Edgar Bruno da Silva sprints, eyes on the ball, as a sea of defenders tackle him left and right. Despite the vicious tugs and pulls, he powers through as he leaps above everyone and snaps his head at the ball. The ball ricochets toward the net, slipping past the outstretched fingers of the goalkeeper and bulging the back of the net. Goal. The stadium erupts as Edgar faces the Daegu crowd and takes a bow.
Like many other pros, Edgar started playing at a young age, inspired by his family’s love for the sport. “My grandfather was a football player, and I always wanted to be an athlete, either football, basketball, or volleyball. And then I started training when I was six years old, or five years old for football. And then I trained every day. I became a professional and signed my first contract at 17,” Silva said.
Just like basketball in the States and baseball in Korea, “in Brazil, all the kids are born with one ball in their hand and try to play football. Like everyone says, or the world says, Brazil, it’s a football country,” said Silva.
As a rookie player in Brazil’s league, Edgar once played against the legendary striker Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima. “We played the semifinal against the Corintas – the semifinal cup. And at that time, Ronaldo was playing in Corintas. It was a very good time,” he said. “And I remember one corner kick. I go close to him and just talk to him. He’s one of the best players in the world. I think the best player I played against was Ronaldo.”
Over the next thirteen years, he played for multiple countr ies including Turkey, Korea, Serbia, Portugal, UAE, and more. In the process, he had to adapt to new countries and their language by grounding himself on the pitch. “Football words, I can speak them, no problem. And we know each other, so we don’t need to talk in the field sometimes. Of course, we talk a lot, but we don’t need to talk sometimes. Just like body language, we can adjust everything in the field,” said Silva.
However, off the pitch, he encountered funny “lost-in-translation” moments. Silva said, “When I played in Turkey, our coach was from Croatia. We have one translator — from Croatian to Turkish. And we also have another translator from Turkish to Portuguese. And sometimes we said to the coach, ‘Coach, you [told] us to go to the right side.’ But, he actually said, ‘We should go to the left side.’”
During his first time in Korea, he quickly adjusted to the new environment and made long-term plans to stay. “[For] now, our plan is to be here in Korea. I love it here. And, of course, I did a great job here. And maybe I will have more opportunities to work here than in Brazil. And also because of my kids, they are here, they are studying here. They like to grow up here,” Silva said.
As a yong byeong (용병), a foreign athlete recruited to play for a team, Edgar carries different responsibilities from the rest as clubs hold higher expectations for foreign athletes. Due to the game’s nature, younger, faster, and hungrier yong-byeongs vie for an offer. While domestic athletes have cushions for mistakes, overseas pros receive cutthroat treatment. This makes them especially vulnerable to contract terminations from underperformance or injuries.
Unfortunately, in 2022, Edgar suffered an Achilles tear, a career-ending injury, while playing for Daegu FC during an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League playoff match.
Daegu FC quickly held a goodbye event for Edgar and fans held a farewell party in front of the Daegu Fan store. They displayed a compilation video of his goals as hundreds of fans sang ‘Goodbye, but this isn’t forever.’ When the translator explained the lyrics to him, he burst into tears. Soon after, his name was taken off the K-league roster, marking the end of his contract.
“It was a very hard time because I was not a young player, and of course, when we are older, all injuries take longer to recover from. I had to work hard in rehabilitation and treatments to be fit and 100%. After that, I tried to find a new challenge, new work, and a new club,” said Silva.
After arduous months dedicated purely to rehab, his luck turned around when his former team Daegu FC re-signed him to another contract. “I was fit and 100% after the surgery. When [Daegu FC] called me again to come back to Daegu, I was so happy because my family, we were here for a long time, and we were happy in Daegu. I knew my journey wasn’t finished, and we came back to continue my history here,” said Silva.
As the 38-year-old athlete enters the home stretch of his career, he supports his son’s journey into the soccer scene. Silva often advises him during his games with the U-12 Daegu FC team. “I tell [Arthur] to try to mix a Brazilian style with a Korean style. Sometimes after a tournament, I don’t like to speak too much because I don’t want to turn him against his coach […] But after some tournaments, we take some videos and try to explain to him that if you do this, it’s better.” Silva said.
Edgar plans to push through the final stretches of his career. He found his footing on the Daegu stage and aims to give it his all before the final curtain call. Silva said, “I love it. I hope to play a little bit more. Like I told you, my plan is one more year. But, I will push it a little bit more.”
