Luís Rocha (footballer, born 1986)

Luís Carlos Rocha Rodrigues (born 13 August 1986), known as Rocha, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for C.D. Santa Clara as a central defender.

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Rocha and the second or paternal family name is Rodrigues.
Luís Rocha
Personal information
Full name Luís Carlos Rocha Rodrigues[1]
Date of birth (1986-08-13) 13 August 1986[1]
Place of birth Guimarães, Portugal[1]
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Santa Clara
Number 13
Youth career
1997–2005 Vitória Guimarães
2001–2002 → Amigos Urgeses (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 Torcatense 18 (3)
2006–2007 Oliveirense
2007–2009 Mirandela 31 (6)
2009–2011 Merelinense 55 (5)
2011–2012 Lousada 27 (2)
2012–2013 Vizela 27 (2)
2013–2014 Covilhã 36 (2)
2014–2016 Freamunde 72 (4)
2016–2018 Feirense 42 (5)
2018 Dinamo Minsk 5 (1)
2019–2020 Famalicão 10 (2)
2019–2020 → Farense (loan) 24 (3)
2020–2022 Chaves 59 (7)
2022–2023 Moreirense 30 (1)
2023– Santa Clara 7 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:27, 9 October 2023 (UTC)

Having played in the lower levels until the age of 26, he spent most of his professional career in the second tier, making over 200 appearances in service of six clubs and winning promotion at Famalicão, Farense and Chaves. He also recorded 42 Primeira Liga games for Feirense and had a brief spell in the Belarusian Premier League at Dinamo Minsk.

Club career

Early career

Born in Guimarães, Rocha competed in lower league and amateur football until the age of 26, starting out at G.D.U. Torcatense. In 2013 he signed with Segunda Liga club S.C. Covilhã, making his debut in the competition on 11 August of that year in a 1–0 away loss against C.S. Marítimo B.[2] He scored his first goal on 5 October, as the visitors defeated FC Porto B 2–1.[3]

Feirense

On 9 June 2016, after a further two seasons in the second tier with S.C. Freamunde, Rocha joined C.D. Feirense on a one-year contract.[4] His first match in the Primeira Liga took place on 15 August, when he played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 away win over G.D. Estoril Praia.[5] He added a further 17 appearances until the end of the campaign, helping to an eighth-place finish.

Rocha scored his first goal in the Portuguese top flight on 24 September 2017, but in a 1–4 home loss to C.F. Os Belenenses.[6] With his second, the hosts won 1–0 but he was also sent off in the 36th minute of the fixture against Rio Ave FC.[7]

On 15 June 2018, 31-year-old Rocha moved abroad for the only time in his career, to FC Dinamo Minsk of the Belarusian Premier League.[8] He made nine appearances for the team from the capital city – including his only four European appearances in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers – and scored once to open a 1–1 home draw with FC Dynamo Brest on 28 October.

Second-tier regular

At the end of January 2019, Rocha reached a mutual agreement to end his time in Minsk,[9] and he returned to his country's second tier on a 21⁄2-year deal at F.C. Famalicão.[10] Having contributed ten games and two goals to their promotion as runners-up, he remained at that level by being loaned to S.C. Farense in August.[11]

On 5 June 2020, after a second consecutive promotion, Rocha moved to G.D. Chaves.[12] He scored five goals in his first season with the Trás-os-Montes club, starting with the opener on 15 October as his team began the campaign with a 4–0 victory at Feirense;[13] on 24 January 2021 he netted both goals of a 2–1 home win over F.C. Arouca.[14]

Having won another promotion, Rocha again opted to remain in the second tier in June 2022, signing for newly relegated Moreirense F.C. on a one-year deal.[15] He won the league in the ensuing season,[16] scoring one goal to open a 3–1 home defeat of F.C. Penafiel on 10 March 2023.[17]

Honours

Moreirense

Individual

  • Liga Portugal 2 Team of the Season: 2022–23[19]

References
  1. "Luís Rocha" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  2. "Marítimo B-Sp. Covilhã, 1–0: Edivândio resolveu" [Marítimo B-Sp. Covilhã, 1–0: Edivândio decided it]. Record (in Portuguese). 11 August 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  3. "FC Porto B perde no último lance do jogo" [FC Porto B lose in game's last play] (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  4. Ferreira, Bruno José (9 June 2016). "Feirense: Luís Rocha (ex-Freamunde) contratado para a defesa" [Feirense: Luís Rocha (ex-Freamunde) hired for defence] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  5. "Feirense vence no regresso à I Liga" [Feirense win in return to I League]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 15 August 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  6. Maia, Vítor (24 September 2017). "Feirense-Belenenses, 1–4 (crónica)" [Feirense-Belenenses, 1–4 (match report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  7. "VÍDEO Vermelhos, golo anulado e nove contra nove: o acidentado Feirense-Rio Ave" [VIDEO Reds, disallowed goal and nine against nine: the rocky Feirense-Rio Ave]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 21 October 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  8. Aguiar, Fábio (15 June 2018). "Luís Rocha deixa o Feirense e ruma à Bielorrússia" [Luís Rocha leaves Feirense and heads to Belarus] (in Portuguese). Notícias ao Minuto. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  9. "Made in: Dínamo Minsk e Luís Rocha rescindem contrato" [Made in: Dinamo Minsk and Luís Rocha rescind contract] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  10. Morais, Pedro (30 January 2019). "Luís Rocha oficializado como reforço do Famalicão" [Luís Rocha confirmed as Famalicão addition]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  11. Alves, Armando (3 August 2019). "Defesa-central Luís Rocha reforça Farense" [Central defender Luís Rocha bolsters Farense]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  12. Matos, Diogo (5 June 2020). "Luís Rocha reforça defesa do Chaves" [Luís Rocha bolsters Chaves defence]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  13. "Chaves vence Feirense em jogo em atraso da II Liga" [Chaves defeat Feirense in delayed II League game] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  14. "Chaves-Arouca, 2–1: regresso às vitórias com bis de Luís Rocha" [Chaves-Arouca, 2–1: return to winning ways with brace from Luís Rocha]. Record (in Portuguese). 5 June 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  15. Matos, Diogo (17 June 2022). "Oficial: Luís Rocha é reforço do Moreirense" [Official: Luís Rocha is Moreirense addition]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  16. "Moreirense abrilhantou festa de campeão com reviravolta frente ao Leixões" [Moreirense lit up the champions' party with comeback against Leixões]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 14 May 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  17. "Moreirense sólido na liderança vence Penafiel em casa" [Comfortable leaders Moreirense win at home to Penafiel] (in Portuguese). Antena Minho. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  18. "Moreirense FC é o novo Campeão da Liga Portugal SABSEG" [Moreirense FC is Liga Portugal SABSEG's new champion]. Liga Portugal (in European Portuguese). 6 May 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  19. "Luís Rocha no 11 do ano da Liga Portugal SABSEG" [Luís Rocha in Liga Portugal SABSEG's XI of the Year]. Liga Portugal (in European Portuguese). 21 June 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
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