Renan Mattos / Agencia RBS
Inter triumphed 3-0, with goals from Alan Patrick, Wesley’s breakthrough, and standout play from Bernabei. However, the true star of the rainy night at Orlando Scarpelli was Rayr, a 26-year-old goalkeeper from Maracanã.
Rayr saved two penalty shots and even forced Alan Patrick to miss another by hitting the post. Adding to his record of stops, he had previously denied a penalty from the number 10 at Beira-Rio, making it an impressive quadruple save. What many Colorado fans might not know is that Rayr became a player thanks to his stint with Grêmio.
In 2013, upon arriving at the Eldorado do Sul training center for the Grêmio U-14 squad, the young goalkeeper faced the tragic news of his mother’s passing. Coupled with his struggle to adjust to the cold of southern Brazil, coming from rural Ceará, he was overwhelmed by the pain of loss.
He contemplated giving up, but found support from a base psychologist and his teammates, who encouraged him not to give in.
Rayr stayed with Grêmio for another year before moving to São José. There, he turned professional at Passo D’Areia. At the age of 18, he returned to Ceará and played with various teams until reaching Maracanã in 2021.
A Star’s Name
Interestingly, the name Rayr was intended to be Raí, in homage to the São Paulo midfielder. However, his father got emotional during registration and added a Y and an R.
A football enthusiast, he named his youngest son David Luiz. However, the most famous name within the family now is definitely the Ceará version of Raí, especially after those two matches against Inter.
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