Rafa Soares
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Luís Rafael Soares Alves | ||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 9 May 1995 | ||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Marco de Canaveses, Portugal | ||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Left back | ||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team |
Eibar (on loan from Vitória Guimarães) | ||||||||||||||||
Number | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
2003–2005 | Alpendorada | ||||||||||||||||
2005–2014 | Porto | ||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
2013–2018 | Porto B | 61 | (8) | ||||||||||||||
2016 | → Académica (loan) | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
2016–2017 | → Rio Ave (loan) | 32 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
2017–2018 | → Fulham (loan) | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2018 | Portimonense | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2018– | Vitória Guimarães | 37 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2020– | → Eibar (loan) | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
International career | |||||||||||||||||
2010–2011 | Portugal U16 | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2011–2012 | Portugal U17 | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
2012 | Portugal U18 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2012–2014 | Portugal U19 | 30 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
2014 | Portugal U20 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2014–2016 | Portugal U21 | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 January 2021 |
Luís Rafael Soares Alves (born 9 May 1995), commonly known as Rafa, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a left back for Spanish club SD Eibar on loan from Vitória de Guimarães.
Club career
Born in Marco de Canaveses, Porto District, Rafa joined FC Porto's youth system in 2005 from local F.C. Alpendorada. On 21 August 2013, while still a junior, he made his professional debut with the former's B team, coming on as a 79th-minute substitute in a 1–0 away win against Portimonense S.C. for the Segunda Liga.[1]
From January 2016 to June 2017, Rafa was on loan to Académica de Coimbra and Rio Ave FC, with both clubs in the Primeira Liga.[2][3] He played his first game in the competition on 22 January 2016 while at service of the former in a 1–2 away loss to Vitória de Setúbal,[4] and scored his first goal the following matchday but in a 2–3 defeat at Sporting CP.[5]
On 22 August 2017, deemed surplus to requirements by new Porto manager Sérgio Conceição, Rafa was loaned to EFL Championship side Fulham in a season-long deal.[6] He made his debut on 31 October, coming from the bench in a 0–2 home loss against Bristol City.[7]
Rafa's loan deal was mutually terminated by on 31 January 2018, after they had loaned Matt Targett earlier that month.[8] The same day, he signed a permanent deal with Portimonense in his country's top flight.[9]
On 6 July 2018, Rafa agreed to a contract at Vitória de Guimarães.[10] On 31 January 2020, he joined SD Eibar of Spain's La Liga on an 18-month loan with the option to buy.[11]
Club statistics
- As of match played 16 January 2020[12]
Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Porto B | 2013–14 | Segunda Liga | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
2014–15 | 30 | 2 | — | — | — | 30 | 2 | |||||
2015–16 | 20 | 5 | — | — | — | 20 | 5 | |||||
Total | 61 | 8 | — | — | — | 61 | 8 | |||||
Académica (loan) | 2015–16 | Primeira Liga | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |
Rio Ave (loan) | 2016–17 | Primeira Liga | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 37 | 3 |
Fulham (loan) | 2017–18 | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Portimonense | 2017–18 | Primeira Liga | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Vitória Guimarães | 2018–19 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
2019–20 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
Career Total | 158 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 172 | 12 |
- ^ Appearances in the Europa League
References
- ^ "Portimonense-FC Porto B, 0–1: O "miúdo" deu 3 pontos" [Portimonense-FC Porto B, 0–1: The "kid" gave 3 points]. Record (in Portuguese). 21 August 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
- ^ "Oficial: Académica anuncia Rafa por empréstimo do FC Porto" [Official: Académica announce Rafa on loan from FC Porto] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 17 January 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ "Dragões emprestam Rafa ao Rio Ave" [Dragons loan Rafa to Rio Ave] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ "V. Setúbal 2–1 Académica" (in Portuguese). SAPO. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ "Sporting 3–2 Académica: jogo pleno de emoções, muitos golos e incerteza até perto do fim" [Sporting 3–2 Académica: game full of excitement, many goals and uncertainty until the last minutes] (in Portuguese). Vavel. 30 January 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ "Rafa Soares: Fulham complete loan signing of Porto left-back". BBC Sport. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ "Fulham 0–2 Bristol City". BBC Sport. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ "Soares loan terminated". Fulham F.C. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ "Rafa Soares assina pelo Portimonense a título definitivo" [Rafa Soares signs permanently with Portimonense]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 31 January 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ "Rafa Soares ruma ao Vitória de Guimarães" [Rafa Soares heading to Vitória de Guimarães]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ "El Eibar ficha al lateral izquierdo Rafa Soares procedente del Vitoria Guimaraes" [Eibar sign left-back Rafa Soares from Vitória Guimarães]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 31 January 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ Rafa at Soccerway
External links
- Rafa at ForaDeJogo (archived)
- National team data (in Portuguese)
- 1995 births
- Living people
- People from Marco de Canaveses
- Portuguese footballers
- Association football defenders
- Primeira Liga players
- Liga Portugal 2 players
- FC Porto B players
- FC Porto players
- Associação Académica de Coimbra – O.A.F. players
- Rio Ave F.C. players
- Portimonense S.C. players
- Vitória S.C. players
- English Football League players
- Fulham F.C. players
- La Liga players
- SD Eibar footballers
- Portugal youth international footballers
- Portugal under-21 international footballers
- Portuguese expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in England
- Expatriate footballers in Spain
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in England
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Spain