PETALING JAYA: Bergson da Silva has again proven his extraordinary ability to score in big matches as his timely strike in the second half was a turning point in Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) 6-1 demolition of Selangor in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Selangor were very much in the game when Alvin Fortes scored in the 59th minute to reduce the deficit to 1-2, but Da Silva found the target when the Southern Tigers needed it most when his shot from the edge of the box helped them to restore their two-goal cushion.
The strike also opened the floodgates, and JDT’s victory was never in doubt as they went on a rampage by scoring three more goals.
The Brazilian hitman joined JDT in 2021 and has featured in all of JDT’s three straight FA Cup wins starting from 2022.
Da Silva also scored in the 2023 and 2024 Malaysia Cup finals against Selangor (2-1) and Terengganu (3-1).
In six Cup finals, he only failed to score in two of them – the 2-0 win over Kuala Lumpur in the 2023 FA Cup final and the 2021 Malaysia Cup final, also against KL, which JDT lost 2-0.
Besides the five Cup triumphs, Da Silva has also been the top scorer for JDT in the Super League for the last three seasons to underline his value to the club.
Despite such a phenomenal run, Da Silva says there is nothing spectacular about his ability to score in a final. He only attributes it to diligence and the good support he receives from his teammates.
“No secrets. I just work hard everyday and trust my teammates as they helped me a lot and I do the same for them. I’m so proud of my teammates and we are one as a team,” said Da Silva.
“The match against Selangor was difficult but we turned it around to make it easy for us. We kept pressuring them all the time and we showed our character to become champions again.”
