Verdeamarela football talks about the Argentine German Cano. The striker had been the scorer of the last Brasileirao and this Sunday he made all the Fluminense torcedores explode with a half-field goal against Vasco da Gama at the Maracana for the Carioca tournament. It was 2-0 in the classic (1-0 also from the former Lanús). And as if all this media movement were not enough, the entity that leads to the mythical stadium created a digital plaque in his tribute, for his wonderful goal.
The footballer spoke with olé the day after the top goal of his career.
-What does it feel like to score a midfield goal in a stadium as mythical as the Maracana?
-Is incredible. It was a dream night, I didn’t expect to score a midfield goal. It was marked for all of us. For my family, especially, who was on the field, the same for all the people who like soccer. It will remain in the history of the Maracana with many years of history and games with incredible goals. Being marked in the history of this stadium is a great pride. Very happy to score this goal, I tried several times, it never happened. It was wonderful to score that goal like that, everything was perfect for me to do it that way.
-In the statements after the match you said that you had been practicing it. How do you train to score a goal like that? Because yes or yes you need the complicity of the goalkeeper, who has to be at least outside the small area…
-Generally, when our lines are behind midfield, the opposing team’s goalkeeper tends to get out of his area a bit. It happens to us in every training session, there is always the resource of being able to do it. I have done it on several occasions. Now I received a video of some matches of the Brasileirao 2022, I tried several times, it never came. Either I was very short or he went behind the arc. I had planned to do it in some championship game. I looked for it, I tried it and thank God it was possible.
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-It is enhanced because it was in a classic, against Vasco da Gama, a former team. What does that imply?
-It’s nice to score a goal against our rival, which is our classic. I played for Vasco from 2020 to 2022 and I have the best memories of my former team, which I respect a lot. Facing him was special, I take every game as a final, and scoring that goal will be marked in my heart, it is the best of my career.
-You come from a spectacular 2022: fifth goalscorer in the world with 44 goals, goalscorer for the Brasileirao as a foreigner. What impact does this service have on you?
-Something like unexpected. You work to help the team, to score goals. I didn’t expect to score 44 goals in one year, it’s something unprecedented, and none from penalties. I had several chances to take a penalty and I didn’t want to kick. My teammates offered me kicks and I said no because I’m better at kicking penalties than I am. Score 44 goals and none from penalties is incredible. All that happened, it’s worth working extra, staying after training to do definition. You see the results at the end of the season. Being among the scorers of the year is a great pride and pleasure, I worked for that. I never settled for anything, I was always looking for more.
-Now with Fluminense the Copa Libertadores is coming, did you consider being the top scorer in this tournament, the most important on a continental level?
-I never considered being a scorer of anything. I always went game by game. I trust my ability on the field, every time I have to play each game I take it as a final. Then, in the end, one sees the parameters one makes to know if one did it well, if I worked for this, I could be a scorer of something, or lift a title. That reflects more than setting a goal.
-From what you say, if I ask you which Argentine team you would like to score a goal against, does it change anything?
-No, because I take all the teams equally. For me all rivals are important, be it Boca, River, Independiente, Racing, Vélez, San Lorenzo. Everyone must be respected. You have to take it that way. Whether big or small. Does not matter. The important thing is that the team wins and if I score a goal it gives me more confidence.
-There is a complex economic situation in Argentina, due to the exchange parity. That makes it very difficult for the clubs to compete with the Brazilians, it is seen in every transfer market. Due to your goalscoring records, did you have any opportunity to play in Argentina or did the economic part block any possibility?
-The economic part, no. More than anything it is a family matter. A long time ago I left Argentina, I practically trained outside the country. I have been living abroad for many years and due to a family matter we decided not to return, especially because of how Argentina is, beyond economics. Today my life is in Rio de Janeiro, in Fluminense, I signed three more years of contract. I am 35 and making a three-year contract at a club that valued me a lot is very important.
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-Why do you think that in the final stage of your career you show your best version?
-Because when you get older, you think differently, things change. The bigger you get, the better you play. We play with kids of 20 or 21 who fly, physically strong. So, someone who is older and takes better care of himself, trains better, takes care of himself at meals, and that means that game after game I can endure the 95 minutes that I have to play and give my best. So yeah, I’m 35, it’s just a number. But I don’t feel 35, I feel much less, for the care that I put into it every day at home and what they give me at the club so that I can play game after game because here they play every three or four days. Last year I played 70 games and that care helped me a lot.
-You went to the World Cup in Qatar, and the hug with Lorenzo at the time of Montiel’s penalty is seen on Instagram. What does a hug from your son compare to at a time like this?
-With nothing, what is it going to compare with? The only thing that a son’s hug with a father does is enjoy as a family, have a family experience, hugging my son and my wife, I carry him forever in my heart. Feeling what he generates every time we go to see the Argentine National Team will be a memory that he will never forget. It’s the biggest thing there is. Sharing a World Cup, seeing Argentina lift the world cup, Montiel’s penalty, will remain reflected in our hearts and in his memory.
-Before the World Cup, you stated that you could have been on the initial list of 55 for Scaloni. You saw the National Team, did you imagine what you could have done? Could you have been on the list of 26?
-Not because the National Team was already in a process for a long time, with the same players, which was formed very well. One saw that far away. Beyond the fact that I was named and like every soccer player always wants to be in the National Team, I knew it was a long way off. For the year that I did, many people said: “Cano would have to be in the National Team.” It didn’t happen and I have nothing against it. You work for your club and I don’t have control over being able to choose if I can be in the National Team.
-At one point it was said that you could play for Colombia. Was that real?
No, it generated a lot of press. I never had a call. I wanted to become a Colombian national to occupy one less place as a foreigner.
-What memory do you have of Lanús?
-I started at nine years old, I went through all the minor divisions, many teammates. I remember that day when they picked me up at my house on a rainy day, when I was nine years old to do a test in Lanús, I accepted that invitation from Juan Carlos Delohaian and I was able to stay. Until I reached the professional squad, I remember many people who work at the club, it’s my home, I’m a fan of the club and I wish them the best.
-What can be the greatest joy that 2023 can give you? Win the Libertadores with Fluminense?
-To be champion of the Club World Cup, that is my dream.
-Do you go further: Libertadores and Club World Cup?
-Do you think it’s possible?
-Of course. Dreams are to be fulfilled. That is my goal between now and December. Let’s hope we can fulfill it. It is my pending dream. I hope that with the help of work, all my colleagues, the support of the people we can get to this point that nothing is impossible in this life.
-Goals buy passion. For you, being Argentine, did it cost you more to win the crooked one because of the rivalry with Brazil?
-Here they treated me, since I arrived in 2020, super well. Not only the fans of Vasco da Gama and Fluminense, Botafogo and Flamengo too. Many from other teams gave me a lot of affection beyond the rivalry, which exists. Anyone who lives here knows that it is not life or death. He enjoys himself because we are passionate about soccer, both from Brazil and from Argentina.
watch the interview
German Cano – 13-2-2023
Cano after his midfield goal
German Cano – 13-2-2023