WC Champion goalkeeper "Saint" Marcos retires at age 38

[PalestrinoSEP]

A sad, really sad day.

He was one of those rare players. He won the '02 WC in the same year Palmeiras got relegated, Marcos denied a tranfer to Arsenal to play the 2nd Division. One Club Player, Marcos, like fellow World Champion Ronaldo "fenomeno" is beloved by the whole nation, no matter what club they support.
After a series of injuries, and the turmoil Palmeiras faces with a lousy amateur board of coward and corrupts since the relegation year, the goalkeeper, 3rd More Popular Player of the World in 2008, decided to stop his career.
He became a legend between fans(and Corinthians haters, pretty much every non-Corinthians fan) after saving the last penalty, taken by the one of the best players Corinthians ever had, Marcelinho Carioca, in the '00 Libertadores semifinal. There, he was canonized as Saint Marcos. Even being defeat by Boca Jrs in the final, that save was as big as the title.

[video=youtube;yM11tZBSAAg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM11tZBSAAg[/video]

Marcos was the only Brazilian to play all the minutes of the World Cup, when did two amazing saves in the Final, against Germany.

[video=youtube;gAs5TudcsSI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAs5TudcsSI[/video]
Until 0:40, all World Cup action.

Marcao was always humble, respectful and a role model. He conquered eveyone acting simple(read: Not the Neymar/Balotelli way), in a "redneck" fashion.


Titles:
Palmeiras

Brazilian Série A: 1993, 1994
São Paulo State Championship: 1993, 1994, 1996, 2008
Brazilian Cup: 1998
Mercosul Cup: 1998
Libertadores Cup: 1999
Rio-São Paulo Tournament: 1993, 2000
Brazilian Champions Cup: 2000
Brazilian Série B: 2003

Brazil

FIFA World Cup: 2002
FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005
Copa America: 1999

Individual

Best Goalkeeper of the Libertadores Cup: 1999
Best Player of the Libertadores Cup: 1999
Revelation of the Libertadores Cup: 1999
Best Player in the Final of the Libertadores Cup of America: 1999
Best Goalkeeper of the Paulista Championship: 1999
4th Best Goalkeeper in the World: 2002 (IFFHS)
3rd More Popular Player of the World: 2008 (IFFHS)
Best Goalkeeper in Brazilian League by Trophy Mesa Redonda: 2008, 2009

[video=youtube;IiJvo-Dh1Ao]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiJvo-Dh1Ao[/video]

The saves against Germany

[video=youtube;okFL6QreATw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okFL6QreATw[/video]

[video=youtube;CiUFDaQ_ePk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiUFDaQ_ePk[/video]

 

[Athe~]

Good guy and great player. His generation was arguably the last to produce 'one-club men', sadly.

 

[Calum]

The Arsenal in the OP is this London Arsenal?

 

[PalestrinoSEP]

London Arsenal.

 

[Calum]

London Arsenal.

Haha didnt know that didn't even follow football in 2002 lol

 

[PalestrinoSEP]

Actually, neither did I, I just liked to play. I was 6, and when I saw the WC, something happened to me. I was a great goalkeeper at the time(not like many kids want to be keepers, so, for lack of competition, I was the best). Marcos is my hero, just like Super Man id for some people. Palmeiras has the greatest Goalkeeper History in all time - FACT. Saint Marcos, Leão(WC 70), Oberdan(Grandpa says only Yashin beat him) and Valdir de Moraes, who actually created the "GK trainer" job. No other club in the world had anything like at the time.