Rafael Cabral

Rafael Cabral Barbosa (born 20 May 1990), known as Rafael Cabral or simply Rafael, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Reading.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Cabral and the second or paternal family name is Barbosa.
Rafael Cabral
Rafael playing for Napoli in 2014
Personal information
Full name Rafael Cabral Barbosa[1]
Date of birth (1990-05-20) 20 May 1990
Place of birth Sorocaba, Brazil
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Reading
Number 33
Youth career
2003–2010 Santos
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Santos 94 (0)
2013–2018 Napoli 32 (0)
2018–2019 Sampdoria 2 (0)
2019– Reading 51 (0)
National team‡
2012 Brazil Olympic 1 (0)
2012 Brazil 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 October 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 June 2012

Club career

Santos

Born in Sorocaba, Rafael joined Santos youth system in 2003. In 2010, he was promoted to the first team, but broke his right leg in a split with the centre back Domingos and sidelined for four months.

Rafael played in the second half of the match between Santos and the New York Red Bulls in the United States. It was won by Red Bull by 3–1 but Rafael did not concede a goal, the three goals from New York were scored in the first half, when the goalkeeper was Fábio Costa.

His debut in the first team for Santos in an official game took place on 2 June 2010, the match between Santos and Cruzeiro in Mineirão, where the score was 0–0. He took the place of Felipe, who had played all previous 37 matches that season.

On 20 August 2012, Rafael Cabral's right eye started bleeding when he collided with Juan Manuel Martínez in a 2012 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A fixture between Santos and Corinthians. He then recovered and was able to continue the game. Santos won the game 3–2.[2]

Napoli

On 28 June 2013, Rafael was sold from Santos to Italian side Napoli. The Azzurri paid €5 million for the Brazilian goalkeeper.[3] Rafael made his UEFA Champions League debut against Arsenal in a group stage match in Naples. Napoli won the match 2–0 and Rafael was able to keep a clean sheet against the English side. Nevertheless, Napoli was unable to advance out of the group stages.

He was manager Rafael Benítez's first-choice goalkeeper for the 2014–15 season following the departure of the loaned-in Pepe Reina.[4] On 22 December, in the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana in Doha, he gave Napoli victory over Juventus by saving from Simone Padoin in sudden death at the end of a penalty shootout.[5]

Sampdoria

On 22 July 2018, Rafael Cabral signed with U.C. Sampdoria on a free transfer.[6][7] On 5 August 2019, Sampdoria announced that Rafael Cabral’s contract with the club had been terminated by mutual agreement.[8]

Reading

On 6 August 2019, Reading announced the signing of Rafael on a three-year contract.[9] Rafael made his debut against Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup and saved two penalties in the penalty shootout win.[10] Rafael made his Sky Bet Championship debut against Cardiff City and gained his first clean sheet for the club in a 3–0 victory.[11] He then went on to claim the No. 1 spot, beating out Everton loanee João Virginia and Sam Walker. Rafael’s heroics during consecutive games in the month of December earned him a spot on WhoScored.com Team of the Month for December 2019.

On 22 July 2020, ahead of the final game of the 2019–20 season, Rafael was announced as the clubs player of the season.[12]

International career

Rafael made his debut for Brazil against the United States on 30 May 2012, in a 4–1 win.

He was called up to the Brazil national under-23 football team at the London 2012 Summer Olympics but was later replaced due to injury.

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 24 October 2020[13]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental[lower-roman 1] Other[lower-roman 2] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Santos 2010 Série A 32020—2000360
2011 320——140220680
2012 250——120160530
2013 5040——230320
Total 94060--2806101890
Napoli 2013–14 Serie A 8010-20-110
2014–15 23000-8010320
2015–16 0000-00-00
2016–17 1010-00-20
2017–18 0000-00-00
Total 32020--10010450
Sampdoria 2018–19 Serie A 2020–––40
Reading 2019–20 EFL Championship 4401010––460
2020–21 700000––70
Total 5101010----530
Career total 1700110103806202820
  1. Including Copa Libertadores, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
  2. Including Campeonato Paulista, FIFA Club World Cup, Recopa Sudamericana and Supercoppa Italiana.

Honours

Santos

Napoli

Brazil

References
  1. "Notification of shirt numbers: Reading" (PDF). English Football League. p. 59. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  2. "Goleiro Rafael é cortado e está fora da Olimpíada". Estadão. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  3. "Santos acerta venda do goleiro Rafael para o Napoli". Estadão. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  4. Weir, Stewart (31 August 2014). "Genoa 1–2 Napoli: Dramatic De Guzman strike seals victory". Goal.com. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  5. "Juventus 2–2 Napoli (5–6 on pens)". BBC Sport. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  6. "Sampdoria mercato Defrel ufficiale dalla Roma, acquistato Rafael „Sampdoria: il mercato si accende, Defrel ad un passo, preso Rafael"". Genova Today (in Italian). 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  7. "Sampdoria sign Rafael". Football Italia. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  8. https://www.sampdoria.it/en/rafael-contract-terminated-by-mutual-agreement/
  9. "Rafael joins Royals ranks". readingfc.co.uk/. Reading F.C. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  10. https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2019/august/report--wycombe-vs-reading/
  11. https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2019/august/report--reading-vs-cardiff-city/
  12. "Rafael crowned as your Player of the Season 2019-20!". readingfc.co.uk/. Reading F.C. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  13. Rafael Cabral at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
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