Meet the only goalkeeper of the four national divisions who has not yet conceded a goal

Goalkeeper Alex Alves, 35, draws curious eyes from the stands with each new São Bernardo match in Serie D of the Brazilian Championship.

In the last one, in the 1-0 victory against Santo André, local rivals, it was still possible to hear Ramalhão fans in the warm-up, provoking him with each ball kicked into the goal by the goalkeeper coach.

“It’s today, huh? Today your luck runs out”, they shouted.

Without great fame and far from the biggest teams in the country, he is directly responsible for the ABC Paulista team boasting a considerable record so far: the only one that still hasn’t conceded goals among all 124 that make up the four national divisions – the series A, B, C and D.

Counting, there are already 1,175 minutes, 12 matches or 107 days without seeing the ball enter the nets. He even saved a penalty in the period.

“Of course I never planned something like that. I prefer to understand that they are God’s inexplicable plans for so many things we’ve been through”, he adds.

Alex’s main references are Marcos, Rogério Ceni and Dida, but his career has less connection with the fame of idols and more with the reality of most athletes in the country.

“My life was always very difficult. I never received well, I could only keep my accounts, without any stability. Everything was always told a lot”, he reports.

The construction of the new fame began, curiously, right after a rout. Holder in São Bernardo’s campaign in the last Campeonato Paulista, the team qualified for the quarterfinals, but ended up eliminated by São Paulo by 4-1, in Morumbi, on March 22 of this year.

“It’s proof that I concede goals”, he jokes. “The great merit of ours was to keep the base of that team, all our defense remained and that helped a lot in Serie D”.

“And whoever says it’s easier because it’s Serie D, doesn’t know what they’re saying. I’ve played all the divisions and I know that this is one of the most complicated. The games are very disputed, the ball arrives a lot in the goal”, he adds.

In the period, the invincibility was sustained with some miracles. He saved a penalty against Oeste, in the 4th round, and saw Cianorte kick out a penalty in the final minutes of the game on the 19th.

“I heard someone yelling: ‘Damn, it’s really hard with this guy'”, he says.

Facing Paraná, the miracle worker was another. After Alex went wrong in a cross, the ball was saved with a header by defender Islan, over the line.

wanderer

The goalkeeper who doesn’t concede is one of the many wanderers in the sport. Alex accumulates spells for 17 teams in the country and has never had an effective space in Serie A, despite having played for Red Bull Bragantino between 2017 and 2020.

He arrived at the club indicated by coach Marcelo Veiga and was one of the protagonists in winning the C Series that year, but ended up losing ground with the purchase of the club by Red Bull.

“When they bought it, I was one of the few that stayed. I lost space later, but at least I got my first apartment”, he explains.

Alex says he started in football almost without planning. With no class at the school where he studied in Araçatuba (518 km from SP), in 2002, he decided to go running around the municipal stadium. When he arrived, he saw that the city’s professional team was training and asked for an opportunity.

Formed professionally by the club in the interior of São Paulo, he began in 2007 the search for the dream of being able to effectively play.

He passed through Sertãozinho, Atlético-GO and Santa Cruz-RS until he arrived at Mogi Mirim, in 2010, where he reached the first great streak of his career. He would return to the club between 2012 and 2014 and would still go through other teams in the country.

“I walked around a lot because of the difficulties that the clubs themselves presented. When you arrive at a structured club, who wants to leave? It’s like that here in São Bernardo, I had proposals, but I stayed for the work structure and seriousness”, he reports.

Football for the record-breaking goalkeeper almost had to be stopped early, in 2016, at the age of 30 – an age still considered young for a goalkeeper.

Relegated with XV de Piracicaba to the last state division, he was unemployed for three months. With no more financial reserves, his wife Mariana Alves had to work in a call center, with a salary of R$ 1,200, to support the costs of the house.

“It was a cousin of hers to do an electrical installation at home and recommended her to work in this call center. Months later she got pregnant, and I managed to resume my career”, he says.

The career that he believed had already come to an end began again at Grêmio Prudente, where he was hired, receiving R$ 2,500 to play in the last games of the fourth division of São Paulo.

“That’s why I have my feet firmly on the ground. Many things pass and one hour this record, and even football, will also pass”, he says. Until then, however, he will be the target to beat.

In Serie D, the teams that are closest are Retrô-PE and América-RN, with five goals conceded each. In the elite, Palmeiras is the team that conceded the fewest goals: 12 in 15 matches played.

In the Premier League, the highest recognized record is that of Dutchman Edwin van der Sar, who went 1,311 minutes unbeaten by Manchester United between 2008 and 2009. Another mark that could be broken by him so soon.

Ceni went 988 minutes without conceding a goal in Serie A in 2007, for São Paulo. The sequence between August 2 and September 16 was only interrupted by the goal of midfielder Rodrigo Tabata, then at Santos.

Alex’s next match will be against Paraná, this Saturday (9), at the Primeiro de Maio stadium, in São Bernardo. At least until then, he will still be an unbeatable goalkeeper.