Player Profile: Eduardo

Full name: Eduardo dos Reis Carvalho

Date of birth: 19 September 1982

Birthplace: Mirandela, Portugal

Portugal’s number one at the 2010 World Cup, Eduardo had to wait patiently until his mid-twenties to make the breakthrough to top-flight football. But although the burly goalkeeper was quick to make up for lost time, a less than successful move to Genoa, combined with the emergence of Rui Patrício, has seen him take a step back. 

Eduardo was born in the northern town of Mirandela, famous for its cuisine, especially its generously proportioned steaks, and judging by the goalkeeper’s stocky frame it may well have been a staple item in the diet of the dos Reis Carvalho household as the young Eduardo grew up.

The goalkeeper came through the ranks at Sporting Braga, but had his path to the first team blocked by Braga’s regular goalkeeper of many years, Paulo Santos, a consistent performer who was in Portugal’s 2006 World Cup squad.

Setubal breakthrough

To gain much needed playing time Eduardo was loaned out first to lowly Beira-Mar in 2006/07, and the following season to Vitoria Setubal. It was as a key player in Carlos Carvalhal’s sensational Setubal side that the player made his mark as a goalkeeper of the highest order.

In a historic season for the Sadinos, Eduardo helped the club qualify for the Uefa Cup and lift the inaugural Portuguese League Cup. A man-of-the-match display in the final against Sporting, saving three spot kicks in the penalty shoot-out, cemented the keeper’s burgeoning reputation.

Eduardo was unlucky to miss out on Portugal’s Euro 2008 delegation, with many calling for him not only to be included in the squad, but even to be the starter between the sticks for the Seleccao.

He was subsequently recalled to Braga and immediately became the club's number one stopper. As Eduardo continued his fine form from the previous season, new Portugal head coach Carlos Queiroz wasted little time in making the player the national team's first-choice last line of defence.

To Genoa

After an outstanding World Cup, Braga wasted little time in cashing on Eduardo, landing a reported €4,000,000 from Genoa for his services. However, the move to Serie A did not turn out particularly well, with Eduardo making a number of high-profile errors during his debut campaign - though admittedly his cause was not aided by a non-existent defence. Despite having started all but one of Genoa's matches in 2010/11, the arrival of Sebastian Frey from Fiorentina saw Eduardo somewhat marginalised. 

A loan move to Benfica might have made the headlines, but in terms of playing time it did little more than remaining at Genoa would have done. Eduardo made just one Liga appearance for the Eagles in 2011/12, against Setúbal on the final day. This lack of minutes means that he enters Euro 2012 in a vastly different position to two years ago. 
 

by Tom Kundert & Ben Shave (updated, 24/05/2012)