The goalkeeper who brought victory

The legendary Paraguayan goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert, who struck the gates of his rivals 60 times during his career, is 60 years old

For the first time I heard about an unusual guard of the gate in the late 80s from television news. The announcer with easy bewilderment talked about how, in the match of the qualifying tournament for the World Cup, 90 people in variegated gloves after appointing a penalty in favor of his team unexpectedly for the stunned partners and rivals took the ball in his hands, put it on a “point” and a whipping blow brought a victory paragraph over Columbia. This hero, as you know, turned out to be Chilavert. Here are just a red-white squad, in the battles for which Jose will distinguish a total of eight times (not all South American forwards are ready to boast of such a result), then did not get on the mundial.

But it will hit in 1998 and 2002. And thanks to the already middle-aged goalkeeper, it will break into the playoffs both at the end of the 21st and at the beginning of the 21st century. Moreover, according to the results of the French fair-98, the extraordinary sentry will be included in the symbolic team of the tournament along with the golden fabyen bartesis ...

... It is funny that in the goalkeeper Jose, who reached cows in childhood and selling milk in the market, turned to some extent by chance.

A native of a poor family did not even have seedy shoes in childhood, and in dusty courtyard battles preferred to light in a foreign half of the field and even earned the nickname "Boldog" for his wild assertiveness. But once the elder brother took him to a duel with his peers and for the sake of security for the last line. And Jose, confidently interrupting dangerous departments and boldly reflecting the dashing raids of the enemy, was surprised to realize that catching a round shell is no less exciting and useful. And he will tame it up to 40 years.

At fifteen, the teenager will make his debut for Sportivo Lukeno from his hometown Luke. At eighteen - he is already the main goalkeeper of an adult team. A year later, he will put his eyes on him and buy, without bargaining, the metropolitan Grand - “Guarani”. Moreover, in 1986, a student of Chilavert could go the first number at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, but an injury will interfere ... And he will spend only 28 games for the club from Asunsion, he will become a paragraph and wave in search of football happiness in Argentina. And there, in the homeland of Maradona, his career could be interrupted, barely beginning.

In the “San Lorenso” locker room, imagine, one day they will throw a bomb ... Chilavert, who stood right by the window, will receive many cuts, but will not be confused and even be able to take out a heavily crippled comrade Claudio Sakarias to an ambulance, which will save his life.

“I managed to cover the skull with my hands, and this saved me. It is hard to believe that such things happen in sports ... ” - the goalkeeper later recalled.

Almost in the same way, the fans often grabbed their heads and the heart from the tricks of Chilavert, who periodically distributed long gear outside their possessions. Fans demanded from Jose to return to the “frame”, but he did not think to change his favorite attacking habits. In the end, this seemed a little to him, and he decided to fulfill the “standards”, which became famous throughout the world.

Of course, his colleagues in the workshop (Jorge Kampos, Dimiter Ivankov, Rene Igita) also dashingly twisted from the penalty and eleven meters. And their follower - the Brazilian Rozherio Seny - even surpassed Chilavert in the number of goals clogged. However, it is Jose Louis that has a unique record: on November 28, 1999, in the Veles Sarsfield match-Ferrokarril Ostes, he will create a hat-trick, realizing all three penalties. And two years earlier, he will test the focus that the forwards dream of: he will score from the center of the field, fulfilling the penalty with lightning speed. The sorcerer "River Plate" Herman Burgos, who got a "gift" for the collar, wanted to naturally beat Chilavert after the performance.

However, many tried to reach the physiognomy of the well-fed goalkeeper-bomberdir. After all, Jose Louis was still that bully. Once he will fit with the Colombian striker Faustino Asprieli, which provoke a mass brawl, which only the police will be difficult to stop. And after a fierce meeting with the Brazilians as part of the selection to the 2002 World Cup, something will not share something with Roberto Carlos, spit in his face and earn a long disqualification.

But with all his not always approximate behavior and passion for offensive actions, Chilavert regularly fulfilled his direct duties. He will turn out with Veles Sarsfield by the four -time champion of Argentina, raise the Libertadores Cup and the intercontinental cup above his head. The cup trophy with the French "Strasbourg" will win. Moreover, in the post-match series of the penalty exactly the fifth blow of Chilavert, who had previously reflected the defender of the “Amen”, and will bring the honorary prize. By the way, this is the last success of the Strasbourg in the national tournament ...

The International Federation of Football History and Statistics in the mid-90s will call the chute goalkeeper of the planet three times (more than three figures only in Buffon, Kasillas and Neuer). In 1996, he was recognized as the strongest football player of South America. And in the nomination, the best goalkeeper of the 20th century Jose Luis Felix Chilavert Gonsalez (this is his full name) will bypass all his contemporaries and take an account of the sixth place after Leo Yashin, Gordon Banks, Dino Dzoff, Zepp Mayer and Ricardo by the Self.

Now the favorite of Paraguayan fans is engaged in business. And in 2023 he ran for the president of the country! But he scored less than 1 percent of votes (he was supported by 21,623 people). Apparently, people were afraid that Chilavert would often "leave the government gate." Although the intentions of Jose Louis were kind. By the way, in 1999, the goalkeeper refused to speak at the home for his native national team “Kopa America”, motivating this by the fact that the money spent on the football forum should be directed to the development of education and other needs of the population ...