His real name is Edilson, but Blast fans know him as Sagu.
The name stuck when Sagu and his Brazilian club squad teammates went out for a post-game celebration. For dessert, a young Sagu had a gelatin-like treat. In Brazil, it?s called “sagu.”
“Nobody else eats sagu. Everybody calls me Sagu now. Its easier for little kids to say Sagu than Edilson,” the 5-foot-11 goalkeeper said.
In his third season with the Blast (12-9), Sagu has built a 10-6 record this season and has been honored as the Major Indoor Soccer League goalkeeper of the week four times.
But he often seems in his lightest manor when he?s playing offense in practice at Clarence “Du” Burns Arena in Canton.
“I play in the field because we have two goalies in practice,” Sagu explained. “I like to be on my feet running. It?s different because the keepers are in the goal and not moving as much as the players in the field.”
Sagu is comfortable in the field, having done so for much of his youth in Brazil. When he was eight, Sagu decided to try playing in the goal after he learned it was his last shot at making a club team.
“I said, OK, I?m going to play goalie,” Sagu said. “I just wanted to play for fun. Today, I?m a goalkeeper.”
And a busy one, at that, starting 17 of the team?s 21 games. Playing in the field in practice gives him a rest from being a dartboard for soccer balls.
“It?s important not to beat a goalkeeper up,” said Blast president/general manager Kevin Healey, who said that the physical demands of a goalkeeper are similar to those of a catcher in baseball.
Away from game situations, Sagu is a fun-loving guy, evident in his ability to lighten-up practice with his goal-scoring prowess. But during the game, he can be heard from the rafters of 1st Mariner Arena barking-out directions to his teammates.
“On the field, he?s very intense and he wants to win,” Blast coach Danny Kelly said. “And he?s not afraid to let his teammates know when they?ve made a mistake, and he also pumps them up when they?re doing well. Hopefully he can lead us deep into the playoffs.”
THE SAGU FILE
» Age: 33
» Hometown: Sao Paolo, Brazil
» Did you know? Sagu and his wife of five years live in White Marsh ? Routinely travels home to Brazil in the off-season ? Played 12 seasons for Brazilian club team Corinthians.
