Player Profile: Quim

By: Carlos | December 3rd, 2008

Starting today this page will be posting player profiles of each Benfica player so you can get to know them better. Posts of these will be made on the regular.

Quim #12

Club

Joaquim Manuel Sampaio da Silva, better known as Quim, was born in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal on November 13, 1975 (age 33). He started his career with SC Braga making his debut in the year of 1994. He stayed at that club until 2003/04. At his time there he played in 230 games and grew to be one of the top goalies in Portugal. Due to this, Benfica picked him up at the start of the 2004 season and eventually Benfica won the title that year where Quim split the net with fellow companion Moreira. The next year Quim had injury problems and so did not play much but in the 2006/07 season Quim was the first choice goalkeeper for Benfica. From then on he has kept being Benficas #1 and still has because of his amazing consistent performances. Until now Quim has played in 124 games with Benfica.

National Team

Quim developed in the youth program of the national team winning a UEFA European Under-18 Championship in 1994. In August 1999, Quim made his senior debut agaisnt Andorra which they won 4-0. Throughout his history with the National team he was always the back-up goalie for them at international competitions. Finally, now in 2008 he has cemented the starting role for Portugal but is coming off an embarassing loss to Brazil of 6-2.

Status Update

It seems like Quim is not going to be in the starting lineup for next weeks game against Maritimo due to the great amount of goals being let in his net in the past few games…Recall: 6 from Brazil, 5 from Olympiakos, 2 from Setubal (13 goals allowed in 3 games!! YIKES!!).