Jose Luis Chilavert (Velez Sarsfield v River, 1996)
Thursday 01 December 2011 12:30
Paraguayan goalkeeper
Jose Luis Chilavert scored
62 goals in his career, his size four left foot helping him become something of
a set-piece and penalty specialist. The greatest of them all was playing for Velez Sarsfield against River Plate, with an incredible 60-metre free-kick.
“Some players have scored from long distance, but it was usually by chance,” says Chilavert. “This was different.
I saw that [River Plate keeper] Burgos was outside the box, watching birds rather than concentrating on the game.
So I started running desperately. As I arrived,
I noticed the referee was in
the way and shouted: ‘Move!’ Luckily, he did – the shot could have knocked him out if he hadn’t ducked.
I thought the ball was going too high, but then it started going down quickly. When Burgos tried to react, it was too late. I landed on the floor like an airplane and so did my team-mates. Even River players congratulated me! It was very special for me as my father was recovering from heart treatment and I could dedicate it to him.
We won the game and
I gave my shirt to the referee. It was his last professional game and, besides, he deserved
it for his reflexes!”
Interview: Martin Mazur. Illustration: German Aczel. From the February 2011 issue of FourFourTwo. Subscribe!
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