Lima (footballer)

This article is about the Brazilian footballer born in 1983. For the footballer born in 1942, see Antônio Lima dos Santos.
This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Lima and the second or paternal family name is dos Santos.
Lima

Lima playing for Benfica in 2014
Personal information
Full name Rodrigo José Lima dos Santos
Date of birth (1983-05-11) 11 May 1983[1]
Place of birth Monte Alegre, Brazil
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 Al Ahli
Number 9
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003 Mixto
2004 Vizela 7 (0)
2005 Paysandu-PA
2006 Iraty
2006 J. Malucelli
2006–2009 Astral-PR
2007 → Paraná (loan) 17 (1)
2008 → Juventus-SP (loan) 0 (0)
2008 → Santos (loan) 21 (0)
2009 → Avaí (loan) 8 (1)
2009–2010 Belenenses 27 (7)
2010–2012 Braga 60 (26)
2012–2015 Benfica 89 (53)
2015– Al Ahli 17 (17)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 November 2016.


Rodrigo José Lima dos Santos (born 11 May 1983), known as Lima, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Emirati club Al-Ahli Dubai F.C. as a striker.

He spent the better part of his professional career in Portugal, amassing Primeira Liga totals of 175 games and 85 goals over the course of six seasons, representing mainly Braga and Benfica and winning six major titles with the latter club, notably the treble in 2014.

Club career

Early years

Born in Monte Alegre, Pará, Lima played for nine different clubs in his country, without settling at any. In the 2008 edition of the Série A he did not manage to score for Santos FC, who ranked in 15th position.

In the 2009 summer, after failing to sign with Ukrainian side FC Metalist Kharkiv,[2] Lima moved to Portugal with C.F. Os Belenenses, scoring regularly for the Lisbon team but also suffering relegation from the Primeira Liga.

Braga

Afterwards, Lima joined another club in the country, S.C. Braga – which was filled with several of his compatriots – signing a three-year contract. On 24 August 2010, after coming on as a substitute, he netted a hat-trick against Sevilla FC in the second leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, in a 4–3 away win (5–3 on aggregate).[3]

At the end of the 2011–12 campaign Lima was crowned Portuguese League top scorer with 20 league goals – joint with S.L. Benfica's Óscar Cardozo[4] – as the Minho side finished third and returned to the Champions League. Highlights included three against Gil Vicente FC (3–0 away win), braces against F.C. Paços de Ferreira (5–2, home) and Vitória de Setúbal (3–0 at home), and a penalty kick equalizer against Benfica (1–1, home);[5] he also scored two against eventual champions FC Porto, but in a 2–3 defeat at the Estádio do Dragão.[6]

Benfica

On 31 August 2012, the very last day of the summer transfer window, Lima signed a four-year contract with Benfica, in a deal that saw Michel move in the opposite direction.[7][8] He wasted no time on making an impact, also taking long time incumbent striker Cardozo's starting place, and found the net in his first two official games: one goal against Académica de Coimbra in a 2–2 away draw,[9] and two in a 2–1 win over Paços de Ferreira (also away);[10] he added a third in the Champions League 1–2 group stage loss at FC Spartak Moscow,[11] ending the season with 30 goals as his team's top scorer in the league.[12]

On 26 January 2013, Lima scored his eighth league goal of the campaign, helping to a 2–1 win at former club Braga.[13] On 30 March he netted his first hat-trick in the Portuguese League, helping to a 6–1 home demolition of Rio Ave FC.[14]

Lima took his 2013–14 tally to 20 all competitions comprised on 20 April 2014, scoring both of Benfica's goals as they defeated S.C. Olhanense 2–0 at home and clinched their 33rd national championship.[15] He also found the net in the following game, a 2–1 win over Juventus F.C. in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-finals also at the Estádio da Luz, where he broke the tie in the 84th minute.[16] His 21 goals in the season helped the Reds win three competitions, in a historic treble.[17]

Lima scored his first goal of the 2014–15 campaign against Moreirense F.C. on 21 September 2014, ending a 12-match stretch without goals.[18][19] On 14 December he netted in a 2–0 win at Porto,[20] and, on 15 February of the following year, he contributed with a brace to help defeat Setúbal at home 3–0;[21] he netted another two in a home defeat of F.C. Penafiel on 9 May (4–0),[22] as Benfica again won the league, adding the Portuguese League Cup and the Supercup.

Al Ahli Club

On 24 July 2015, Al-Ahli Dubai F.C. announced the signing of Lima for two seasons,[23][24] in a transfer fee worth €7 million.[25]

Club statistics

As of end of 2014–15 season[26]
Club Season League Cup1 League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Belenenses 2009–10 2773421003212
Braga 2010–11 28610231955014
2011–12 30202032944426
2012–13 2000002040
Total 602630553099840
Benfica 2012–13 272075331224930
2013–14 281462401355121
2014–15 34192020604419
Total 89531579331714470
Career total 1768621111696116274122

1Other tournaments include the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

Honours

Club

Paysandu
Braga
Benfica
Al-Ahli

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Lima celebra hoje o seu aniversário" [Lima celebrates his birthday today] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  2. ↑ Metalist, acquistato l'attaccante brasiliano Lima (Metalist, signs Brazilian forward Lima); Ita Sport Press, 21 July 2009 (Italian)
  3. ↑ "Braga beat Sevilla in Spain to reach Champions League group stage". The Guardian. 25 August 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Portugal – List of Topscorers". RSSSF. 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Braga 1–1 Benfica". PortuGOAL. 6 November 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "Unstoppable Hulk puts Porto back on top". PortuGOAL. 27 November 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "Benfica buy Braga's Lima". UEFA.com. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "Lima no Benfica e Michel no Braga" [Lima in Benfica and Michel in Braga] (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "Benfica drop two points in Coimbra". PortuGOAL. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  10. ↑ "Lima brace gives Benfica victory". PortuGOAL. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "Spartak profit from Jardel misfortune". UEFA.com. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  12. ↑ "Lima e a marca dos trinta golos" [Lima and the thirty-goal mark] (in Portuguese). Record. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "Braga 1–2 Benfica". PortuGOAL. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  14. ↑ "Benfica goleia Rio Ave (6–1)" [Benfica routs Rio Ave (6–1)] (in Portuguese). A Bola. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  15. ↑ "Lima double clinches title for Benfica". PortuGOAL. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  16. ↑ "Lima puts Benfica on top against Juventus". UEFA.com. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  17. ↑ "Lima: "Benfica é um clube exigente que procura sempre mais"" [Lima: "Benfica is a demanding club who always wants more"] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  18. ↑ "Benfica-Moreirense, 3–1 (crónica)" [Benfica-Moreirense, 3–1 (report)] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. 21 September 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  19. ↑ "Lima não marca há 12 jogos" [Lima has not scored in 12 games] (in Portuguese). A Bola. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  20. ↑ "Dragão baralhado com águia cínica e tremendamente eficaz" [Dragon clutching at straws with cynical and tremendously effective eagle] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  21. ↑ "Benfica vence Setúbal por 3–0 com «bis» de Lima" [Benfica defeats Setúbal 3–0 with Lima brace] (in Portuguese). Diário Digital. 15 February 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  22. ↑ "Primeira Liga Review: Lima nets brace as Benfica relegate Penafiel". FourFourTwo. 10 May 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  23. ↑ في صفقة من العيار الثقيل الاهلي يتعاقد مع المهاجم البرازيلي ليما دوس سانتوس [Al Ahli signs Brazilian striker Lima dos Santos] (in Arabic). Al Ahli Club. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  24. ↑ "Al Ahli anuncia contratação de Lima" [Al Ahli announce the signing of Lima] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  25. ↑ "Comunicado" [Announcement] (PDF). S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). CMVM. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  26. ↑ Lima profile at Soccerway. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  27. ↑ Cunha, Pedro Jorge (17 May 2015). "Benfica bicampeão: 28 com as faixas e dois à espera" [Benfica back-to-back champion: 28 with the sashes and two await] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  28. ↑ "Spot-on Sevilla leave Benfica dreams in tatters". UEFA.com. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
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