Orlando Sá

Orlando Carlos Braga de Sá (born 26 May 1988) is a Portuguese retired professional footballer who played as a striker.

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Braga and the second or paternal family name is Sá.
Orlando Sá
Sá playing for Legia Warsaw in 2014
Personal information
Full name Orlando Carlos Braga de Sá[1]
Date of birth (1988-05-26) 26 May 1988[1]
Place of birth Barcelos, Portugal[1]
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1999–2004 Esposende
2004–2007 Braga
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2009 Braga 10 (2)
2007–2008 → Maria Fonte (loan) 26 (6)
2009–2011 Porto 2 (0)
2010–2011 → Nacional (loan) 16 (3)
2011–2012 Fulham 7 (1)
2012–2014 AEL Limassol 39 (18)
2014–2015 Legia Warsaw 33 (14)
2015–2016 Reading 19 (5)
2016 Maccabi Tel Aviv 10 (2)
2016–2018 Standard Liège 50 (26)
2018 Henan Jianye 5 (1)
2018–2020 Standard Liège 18 (1)
2020–2021 Málaga 18 (0)
Total 253 (79)
International career
2007 Portugal U19 9 (0)
2008 Portugal U20 9 (3)
2008–2010 Portugal U21 6 (7)
2010–2011 Portugal U23 2 (2)
2009 Portugal 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

After spending his early career with Braga and Porto, appearing sparingly for both, he travelled abroad in 2011, going on to represent clubs in England, Cyprus, Poland, Israel, Belgium, China and Spain and win the Ekstraklasa and the Polish Cup with Legia Warsaw.

Sá earned one cap for Portugal.

Club career

Braga

Sá was born in Barcelos, Braga District. He started his career in the youth ranks of S.C. Braga, and was promoted to the first team for the 2007–08 season only to be loaned immediately to lowly SC Maria da Fonte (third division).[2]

Sá returned to Braga in 2008, making his Primeira Liga debut on 5 January 2009 by playing one minute in a 2–0 home win against C.F. Os Belenenses.[3] He scored his first goal in the competition on 8 March, as a late substitute in a 2–2 draw at C.F. Estrela da Amadora.[4]

During his period in Braga, Sá gained attention from English club Chelsea,[5] but nothing ever materialised.

Porto

On 1 June 2009, Sá moved to league champions FC Porto for an estimated fee of €3 million. Braga retained 20% economic rights on any future transfer fee,[6] with an additional 20% being held by unknown parties.[7] Having arrived still injured from his previous club, he only made his competitive debut on 2 January 2010, starting in a 2–0 away victory over U.D. Oliveirense in the fourth round of the Taça de Portugal.[8]

Sá spent 2010–11 on loan to C.D. Nacional,[9] appearing sparingly due to injury and technical decisions. His highlight was scoring the winner in a 2–1 home defeat of S.L. Benfica on 21 August 2010,[10] and he finished the season with six official goals, plus one for the Portuguese under-23.

Fulham

At the end of the 2011 transfer window, Sá joined Premier League club Fulham on a free transfer,[11] with Porto retaining 25% of his economic rights.[7] He made his official debut for his new team in a Football League Cup tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 21 September (penalty shootout loss),[12] and first appeared in the Premier League at West Bromwich Albion three days later, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–0 draw.[13]

Sá scored his first and only goal for Fulham on 31 December 2011, putting the visitors ahead in the seventh minute of the tie against Norwich City, in an eventual 1–1 draw.[14] Early into the season, he struggled with the pace of the English game, but went on to adapt physically after a few months in the country, also stating he was improving his ability in the English language.[15]

Before the 2012–13 campaign started, Sá said he was going to improve at Fulham and told the club's official website: "I feel that this is a really important pre-season for me, I want to be really prepared ahead of the new campaign because I want this year to be my year. I hope that I can score more goals like the one I got against Norwich. That was a good moment for me and I hope I will have many more moments like the one I experienced at Carrow Road".[15] On 30 June 2012, however, his contract was terminated by mutual agreement.[16]

AEL Limassol

On 30 July 2012, Sá signed a three-year contract with AEL Limassol.[17] He scored his first goal in European competition on 6 December, helping his team achieve a 3–0 home win against Olympique de Marseille in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.[18]

Sá kickstarted the 2013–14 campaign by netting five times in only three Cypriot First Division matches.[19][20] Coincidentally, the three opponents that suffered his accuracy in the first round of matches, Ethnikos Achna FC, APOEL FC and Enosis Neon Paralimni FC, met the same fate in the second.[21][22]

Legia Warsaw
Sá in action for Legia in October 2014

On 14 February 2014, Sá moved to Poland by joining Legia Warsaw on a three-and-a-half-year deal.[23] He had arrived in Warsaw to undergo a medical the previous day.[24]

Sá made his Ekstraklasa debut on 22 February 2014, in a 3–0 win over Górnik Zabrze.[25] He scored his first goal on the last day of the regular season and contributed to a 3–1 victory at Zagłębie Lubin,[26] as the Legionaires eventually won their tenth national championship.

Reading

On 29 June 2015, Sá signed for Reading on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[27] He made his debut for the club on 8 August in the season opener away to Birmingham City, having an added-time penalty saved by Tomasz Kuszczak in a 1–2 Championship defeat.[28]

Sá scored his first goal on 29 August, heading home in a 3–1 away win against Brentford.[29] In the following match, he hit a hat-trick in a 5–1 rout of Ipswich Town at the Madejski Stadium.[30] He totalled five goals from 21 appearances across all competitions, with his presence eventually limited by new manager Brian McDermott.[31]

Maccabi and Standard

On 26 January 2016, Sá signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. for an undisclosed fee.[31] On 31 August, however, he joined Standard Liège for four seasons.[32] He scored a career-best 17 goals – 20 across all competitions – in his first season with the latter, but they could only finish in ninth position in the Belgian First Division A.[33]

On 28 February 2018, Sá transferred to Henan Jianye F.C. in the Chinese Super League.[34] Within five months, however, he signed for Standard again.[35]

Málaga

Sá moved teams and countries again on 13 August 2020, after agreeing to a one-year deal with Málaga CF of the Spanish Segunda División.[36] On 26 May 2021, exactly on his 33rd birthday, he announced his retirement from professional football due to an achilles tendon injury.[37]

International career

On 18 November 2008, in one of his first caps for the Portugal under-21 team, Sá scored a hat-trick against Spain in a 4–1 friendly home win.[38] Only three months later, he was surprisingly called up to the senior squad by coach Carlos Queiroz for a friendly with Finland, and replaced Hugo Almeida at the hour mark in an eventual 1–0 victory in Faro.[39][40]

Personal life

Sá married pop singer Teresa Villa-Lobos.[41]

Career statistics
As of 14 July 2016[42][43][44]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Braga 2007–08 Primeira Liga 00000000—00
2008–09 Primeira Liga 102000050—152
Total 102000050—152
Maria Fonte 2007–08 Segunda Divisão 26620—286
Porto 2009–10 Primeira Liga 20305100—101
Nacional 2010–11 Primeira Liga 1630020—183
Fulham 2011–12 Premier League 71001040—121
AEL Limassol 2012–13 Cypriot First Division 20561—5110327
2013–14 Cypriot First Division 191300—1913
Total 391861—51105125
Legia Warsaw 2013–14 Ekstraklasa 7100—71
2014–15 Ekstraklasa 261320—71—3514
Total 331420—71—4215
Reading 2015–16 Championship 1951010——215
Maccabi Tel Aviv 2015–16 Israeli Premier League 1022100——123
2016–17 Israeli Premier League 00000031—31
Total 10221—31—154
Career total 16251173912431021363

Honours

Porto

Legia Warsaw

References
  1. "Orlando Sá" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  2. Simões de Abreu, Alexandra (28 September 2019). "Orlando Sá: "Disse ao Salvador: 'Ó presidente, não me chateie, diga mas é ao Jesus para me dar minutos, que vende-me por mais dinheiro'"" [Orlando Sá: "I told Salvador: 'Hey president, get off my back, just tell Jesus to give me minutes, you'll sell me for more money'"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  3. "Arsenalistas já estão em lugar da UEFA" [Arsenalistas reach UEFA places]. Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 6 January 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  4. "Estrela "sem salários" volta a surpreender num jogo negro para os guarda-redes" ["Wageless" Estrela surprise again in dark match for goalkeepers]. Público (in Portuguese). 9 March 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  5. Benammar, Emily (9 December 2008). "Chelsea prepare £4 million offer after giving Orlando Sa secret trial". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  6. "SC Braga – Futebol, SAD relatórios e contas 2010–11" [SC Braga (football section) financial report and finance 2010–11] (in Portuguese). S.C. Braga. 11 October 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  7. "Relatório e contas consolidado 1º semestre 2011/2012" [Report and finance 1st semester 2011/2012] (PDF) (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 29 February 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  8. Biggers, Sam (3 January 2010). "Orlando Sa makes his debut for Porto". Portugal Football. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  9. "Nacional secure Orlando Sa loan". PortuGOAL. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  10. "Benfica fall again, while Braga slip". PortuGOAL. 21 August 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  11. "FFC sign Orlando Sa". Fulham F.C. 31 August 2011. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  12. "Chelsea 0–0 Fulham (4–3 pens)". BBC Sport. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  13. "Baggies in Fulham stalemate". Sky Sports. 24 September 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  14. "Jackson rescues Canaries". ESPN Soccernet. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  15. Kohnert, Alex (22 June 2012). "Fulham striker Sa: I want this to be my year". Goal. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  16. "Player departures". Fulham F.C. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  17. Έπεσαν... οι υπογραφές (Επιβεβαίωση) [They fell... the signatures (confirmation)] (in Greek). Kerkida. 30 July 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  18. "AEL beat Marseille to finish on a high". UEFA. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  19. "Orlando Sa... on fire" (in Greek). Kerkida. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  20. Σπουδαία νίκη [Great win] (in Greek). Kerkida. 15 September 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  21. "Chipre: Orlando Sá coloca AEL na liderança" [Cyprus: Orlando Sá puts AEL in first place]. Record (in Portuguese). 22 December 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  22. "Orlando Sá: "Só Cristiano Ronaldo tem melhor média"" [Orlando Sá: "Only Cristiano Ronaldo has better average"]. Record (in Portuguese). 14 January 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  23. "Orlando Sa zawodnikiem Legii!" [Orlando Sa a Legia player! (HD)] (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  24. "Orlando Sa już w Warszawie" [Orlando Sa already in Warsaw!] (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  25. "Legia rozbiła Górnika!" [Legia smashed Górnik!] (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  26. "Legia zwycięża w Lubinie!" [Legia defeat Lubin!] (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. 12 April 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  27. "Striker Orlando Sa joins Royals". Reading F.C. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  28. "Birmingham 2–1 Reading". BBC Sport. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  29. "Brentford 1–3 Reading". BBC Sport. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  30. Williams, Adam (11 September 2015). "Reading 5–1 Ipswich Town". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  31. "Orlando Sa exits Reading for Maccabi Tel Aviv". BBC Sport. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  32. "Orlando Sá rejoint notre club" [Orlando Sá joins our club] (in French). Standard Liège. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  33. Gouveia, Patrícia (25 May 2017). "Orlando Sá: um Standard de golos entre Ronaldo e Bas Dost" [Orlando Sá: a Standard of goals between Ronaldo and Bas Dost]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  34. 官方：建业签下标准列日前锋 (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  35. "À peine parti, Orlando Sa revient déjà au Standard" [Having barely left, Orlando Sá returns to Standard already] (in French). 7 Sur 7. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  36. "Orlando Sá, Portuguese international striker joins the team". Málaga CF. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  37. Fernández R., Juanje (26 May 2021). "Orlando Sá anuncia que se retira" [Orlando Sá announces he is retiring]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  38. Bryan, Paul (18 November 2008). "Portugal plunder Iberian bragging rights". UEFA. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  39. "Portugal vence Finlândia 1–0 em jogo particular" [Portugal beat Finland 1–0 in friendly game]. Açoriano Oriental (in Portuguese). 11 February 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  40. "Orlando Sá: "Estamos a preparar o futuro"" [Orlando Sá: "We are preparing the future"]. Record (in Portuguese). 23 March 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  41. "Orlando Sa zwiedził Warszawę z legia.com" [Orlando Sa visited Warsaw with legia.com] (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. 21 February 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  42. Orlando Sá at ForaDeJogo (archived)
  43. "Orlando Sá". Soccerway. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  44. Orlando Sá – UEFA competition record (archive)
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