Mauro Silva

Mauro da Silva Gomes (born 12 January 1968 in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo), simply Silva, is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

A workhorse with incredible stamina, as well as tackling and leadership skills, he was best known for his 13-year spell with Deportivo de La Coruña, also being part of Brazil's World Cup-winning squad in 1994.

Football career

After started playing with Guarani Futebol Clube, Silva moved to Clube Atlético Bragantino in 1990, where he spent the following two seasons. Subsequently, he was snapped by Spain's Deportivo de La Coruña, for 250 million pesetas (approximately €1.6 million), arriving at the same time as countryman Bebeto.

With the Galicians, Silva was an everpresent fixture, only suspensions and injuries preventing him from being cast into the starting XI (in 1994–95 he only appeared in six league matches and, already 36, was limited to 20 in his final year), as he helped the club to one league, two cups and three supercups, adding to this the club's five participations in the UEFA Champions League, reaching the semifinals in 2003–04: after a 0–0 draw at F.C. Porto, he missed the second leg due to suspension, and Depor lost 0–1.

On 22 May 2005, after 13 years with Deportivo, Silva was replaced by longtime understudy Aldo Duscher during a 0–3 home loss against RCD Mallorca, bidding farewell to the club and football (in the same match as another club legend, Fran). With Brazil, he collected 58 caps in 10 years, playing all the matches and minutes (except for the second half of the group stage match against Sweden) in the nation's victorious campaign at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Statistics

Club

International

Honours

Club

• São Paulo State League: 1990
• Spanish League: 1999–2000
• Spanish Cup: 1994–95, 2001–02
• Spanish Supercup: 1995, 2000, 2002

Country

• FIFA World Cup: 1994
• Copa América: 1997; Runner-up 1991
• CONCACAF Gold Cup: Third-place 1998

Individual

• Brazilian Golden Ball: 1991
• Brazilian Silver Ball: 1992

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• Mauro Silva at National-Football-Teams.com
• Deportivo archives

v d e Brazil squad – 1991 Copa América Runners-up 1 Taffarel 2 Mazinho 3 Cléber 4 Ricardo Rocha 5 Mauro Silva 6 Branco 7 Renato Gaúcho 8 Valdir 9 Bianchezi 10 Neto 11 João Paulo 12 Sérgio 13 Cafu 14 Gottardo 15 Márcio Santos 16 Lira 17 Márcio 18 Raí 19 Luís Henrique 20 Mazinho Oliveira 21 Silvio 22 Ronaldo Coach: Falcão

v d e Brazil squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup Winners (4th Title) 1 Taffarel 2 Jorginho 3 Ricardo Rocha 4 Ronaldão 5 Mauro Silva 6 Branco 7 Bebeto 8 Dunga (c) 9 Zinho 10 Raí 11 Romário 12 Zetti 13 Aldair 14 Cafu 15 Márcio Santos 16 Leonardo 17 Mazinho 18 Paulo Sérgio 19 Müller 20 Ronaldo 21 Viola 22 Gilmar Coach: Parreira

v d e Brazil squad – 1997 Copa América Winners (5th Title) 1 Taffarel 2 Cafu 3 Aldair 4 Márcio Santos 5 Mauro Silva 6 Roberto Carlos 7 Giovanni 8 Dunga 9 Ronaldo 10 Leonardo 11 Romário 12 Carlos Germano 13 Djalminha 14 Zé Maria 15 Célio Silva 16 Gonçalves 17 Zé Roberto 18 César Sampaio 19 Flávio Conceição 20 Denílson 21 Edmundo 22 Paulo Nunes Coach: Zagallo

v d e Brazil squad – 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup Third Place 1 Taffarel 2 Zé Maria 3 Júnior Baiano 4 Gonçalves 5 Mauro Silva 6 Júnior 7 Edmundo 8 Flávio Conceição 9 Zinho 10 Denílson 11 Romário 12 Carlos Germano 13 Russo 14 César Belli 15 Sylvinho 16 Doriva 17 Assunção 18 Sérgio Manoel 19 Donizete 20 Élber Coach: Zagallo