Transfer Profile: Edgar Silva

With Daegu FC having seen their two foreign strikers leave already in the World Cup break, the struggling citizen club have acted swiftly and announced the capture of forward Edgar Silva from Thai Premier League giants and AFC Champions League final sixteen side Buriram United. We spoke with Thai League Football's Gian Chansrichawla to get a better look at the player and what Daegu can expect from him when he puts on their sky blue shirt.
(image via goal.com)

Edgar Silva is a well traveled man. The 31-year-old's 11 year professional career has seen him make stops in Croatia, Brazil, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Thailand, and now South Korea. Along the way, he picked up Brazilian Serie B and Qatar Stars League titles as well as a Gulf Clubs Champions League crown. He has also racked up 90 career goals at his various stops with his best years coming in the AFC with UAE outfit Al Shabab where he scored 37 goals from 2012-2015. Likely already familiar to K League fans after scoring a brace against Jeonbuk Hyundai in Buriram United's 3-2 AFC Champions League win earlier this year, Daegu FC will be hoping for more of that type performance from the Brazilian.


How was Edgar Silva viewed at Buriram United? League-wide?

When Edgar arrived in Thailand from the Qatari league, he was replacing another Brazilian striker named Jaja Coelho. Jaja had scored 34 goals in 34 league games last season, so expectations were high for Edgar if he were to match that. Because of his size and goal scoring  record in the Middle Eastern leagues, he was seen as a formidable signing.

Strongest aspects of his game?

His physical presence and aerial ability were key, especially in a league with a lower than average height. Edgar was especially an asset from set pieces, which Buriram perfected through the coaching of Bozidar Bandovic. Buriram often like to overlap the fullbacks and get crosses into the box, which made Edgar even more vital. Teams like to sit back in "low-blocks" against Buriram, but Edgar's presence made it difficult for opposition to do that. He was an important tactical piece in the team as  they went on to top the Thai League for most of the first leg of the season, and make the AFC Champions League knockout stages.

Weaknesses?

I don't think he was as mobile as Buriram would have hoped. At times he can look like a one dimensional striker if he isn't getting the right service up top.

Reasons for leaving?

Edgar mainly left because of restrictions and foreign player quotas. The Thai League allows for three foreign players, one AFC player, and one ASEAN player. Buriram signed former Filipino striker Javier Patino from Henan Jianye to fill their ASEAN quota, and he essentially took Edgar's place as the main striker. Buriram then needed to sell Edgar to make room to sign a Brazilian attacking midfielder, so he departed the club.

Because of how restrictive the quotas are, clubs always have to change their players every time they want to attempt a new tactical approach. With Buriram stagnating in recent weeks and dropping to second place, they felt a change was needed and Edgar happened to be the victim of that. It isn't an indictment of his ability in any way, it's just the circumstances that have arisen.

Where do you think he would be best utilized with Daegu FC?

He would be best as a center forward, and if he is able to get decent service, he should score plenty of goals. It seems that he already has a Brazilian teammate at Daegu in Cesinha, so if those two can link up in a way that allows Edgar to be the main target man, they could both score many goals.

What should K-League fans expect from him?

Expect a finisher who has the potential to score often, and is a genuine threat from set pieces. Standing at 6'3" he is likely to upset Korean defenses significantly, but only if he gets the right  supply. He is a great signing for a side who have struggled to score this season.