Marcos leads Palmeiras to 1999 Libertadores glory and new Toyota prize | OneFootball

Marcos was pivotal as Palmeiras won the 1999 Copa Libertadores, later named player of the tournament and awarded a new Toyota for his performances.

After helping eliminate Corinthians in the quarter-finals, he excelled in a 1-0 semi-final first-leg defeat at River Plate in Buenos Aires, keeping the damage minimal before a 3-0 turnaround in the return.

First-choice for only three months, Marcos then faced his first final against Deportivo Cali. Beaten 1-0 away, Palmeiras won 2-1 at Palestra Italia on 16 June 1999 through Evair and Oséas, then prevailed 4-3 on penalties as one effort struck a post and Zapata missed the decider.

"We were rewarded in the penalty shootout. I did not take one, but we knew the quality of those who did. We were rewarded and we made history," said Oséas, speaking to Nosso Palestra.

"Marcos was the first goalkeeper in Libertadores history to be voted the best player, not merely the best goalkeeper," said Carlos Pracidelli. "He even intended to share the prize with the group, but the players said he deserved it."

Source: Nosso Palestra

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”