Edgar Aldrighi Júnior ( ''Júnior''; born 30 March 1974), also known as Dega, is a former
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
ian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a
defensive midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
.
Club career
Dega was signed by
Perth Glory
Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional Association football, soccer club based in Perth, Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under Professional sports league organi ...
in 1999 by then coach
Bernd Stange
Bernd Walter Stange (born 14 March 1948) is a German football manager who last managed the Syria national team.
During his playing career, he played for Chemie Gnaschwitz, Vorwärts Bautzen, and HSG DHfK Leipzig as a defender.
Playing care ...
. Stange's initial reaction to Edgar was that he "didn't look like a Brazilian, I was expecting a big black man," something that was said in jest.
Dega's first match for Perth Glory was against
Gippsland
Gippsland () is a rural region in the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains south of the Victorian Alps (the southernmost section of the Great Dividing Range). It covers an elongated area of east of th ...
in the first round of the
1999/2000 NSL season. Playing in a defensive midfielder role he went on to play over 30 times for the Australian side in that season and was a major reason for the Glory topping the NSL ladder at the end of the season. In the 2000 NSL Grand Final against the
Wollongong Wolves (which had finished 3–3) he had the chance to score the winning penalty in the shootout against the Wolves but missed the entire goal. Wollongong went on to win the Grand Final.
The following season Dega again played a major part in the success of the club and also scored one only two of the goals he would score with the club with a 30-yard drive at a home match in front of 'The Shed'. He went on to play 28 times for the Glory in that season but the side was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. In his third season with the club Dega played 26 matches and was part of the Glory side that dominated the domestic season again but fell in the 2002 NSL Grand Final 1–0 to the
Olympic Sharks.
In his final season (the
2002/03 NSL season) with the Glory Dega was hampered by injury problems but still started 26 games and was a big help to getting Glory to their third NSL Grand Final. With the team leading comfortably 2–0 against the Olympic Sharks Dega received a standing ovation when he came on a sub in the 87th minute for Bobby Despotovski. Dega's final match for Perth Glory was finally in a winning final.
Tai Po
Dega joined
Tai Po Football Club in 2006 and wore the number 31 jersey. His debut game for
Tai Po Football Club is the first ever home game of the club, played in
Tai Po Sports Ground
Tai Po Sports Ground () is a sports ground located in Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong.
It was the home stadium of Hong Kong Premier League club Tai Po.
History
Tai Po Sports Ground staged its first ever Hong Kong First Division game on 30 S ...
, against
South China
South China ( zh, s=, p=Huá'nán, j=jyut6 naam4) is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is ...
. In season 2007–08, Dega changed his number to 5. He has been the first choice penalty taker since joining the team. He is always pulled down to the defence line once
Joel, the first choice center defender of the team, is not playing. During the latter stage of season 2007–08, he was often deployed as a sweeper or center defender.
Rematch dispute
Dega took and scored a penalty in the 25th minutes during the league game against
Eastern AA
Eastern Athletic Association Football Team Limited, also known as Eastern Sports Club (), is a Hong Kong professional sports club whose association football, football section competes in the Hong Kong Premier League, the top flight of Football ...
at December 2, 2007. Dega was judged by the game referee Pau Sai Yin performed interrupting movement during approaching the ball. According to the rule of FIFA, for infractions by the kicking team, should a goal be scored the kick is retaken. However, the referee awarded a free kick to
Eastern AA
Eastern Athletic Association Football Team Limited, also known as Eastern Sports Club (), is a Hong Kong professional sports club whose association football, football section competes in the Hong Kong Premier League, the top flight of Football ...
which has violated the rule of FIFA. After the game,
Tai Po Football Club made an official objection to the HKFA and the objection has been approved by the example of the rematch decision made by FIFA on 2006 Asian World Cup Qualifying game Bahrain vs Uzbekistan. In the rematch,
Tai Po Football Club won by 3–1, Dega scored a penalty kick without any disputes.
A fine performance
Dega has been missed out from the original squad of
Hong Kong League XI
The Hong Kong League XI, also known as the Hong Kong XI or Hong Kong League Selection, is a football team which represents the Hong Kong First Division League in exhibition matches, mainly the Lunar New Year Cup.
The team is selected from the ...
and only being called up after defender
Cristiano Cordeiro was injured. He started both matches in
Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup. With his man of the match level performance in the first match, he was praised by the fans and also the team manager, which helped him to keep the starting spot in the second round and also in
2007 Lunar New Year Cup. After these matches, Dega made his name as one of the finest defensive midfielder in the
Hong Kong First Division League
The Hong Kong First Division League () is the second-highest division in the Hong Kong football league system. Established in 1908, it is the List of oldest football competitions, third oldest in Asia, after Calcutta and Bombay. Moreover, it is ...
.
As the team first choice penalty taker, he was the team top league scorer in 2007–2008 season, and also elected as the best eleven in
Hong Kong First Division League
The Hong Kong First Division League () is the second-highest division in the Hong Kong football league system. Established in 1908, it is the List of oldest football competitions, third oldest in Asia, after Calcutta and Bombay. Moreover, it is ...
.
In season 2008–2009, Dega kept his fine form and selected as the captain
Hong Kong League XI
The Hong Kong League XI, also known as the Hong Kong XI or Hong Kong League Selection, is a football team which represents the Hong Kong First Division League in exhibition matches, mainly the Lunar New Year Cup.
The team is selected from the ...
which played in
20078 Lunar New Year Cup. Unfortunately, he missed the penalty in both matches penalty time. In addition the penalty missing at game play in the league game against
Tuen Mun Progoal in prior, he has failed to score three penalty consecutively. After that, Dega has not taken penalty for
Tai Po
Tai Po is an List of areas of Hong Kong, area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui () (the original "Tai Po Mark ...
, which
Lee Wai Lim
Lee Wai Lim (, born 5 May 1981) is a former Hong Kong people, Hong Kong professional footballer and coach. He is the brother of former professional footballer Lee Hong Lim.
A former Hong Kong Footballer of the Year winner in 2009, Lee pleaded ...
,
So Loi Keung and later
Caleb
Caleb ( ; , Tiberian vocalization: , Modern Israeli Hebrew: ) is a figure who appears in the Hebrew Bible as a representative of the Tribe of Judah during the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land.
Following the Israelite conquest of Ca ...
shared the responsibility.
Championship and departure from Tai Po
In the middle of the season 2008–09,
Tai Po
Tai Po is an List of areas of Hong Kong, area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui () (the original "Tai Po Mark ...
's central defender
Joel has left the team. This time, coach
Cheung Po Chun and
Chan Ho Yin
Chan Ho Yin (; born 25 February 1973) is a Hong Kong football coach and a former professional footballer.
Playing career
Chan was a member of Hong Kong U-21 in 1990, participating in Gothia Cup and Dana Cup.
For his club career, he played for ...
decided not to deploy Dega in the defense line as in the past, but tried some youth defenders and later played starting midfielder
Lui Chi Hing as a defender instead. Since then, aged Dega has been stayed back more to secure the defense, and bagged the net much less than he was. The team's performance has dropped since the departure of Joel but later digested the loss of the player and perform well again. This was proved by the team qualified to the
Hong Kong FA Cup
Hong Kong FA Cup () is a knockout cup competition in Hong Kong football, run by and named after The Hong Kong Football Association. The first edition of the competition was held in 1975, before then the cup was known as the Golden Jubilee Cup. T ...
final once again. In contrast to the 2007–08 final, which Tai Po lost in the final against Citizen, they defeated another finalist
TSW Pegasus and won the 2008–09 Hong Kong FA Cup championship. In prior of the final, there were rumors which Dega will depart from the team, either joining another club in Hong Kong or went back to Brazil. Later of the time, he told the media he has been separated with the family for three years to pursuit his career in Hong Kong, he would like to go home and stay with the family so much. Since the Hong Kong FA Cup schedule has been affected by heavy rainfall and postponed a few times, he has already delayed the time he left Hong Kong for his home, which made his son very much disappointed.
[〈 ��戰前夕大埔飛馬各有隱憂��,新報 , June 5, 2009] After the cup championship, first trophy since his career in Hong Kong with Tai Po, Dega left the team and went back to Brazil.
South China
In July 2011, he joined
South China
South China ( zh, s=, p=Huá'nán, j=jyut6 naam4) is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is ...
as assistant coach, but he is also registered as player for the club, He ended his playing career with ''The Caroliners''.
Honours
Club
;With
Perth Glory
Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional Association football, soccer club based in Perth, Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under Professional sports league organi ...
*
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League (NSL) was the top-level soccer league in Australia, run by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL, the A-League's predecessor, spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977 until its ...
: 2002–03
Other
;With
Hong Kong League XI
The Hong Kong League XI, also known as the Hong Kong XI or Hong Kong League Selection, is a football team which represents the Hong Kong First Division League in exhibition matches, mainly the Lunar New Year Cup.
The team is selected from the ...
*
Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup: 2007–08
*
Lunar New Year Cup
The Lunar New Year Cup, previously known as the Carlsberg Challenge or the Carlsberg Cup, is an annual invitational association football, football tournament organised in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) since 1908. It is usua ...
: 2008
References
External links
Edgar Aldrighi Júnior at
HKFACBF Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dega (footballer)
1974 births
Living people
Men's association football midfielders
Brazilian men's footballers
Brazilian expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in Hong Kong
Hong Kong First Division League players
National Soccer League (Australia) players
Perth Glory FC players
Tai Po FC players
South China AA players
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Hong Kong
Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia
Hong Kong League XI representative players