! That same year, he won the Bola de Ouro award. This is like being named the best footballer in Brazil.
Moving to Italy: Napoli
In 1987, Careca moved to Italy to play for Napoli. This team had just won the Italian league. At Napoli, he joined two other amazing players, Bruno Giordano and Diego Maradona. Together, they were called the "Ma-Gi-Ca" attack, which stood for Maradona, Giordano, and Careca.
His first season at Napoli was a bit tough, even though he scored 13 goals. The team didn't win any big trophies that year.
Winning Trophies with Napoli
However, his second season was much better! Napoli won the UEFA Cup, which is a big European competition. Careca scored a goal in both games of the final. One of his goals was a fantastic lob over the goalkeeper. In 1990, Careca finally won the Italian league title (called the Scudetto) with Napoli. Later that year, they also won the first-ever Supercoppa Italiana. Careca stayed at Napoli for three more years, playing alongside Gianfranco Zola.
Later Years in Football
In 1993, Careca left Italy and moved to Japan. He played for a new team called Kashiwa Reysol in the J.League. He spent three years there and helped them get promoted to the top Japanese league in 1994.
He returned to Brazil in 1997 to play for Santos. After a year there, he played for Campinas in 1998. He finished his career in 1999 with a smaller team called São José (RS).
Careca played 64 games for the Brazilian national team and scored 30 goals.
In 2005, Careca even played a friendly game in England for a team called Garforth Town.
What Does "Careca" Mean?
The word "Careca" means 'bald' in Portuguese. It was a nickname given to him when he was a child. This was because he admired a famous Brazilian clown who had the same name!
Other Footballers Named Careca
Sometimes, people get Careca confused with two other players. These players also played for the Brazilian national team and were also called Careca. They were Careca II and Careca Bianchezi.
Careca's International Career
Careca first joined the Brazilian national team in 1982. But he was very unlucky and had to miss the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He got a thigh injury just three days before Brazil's first game! Another player, Roberto Dinamite, took his spot. He also played for Brazil when they came in second place in the 1983 Copa América.
World Cup Star
Careca really became famous in world football during the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He scored five goals in that tournament! This made him the second-highest goal scorer, just behind England's Gary Lineker. Brazil was knocked out by France in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals.
In 1990, Careca was part of the Brazilian team again. They were defeated by Argentina in the second round of the World Cup. He scored two goals in that tournament. His last game for Brazil was in August 1993.
Careca's Style of Play
Careca is thought of as one of the best strikers in Brazilian football history. He was a very good goal scorer, fast, and always found chances to score. He had great skills and could shoot powerfully. Even though he was right-footed, he could score with his left foot too. He was known for scoring goals from difficult angles, even when running with the ball.
Careca was also good at heading the ball. He had an excellent sense of where to be on the field. This, along with his smart play and attacking runs, meant he was often in the perfect spot to score goals inside the penalty area.
Even though he usually played as a main striker, he could also play a bit deeper. He was good at helping his teammates score by passing to them. After scoring a goal, Careca often celebrated by pretending to be an airplane, stretching his arms out like wings!
Honours
Careca won many important trophies during his career:
Guarani
São Paulo
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1986
- Campeonato Paulista: 1985, 1987
Napoli
- Serie A: 1989–90
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1990
- UEFA Cup: 1988–89
Individual Awards
- Bola de Prata: 1982, 1985, 1986
- Campeonato Paulista top scorer: 1985
- Bola de Ouro: 1986
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A top scorer: 1986
- FIFA World Cup Silver Boot: 1986
- South American Team of the Year: 1986
See also
In Spanish: Careca para niños
