Santo derby: 'fantastic' World Cup keepers, starter? 'Marcos, full stop' | OneFootball

Felipão’s first spell at Palmeiras ended in mid-2000, when the coach left for Cruzeiro. Marcos, now the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper, crossed paths with him again some time later, when the manager took over the Brazilian National Team in 2001.

Trust

Marcos was called up for the Copa América and the final stretch of the World Cup qualifiers. Even with competition from Dida and Rogério Ceni, Felipão was certain about who his starting goalkeeper would be for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

– At the World Cup, I had other fantastic goalkeepers. Rogério, with me, was a wonderful guy, and Dida too, no need to say it, very good, but deep down I already had such confidence that I could put Marcos in and that was it. I put Marcos in, done. At the beginning, when we started way back in 1998, when I was going to put Marcos in, there was a little more doubt, because we were waiting for matches, attitudes, how he would behave in the game, a whole series of things, and then, by the World Cup, I already had absolute confidence – Felipão said, in an exclusive interview for the Santo Dérbi special by NOSSO PALESTRA.

Decision confirmed

Part of the Brazilian National Team’s coaching staff, Carlos Pracidelli also had Marcos as the first choice to fill the starting spot for the 2002 World Cup.

– We talked a lot, and Felipão always listens to his assistants and, of course, the final decision is always his, but we already had that idea, especially because Marcos was the starter in every qualifying match. And we had Rogério, the great Rogério at São Paulo, fantastic, right? We had Dida – Pracidelli recalls.

Perfect campaign

With Marcos in goal, Brazil won all seven matches on the road to its fifth World Cup title, and the No. 1 played in every game. Of the 23 players taken by Felipão, only Dida and Rogério Ceni did not get any playing time.

Santo 9

Read more

Chitãozinho and Xororó? Marcos arrives with all the signs of a Palmeiras idolA calling card and the National Team in the year of his first official match for PalmeirasThe board goes up in the derby: Oséas off, Marcos onAn atomic bomb about to explodeMarcos as the star of the Libertadores and a new car in the garageExtra help and in the elevator with the enemy‘Banana for the rival,’ dressing room in ecstasy, and Marcos in the fans’ arms

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.