Leônidas da Silva

Leônidas José da Silva ( born September 6, 1913 in Rio de Janeiro; † 24 January 2004 Cotia ) was a Brazilian football player.

Career

The playing in the attack da Silva, whose nickname of the " Black Diamond " and " rubber man " were, regarded as the inventor of the overhead kick. Leônidas da Silva played in the course of his footballing career at the Brazilian top teams Sao Paulo, Botafogo FR, CR Vasco da Gama and Flamengo Rio de Janeiro. In Uruguay, he played from 1933 to 1934 for Peñarol Montevideo. The jersey of the Brazilian national team, he played a total of 26 games (of which only 19 officially recognized as countries games) and scored 25 goals. In the Football World Cup in France in 1938 he was promoted with seven gates to the top scorer of the tournament. Alone in the legendary game against Poland ( end result: 6:5 aet), he scored three goals. In this game he played at times barefoot. Legendary was especially Leonidas 6:5 - winning goal in extra time when he grabbed the kick-off circle the ball curved into the penalty area and shot his team with a great gateway into the quarter-finals. In his two World Cups in 1934 and 1938, he scored a total of eight goals since heard at World Cup tournaments, the most successful Brazilian goal scorers of all time.

After his sports career he became one of the most famous sports reporter of Brazil and was the owner of a furniture shop in São Paulo.

Da Silva was suffering from Alzheimer 's disease and spent the last ten years of his life in a hospital.

National

• World Cup Stats: 8 Matches - 8 Goals
• Total: 25 games - 24 goals

Clubs and successes

• State Championship in Rio de Janeiro: in 1934, 1935, 1939
• State Championship of São Paulo: 1943, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949

• World Cup Participation: 1934, 1938