The lower divisions of Brazil’s professional soccer scene are treasure troves of crazy on-field antics.
The latest gem was found on Saturday in a Serie D (fourth division) game between Aparecidence and Tupi. Aparacidence’s masseur, Romildo Fonseca da Silva (also known as “Lefty”), stepped onto the field and prevented Tupi from scoring a goal.
This isn’t one of those feel-good stories about an underdog athlete who gets his moment in the sun. Fonseca da Silva simply took it upon himself to jump in goal and make two saves. This understandably enraged Tupi players, who tried to get their hands on the rogue masseur, but Fonseca da Silva once again showed off his athletic talents when he ran for his life.
The masseur’s heroics preserved the 2-2 scoreline, as the referee halted the game for 20 minutes but refused to award a goal to Tupi. The result saw Aparacidence advance to the playoff semifinals. Tupi has vowed to challenge the result in court.
We can only hope Fonseca da Silva will act as his team’s lead attorney if the case goes to trial. He seems to be good at everything else he does.
See Lefty’s triple save in the video below.
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