The World is a Ball: São Marcos, penta in 2002, reveals that he was afraid of being a new Barbosa

Marcos, a great idol of Palmeiras, nicknamed São Marcos (due to miraculous saves), is one of the four goalkeepers to win the World Cup as the holder of the Brazilian team.

He won at the Korea/Japan Worlds 20 years ago. Before, Gylmar triumphed in Sweden-1958 and Chile-1962, Félix, in Mexico-1970, and Taffarel, in the USA-1994.

With the Qatar Cup approaching, which will start on November 20, FIFA has been publishing interviews, in English, with characters who have been to previous World Cups.

One of them is with Marcos, and the fact that the goalkeeper, one of the greats I’ve seen play, calls attention, says he was very apprehensive before the decision, in Japan, against Germany.

He declared that he feared disappointing his teammates –stars of the level of Ronaldo Fenômeno, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and Cafu– if he didn’t do well in the decisive match at the Yokohama International Stadium.

“I was really worried. The pressure you suffer playing for the Brazilian team is immeasurable. Can you imagine that in a World Cup final?”, said the then number 1.

“The Brazilian media and fans are incomparably demanding. I was very worried in the dressing room. I played for a wonderful team, full of renowned stars, and I was nobody. I was very worried about letting them down.”

Marcos cited the case of Barbosa, the first-choice goalkeeper at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, who in the decisive game missed Ghiggia’s shot that resulted in Uruguay’s 2-1 winning goal at the packed Maracanã.

“In Brazil, a lot is demanded of the goalkeeper, they are always the scapegoat. In 1950, Brazil was the big favorite. Unfortunately Barbosa made a mistake and we lost. I met him at an event and I will never forget what he told me. to him in the streets and told their children: ‘Brazil lost the World Cup because of that guy’. He was a great goalkeeper and that was unfair.”

The paulista de Oriente (457 km northwest of São Paulo), now 49, continued his account: “I was very worried that the same would happen to me. This was compounded by the fact that my two reserves were excellent goalkeepers, so any mistake I made, everyone would say: ‘I should have played Dida. I should have played Rogério [Ceni]”.

Marcos won the starting position in the selection after Luiz Felipe Scolari took charge of the team, about a year before the 2002 World Cup, in place of Emerson Leão.

“You are my goalkeeper, I believe in your potential”, said the coach to the archer.

Felipão had great confidence in the goalkeeper who, under his leadership at Palmeiras, had won the 1999 Libertadores.

The pressure on Marcos was really huge, not least because the opponent’s goalkeeper in the decision was Oliver Kahn, captain of Germany and who had been elected, before the final was held, the best player in the competition.

One of the biggest mistakes made by FIFA, by the way.

Kahn failed badly by not fitting a shot by Rivaldo and, on the rebound, Ronaldo opened the scoring for Brazil. The same Ronaldo would expand to 2-0, the final result of the game.

For his part, Marcos did not see his ghosts come to fruition. Nervous or not, when required, he fulfilled what was expected of him.

First, with the decision without opening count, he spread Neuville’s free kick – the ball still touched the post.

Then, near the end of the second half, and with Brazil in the lead (2-0), he made a difficult save in a shot in Bierhoff’s great area, preventing Germany from undertaking a “choke” in search of equality that would result in extra time. .

After the match, Marcos says he ran to Felipão to thank him. “Thank you for believing in me when I didn’t even believe in myself.”

Marcos finished the 2002 World Cup with four goals conceded in seven matches.

One in the debut, against Turkey (Brazil 2 to 1, comeback), two in the third game, against Costa Rica (Brazil 5 to 2), and one in the quarterfinals, against England (again Brazil 2 to 1, turn).

In none of the goals was his fault.

In addition to the final, Marcos left the field without being leaked against China (first stage, 4-0), Belgium (round of 16, 2-0) and Turkey (semi-final, 1-0).