BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil : Julio Cesar the 34-year-old goalkeeper for World Cup hosts Brazil, nearly ended his national team career after feeling the brunt of his team's exit from the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Four years after making the mistake that led to Brazil's elimination from the World Cup, Julio Cesar came up big.
Cesar made two saves in Saturday's penalty shootout victory and watched Chile's last shot from the spot smack the post, helping save Brazil from a humiliating loss in the second round of the World Cup.Cesar has always admitted that his mistake on a ball crossed into the area in 2010 led to Brazil's 2-1 loss to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in South Africa, something which left him devastated.
Cesar was visibly emotional even before the penalty shootout, when teammates walked over to hug him and wish him well. His eyes appeared to be watering and he seemed to have a hard time staying composed.