Rafael Pires

Rafael Pires Monteiro is a professional football player from Brazil who plays in the position of a goalkeeper. The youngster is a product of the Cruzeiro youth academy and spent most of his time with the youth team, between 2006 and 2008. Since 2008, he has been a part of the first team but has stayed as the third-choice goalkeeper in the team. He was part of the 2008 and 2009 Campeonato Mineiro title winning teams although Rafael only made 5 starts in the league.

While Rafael continues to help the first goalkeepers prepare for games, he also represents Brazil at the international Under-20 level. The first-choice keeper for the Under-20 national team, Rafael has earned 14 international caps and is considered a bright prospect for the future. He has already been the main-stay of the Brazilian team that won the 2009 South America Youth Championships and also the team that came second at the 2009 FIFA World Youth Championships.