Claudio André Mergen Taffarel (born May 8, 1966 in Santa Rosa, Brazil) is a former football (soccer) goalkeeper, who backstopped Brazil to victory at the 1994 World Cup. May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... Santa Rosa is a town in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, located at latitude 27º5215 and longitude 54º2853 at a height of 277 meters above sea level. ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... A goalkeeper leaves his feet to parry a shot on goal In many team sports, a goalkeeper (termed goaltender in some sports) is a designated player that is charged with directly preventing the opposite team from scoring by defending the goal. ... The 1994 Football World Cup was held in the USA. It was won by Brazil, who beat Italy 3-2 on penalties, after the game and extra time ended 0-0. ...

On the club level, Taffarel played for Internacional (1984-90), Parma (1990-93 and 2001-02), Reggiana (1993-94), Atlético Mineiro (1994-97), and Galatasaray (1998-2001). For the Brazilian national team, Taffarel is the highest-cap goalkeeper in its history, with 101 appearances. Other than the 1994 triumph, he also played in the 1990 and 1998 World Cup tournaments. Internacional is a Brazilian football team from Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909. ... Parma A.C. (Associazione Calcio) is an Italian football club based in Parma, nicknamed the Gialloblu. ... A.C. Reggiana is an Italian football club, based in Reggio Emilia. ... Atlético Mineiro is a Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on March 25, 1908. ... Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (Galatasaray Sports Club) is a Turkish sports club based in Ä°stanbul which is most famous for its football section. ... The 1990 Football World Cup was held in Italy. ... The 1998 Football World Cup was held in France. ...

He had a key role in Galatasary's UEFA Cup triumph in 2000, he was made the man of the match in the final. UEFA Cup logo The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams. ...