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SPORTS TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014 Brazil pays price for lack of goalkeeping culture SAO PAULO: Goalkeeper Julio Cesar - the wrong Zetti opened Brazil’s first academy exclusively those from rival teams. for the FIFA Ballon d’Or. side of 30 and past his prime - is the weakest link in for goalkeepers six years ago. Brazil long neglected Ceni was a reserve keeper for the World Cups of But Cesar - now 34 - has been less impressive the team which all of Brazil expects to win the to take goalkeeping seriously, he explained. Teams 2002 and 2006, where he came on as a substitute since moving to Queens Park Rangers, dropping World Cup this July. And that is no accident: The didn’t hire trainers for that position, so goalkeepers for Brazil No.1 and captain Dida late in a 4-1 demo- out of the Premier League with the London club in nation of Pele has long paid far more attention to couldn’t match strikers and midfielders for quality. lition of Japan in the group stage. 2013. Rob Green replaced him in QPR’s starting players who score and make goals than to those But Zetti said things have changed in recent Ceni has won three Brazilian championships and line-up and the club then loaned him to Toronto in who save them. The country’s best-known goal- decades. Marcos and Rogerio Ceni, goalkeepers in the 2005 Club World Cup with Sao Paulo, where he Major League Soccer after he failed to find another keeper was probably Barbosa, and he became the 2002 World Cup-winning squad, both influ- remains a starter. He stands out for scoring goals, not club in Europe. Although none of this has been ide- famous not for a great save but for the national enced the Brazilian game with their successes and just saving them. He has netted more than 100 penal- al preparation for the World Cup, Brazil coach Luiz agony he caused by letting in Uruguay’s two goals become idols for a new generation. ties and free kicks, by far the most for a goalkeeper. Felipe Scolari is sticking with Cesar, in part because against Brazil that won the World Cup in 1950. “Marcos and Rogerio Ceni really contributed to Cesar was a reserve with Ceni in the 2006 World he has few other options. Not that many Brazilians The first thing Brazilian kids often do before get more kids to want to become goalkeepers,” Cup squad before getting Brazil’s No. 1 spot at the will care. From 2002, they mostly remember pick-up games is play “rock, scissors, paper” to Zetti said. “In my academy, I can see this. Because of 2010 World Cup. Fans remember his mistake in Ronaldo and Rivaldo, not that Marcos starred decide who gets stuck in goal. With so many out- them there is a generation coming up that really Brazil’s 2-1 quarterfinal elimination by the between Brazil’s posts in the 2-0 defeat of Germany. standing strikers and midfielders in Brazilian histo- likes goalkeepers. They are not ready to play yet, Netherlands. Obstructed by midfield teammate Taffarel played well in goal in 1994, but Romario ry, few chose keepers as their childhood idols. but in a few years we may be able to start seeing Felipe Melo, Cesar failed to punch away Wesley and captain Dunga are the standout names from “If the kid is good enough with the ball, proba- some results.” Marcos’ saves in the 2002 final Sneijder’s cross that zipped past him into the goal that team. Pele, Gerson, Rivelino and Tostao over- bly he will not want to play in goal,” Zetti, a reserve against Germany helped Brazil secure its fifth world for the Dutch equalizer. shadowed Felix’s goalkeeping for the winning team goalkeeper in Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning title. He also enjoyed success with Palmeiras, win- At Inter Milan from 2005-2012, Cesar became of 1970. As Brazil now attempts to win its first squad, said in a phone interview. “Kids are usually ning the 1999 Copa Libertadores with the Sao one of the world’s best goalkeepers, winning five World Cup at home, Brazilians only have eyes for scared of playing in goal, and most of the time par- Paulo club where he played for nearly two decades. Italian championships and the Champions League the likes of Neymar and Oscar, the creative talents ents are always trying to convince them to play in a Easy-going and known for speaking his mind, in 2010. He and Spain’s 2010 World Cup winner Iker they so admire. Only if he makes howling mistakes different position.” Marcos was easy to like for fans of all ages, even Casillas were the only goalies nominated that year will Cesar compete with them for attention. — AP Pirlo punishes Genoa ITALY: Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon saved a penalty and Andrea Pirlo curled in a trademark free kick late in the game to give the Serie A leaders a dramatic 1-0 win at Genoa on Sunday. Germany forward Mario Gomez scored for the second match running to help Fiorentina beat Chievo 3-1 and AC Milan’s crisis deepened when they lost 4-2 at home to Parma after playing for almost the entire match with 10 men. Lazio eased their problems with a 2-0 win at Cagliari, Livorno’s 2-1 win over Bologna pulled them out of the relegation zone and Sassuolo came from behind to beat Catania 3-1 in the meeting of the bot- tom two. Juventus forward Pablo Daniel Osvaldo had two first-half goals disallowed for offside with television replays suggest- ing that the first decision was correct and the second was not. Buffon, equalling Dino Zoff’s record of 476 Juventus appearances, rescued the visi- tors when he saved Emanuele Calaio’s penalty in the 72nd minute after a handball by Arturo Vidal. There was an air of inevitability about FRANCE : Saint-Etienne’s French defender Loic Perrin (top) vies with Paris Saint-Germain’s Swedish for- ITALY : Juventus’ defender Giorgio Chiellini fights for the ball with Genoa’s forward the outcome when Juventus won a free ward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) and Italian midfielder Marco Verratti (center) during the French League Giuseppe Sculli during the Italian Serie A football match. — AFP football match. — AFP kick on the edge of the area with two min- utes left and, sure enough, Pirlo curled a trademark effort over the wall and into the top corner. Bayern chief set for jail term Prolific Ibrahimovic Juventus, who have 75 points from 28 games and are almost certain to win their as prosecutors won’t appeal third successive title, are 17 clear of AS sets PSG goals record Roma who host Udinese on Monday (2000) BERLIN: German prosecutors said yesterday No date has yet been fixed for Hoeness, when third-placed Napoli visit Torino they won’t appeal the tax fraud verdict who also runs a successful sausage business, PARIS: Zlatan Ibrahimovic took his season tally to a increased the pressure, coming close twice through (1800). David Pizarro missed a penalty for against football legend Uli Hoeness, former to begin his jail term, but it is expected to club record 40 goals as the Sweden forward’s double Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani. Both combined per- Fiorentina but it did not matter as Juan boss of powerhouse Bayern Munich, freeing start in the coming weeks. inspired runaway leaders Paris St Germain to a 2-0 fectly in the 42nd, and Ibrahimovic stabbed in a close- Cuadrado, Alessandro Matri and Gomez, the way for his jail term to begin. Hoeness, 62, “The district court’s verdict is justifiable,” home win against St Etienne in Ligue 1 on Sunday. range volley with the outside of his foot from the back in action after a knee injury, were on who spent four decades at the champion said Florian Gliwitzky, a spokesman for the The French champions maintained their eight-point Uruguay forward’s perfect cross. target against lowly Chievo, who replied club, will in coming weeks start a three-and- public prosecutor’s office. lead over second-placed Monaco, who had Dimitar St Etienne had a clear chance to reduce the arrears through Alberto Paloschi. Gomez also a-half-year prison sentence handed down by Berbatov to thank for a 3-2 win at Olympique Lyon. after the break but Benjamin Corgnet inexplicably scored in the Europa League draw against a court last Thursday, which he has also said ‘MISTAKE OF MY LIFE’ PSG have 70 points from 29 matches after shot wide from point-blank range. Juventus on Thursday. he will not contest. Heidenreich told AFP that he assumed Ibrahimovic surpassed Argentine Carlos Bianchi’s PSG Earlier on Sunday, Dimitar Berbatov scored one The Bayern chief is currently due to serve Hoeness would receive the same treatment in record of 39 goals scored in all competitions in a sin- goal and set up two more in Monaco’s win at Gerland. MILAN CRISIS his term in Landsberg prison in southern Landsberg prison as other inmates. He was gle season (1977-78). Berbatov created Valere Germain and James Milan slumped to a fourth consecutive Bavaria state, prosecution spokesman Ken unable to say exactly when Hoeness’ jail time St Etienne stayed fourth on 48 points, five points Rodriguez’s first-half goals before chipping in the defeat in all competitions and conceded Heidenreich told AFP. That is the jail where would begin as the prosecution service adrift of third-placed Lille who occupy the Champions third.