Toró

Toró

Personal information
Full name	Rafael Ferreira Francisco
Date of birth	(1986-04-13) April 13, 1986
Place of birth	Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Height
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Sagamihara
Number	21
Youth career
2004	Fluminense
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005	Fluminense	4	(1)
2006–2010	Flamengo	97	(4)
2011–2012	Atlético Mineiro	9	(1)
2012	→ Figueirense (loan)	13	(0)
2013	Bahia	8	(0)
2014-	Sagamihara	38	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 12, 2011 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of August 12, 2011

Rafael Ferreira Francisco usually known by the nickname Toró (born April 13, 1986 in Rio de Janeiro), is a Brazilian defensive midfielder, currently playing for Sagamihara.

Career

Fluminense

Revealed by Fluminense youth team, Toró was expected to be next idol of the team. His nickname "Toró" (Storm, in Portuguese) was created during his indor soccer times when he used to "storm the goalkeepers with goals after goals."

However, when he made his debut in the pro team, in 2004, he did not repeat the same performances from his youth years.

Flamengo

In 2006 the Flamengo decided to bet on the player's potential and was hired by Toró Dearest Brazil and future status of ace. Still, the youngster showed his no good football and was barred, only gaining a new opportunity in the role of playing second wheel in the final of the Copa do Brasil that year, and the opportunity was seized as well as Toró helped Flamengo win the title and climbed into the concept of the fans and the coach Ney Franco.

With Ney's departure and arrival of Joel Santana, Toró finally live its peak in Topsail. Dubbed by "Torózinho" coach, the player finally found himself as the wheel and started to gain more credibility, so that by year's end, the player was first summoned to the Brazil squad and played a match against Championship Selection Brasileiro 2007 in Engenhão: Brazil 0 x 3.

In 2008, when he finally won the undisputed title, Toró, by then headed by Caio Junior became one of the biggest ball stealers of the 2008 Brazilian Série A and central to the regular performance of Fla that year. However, some bruising just chasing the player so much that year, as next year, so that Toró was not continued and ended up participating as "reinforcing luxury" of the sixth national title in the club.

In 2010, after much negotiation on the contract renewal, without agreement, Toró left Flamengo.

Atlético Mineiro

After leaving Flamengo signed with Minas Gerais club Atlético Mineiro. The deal was closed in December 2010.

Career statistics

(Correct as of August 25, 2011)

Club	Season	Carioca League			Brazilian Série A			Copa do Brasil			Copa Libertadores			Copa Sudamericana			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
Fluminense	2005	-	-	-	4	1	?	2	0	?	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	0	?
Flamengo	2006	7	0	?	17	0	?	2	0	?	-	-	-	-	-	-	26	0	1
	2007	2	0	?	21	1	?	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	23	1	1
	2008	14	1	?	23	1	0	-	-	-	6	1	?	-	-	-	43	3	3
	2009	8	0	0	22	0	2	5	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	35	0	2
	2010	15	0	0	14	2	0	-	-	-	7	0	0	-	-	-	36	2	0
Total		46	1	?	97	4	?	7	0	?	13	1	?	-	-	-	163	6	7
Atlético Mineiro	2011	-	-	-	9	1	0	1	0	0	-	-	-	1	0	0	11	1	0
Total		-	-	-?	9	1	0	1	0	0	-	-	-	1	0	0	11	1	0
Career total		46	1	?	110	6	?	10	0	?	13	1	?	1	0	0	180	8	?

according to combined sources on the Flamengo official website and Flaestatística.

Honours

Flamengo

• Brazilian Cup: 2006
• Taça Guanabara: 2007, 2008
• Taça Rio: 2009
• Rio de Janeiro State League: 2007, 2008, 2009
• Brazilian Série A: 2009

External links

• sambafoot
• Toró at footballzz.co.uk
• Guardian Stats Centre
• globoesporte