Joao Mota

Joao Soares da Mota Neto is a professional football player from Brazil who plays as a striker. In 1997, Mota began his playing career with Ceara Sporting Club, in 1997. As a 17-year old, Mota scored four times in 10 games, earning a spot with the RCD Mallorca B-team, in Spain’s lower divisions. A promising find, Mota failed to live up to the expectations off of him, during his stay from 1999 to 2001. He played just 19 games, mostly as a substitute, and scored three goals.

He moved back to Brazil after his spell in Spain, signing up with Ceara Sporting Clube once again. He was a regular starter for Ceara, scoring 11 goals in 21 games during the 2002-03 season. He moved to Cruzeiro following this short spell, and played 37 games over the next season, scoring 15 goals. He moved out, on loan, to Sporting Clube de Portugal, towards the latter part of his Ceara stint, but failed to have the kind of impact that he needed to, at the club.

After a failed loan stint in Portugal, Mota moved to South Korea, signing with Chunnam Dragons in the K-League. He scored 31 goals in just under 80 league games, becoming one of the best players in the entire league. He helped the team win the 2006 league title and come second in 2007 and 2009. In 2009, the team finished second in the FA Cup as well as came second in the 2006 League Cup.

However, Mota himself won the AFC Champions League’s Golden Boot award in 2007 in addition to the K-League Golden Boot award of 2004. In 2009, Mota decided to end his Korean adventure and returned to Brazil to sign with Ceara, the club that seemed ever-ready to sign him.

Mota was at Ceara for only the second half of 2009, and in 2010, he signed with Korean giants Pohang Steelers. Nicknamed Motasin or Mota the God, by his fans in Korea, Mota spent 2010-11 notching up 19 goals over 52 games for the Steelers. However, family commitments forced Mota to return to Brazil and re-sign with Ceara Sporting Club for the third time in his career.