SAO PAULO (AP) Goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni converted a free kick to score his 100th goal on Sunday, helping Sao Paulo defeat Corinthians 2-1 in the Sao Paulo state championship.

Ceni struck a perfect right-footed shot over the wall, curling the ball into the top right corner past goalkeeper Julio Cesar in the 54th minute at the Arena Barueri.

"It was beautiful," said Ceni, who was the third goalkeeper in Brazil's squad when it won the 2002 World Cup. "As a goalkeeper you don't enter the match thinking about scoring a goal, but it happened just as I wanted: with a free kick, deciding an important match. For me, it doesn't matter that it was against Corinthians, but for the fans it must have been important."

It was Ceni's 56th free kick goal, while the others came from penalty kicks.