At this time a year ago, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was going through one of the most difficult periods of his life. His dad had tragically drowned in February 2021 and a series of injuries left Liverpool fighting to even qualify for the Champions League in the final weeks of the season.
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Fast forward 12 months, and Liverpool find themselves three games from possibly putting together the greatest season ever. Alisson was thrust into the spotlight when Saturday’s FA Cup final went to a penalty shootout. His save on Mason Mount paved the way for Liverpool to lift their second trophy in as many tries this year, as they also won the EFL final in February, defeating Chelsea in shootouts both times.
This angle of @Alissonbecker’s penalty save 😍#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/hxyc4dlK9E
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 16, 2022
The 29-year-old Brazilian posted a picture on Twitter of him and teammate Roberto Firmino holding the FA Cup trophy with shirts that had a cross, an equals sign and a heart. Alisson helped baptize Firmino back in January 2020.
✝️=❤️ pic.twitter.com/mMJbGCmeOs
— Alisson Becker (@Alissonbecker) May 15, 2022
Alisson later posted another picture with the trophy on Instagram and quoted Colossians 3:23 as the caption:
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It was actually a dramatic goal scored by Alisson last May that proved crucial to Liverpool even securing a spot in this season’s Champions League. After that win, Alisson pointed to God and expressed his gratitude for the support he received after losing his dad.
“You can’t explain a lot of things in life,” he said. “The only answer for me is God; He put His hand on my head today and allowed this to happen. It’s emotional for me, I’ve received incredible support recently [from the footballing fraternity]. I can’t thank you all enough for the support.”
Before this month is over, Liverpool could add two more trophies to their cabinet and become the first team to ever complete the quadruple by winning the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup (Football Association) and EFL Cup (English Football League; currently known as the Carabao Cup) in the same season. A win over Southampton on Tuesday would put them just one point behind Manchester City heading into the final game of the Premier League season. They also face Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Paris on May 28.
In just four seasons with Liverpool, Alisson has won all four major trophies available to English teams. His arrival in the summer of 2018 helped launch one of the greatest eras in the club’s storied history.
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“I have managed to achieve these things by believing in my dreams and having my faith in God,” he told the LFC Globe in October 2018. “I owe everything to God, who has taken me to a distant place from my hometown Novo Hamburgo in Southern Brazil and brought me over to Liverpool.”
Together with manager Jurgen Klopp, Alisson has been key in creating a strong foundation of faith at Liverpool and makes sure God gets the praise for everything he accomplishes.
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“If you want to be a great keeper, you need to work very hard,” he said in 2019. “That’s what I do. You need to be very focused on football and I think faith is important too. If you believe in God, you know you have to do your best on the pitch and put love into everything you do in life.”
Liverpool’s game at Southampton kicks off at 2:45 p.m. ET Tuesday. The Premier League season comes to an end Sunday, with all 20 teams playing at 11 a.m. ET. Liverpool host Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City face Aston Villa, managed by former Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.
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