I finished a ten, maybe twelve, hour project where I studied all the goals a certain goalkeeper conceded in the past two years. It was intriguing but exhausting and hurt my heart. I ended up watching the same goalkeeper get scored on around 200 times (I had to rewatch the video multiple times to analyze critique).
What kind of a goalkeeper is the one who is not tormented by the goal he has allowed? He must be tormented! And if he is calm, that means the end. No matter what he had in the past, he has no future." —Lev Yashin
Yashin is widely viewed as the best goalkeeper ever but then again some of the same people still rate Casillas very high so what do they know. Anyway, here are your quasi-relevant American goalkeeping links.
- Rimando, Johnson, and Hamid are the final three goalkeepers for the friendly against South Korea, this Saturday. Tally Hall did not make the cut and was sent back. I expect to see Rimando start but Johnson could get a half.
- EPL released their weekly Top Saves of the Week this week. The final one (a triple save) is glorious.
- Howler did double duty on releasing goalkeeping tidbits this week. The first was a podcast with retired goalkeeper and writer Justin Bryant discussing playing in a "haze". (Bryant also wrote a great book, "Small Time", a high recommend for goalkeeping readers.) The second was a long post from Benjamin Healy entitled, "Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Goalkeeper" The last of the fourteen points one scared me.
- To literally no surprise at all, Carlo Cudicini will not be returning with LA Galaxy next season. The real question is who will be starting in 2015?
- John McCarthy was invited to the Sounders' pre-season. Everyone at Everybody Soccer is rooting for him! Best of luck, John.
- Big D Soccer couldn't find a better picture of Mexican goalkeeper Richard Sanchez.
- NASL and USL Pro combines occurred the past weekend. Both sides invited several goalkeepers. (Special thanks to Steven Torres for giving me the list of names.)
- NASL
Frederico Bertele - GK - Milano, Italy - Coastal Carolina Univ.
Jose Manuel Boudy - GK - Varadero, Cuba - Orange County Pateadores/NPSL
Cesar Castillo - GK - Mexico City, Mexico - Sac. State
Jake Feener - GK - Rocklin, Calif. - Seattle University
Larry Jackson - GK - E. Palo Alto, Calif. - Santa Clara University
Marco Jorgensen - GK - Copenhagen, Denmark - LIU-Post
Michal Misiewicz - GK - Athens, Greece - Blyth Spartans AFC/ENG
Phil Saunders - GK - Perry Hall, Md. - UMBC
Bradley Sienkiewicz - GK - Fairfax, Va - North Florida
Andreas Silva - GK - Santa Clara, Calif. - U/Redlands
Omar Zeeni - GK - Arcadia, Calif. - UC Davis
USL Pro
Scott Angevine - United States - Coastal Carolina, Des Moines Menace
Brian Billings - United States - Bradley, Ocean City Nor’easters
Bryce Boyd - United States - Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Michael D’Arrigo - United States - San Diego, FC Tucson
Jonathan Dawson - United States - Butler, Jersey Express
Roberto de la Vina - Spain - Erskine College
Jason Dodson - United States - Stanford
Sean Lewis - United States - Oakland, Panama City Beach Pirates
John McCarthy - United States - LaSalle, Reading United AC
Robert Mueller - United States - Montevallo, Austin Aztex U-23
Stephen Paterson - Canada - Western Illinois, Thunder Bay Chill
- NASL
- ESPN hints that Hugo Lloris is hinting at an exit from Tottenham. If only we could get Friedel back in America...
- Just Keepers also had a confusing article titled, "Guzan in home Villa form vow".
- Richie Williams and the u-seventeens won the Aegen Cup. William Pulisic played three of the four games, including the final against Turkey. Highlight of the tournament for Pulisic was probably his penalty save against France in the opening game (here, at 1:53). He received the tournament's Golden Glove.
- Perez and the u-eighteens will take JT Marcinkowsi and Christian Herrera for their upcoming tournament, which Spain has won seven years straight. (Herrera is 6'6" ???)
- Alex Budnik and Hunter Pinho will travel to Italy as the two goalkeepers for the id2 team in late February-early March. I can't find too much on these youngsters but id2 has done great things in the past so I just wanted to get their names here first!
- Clint Irwin wrote on emotional outbursts, giving an inside look on professionalism and being "classy". Later he spiked in a game of soccer tennis.
- A post from Prozone from back in June 2012 on penalty kick tendencies. It might be a good read before the WC kicks off this summer.
- The weekly Big Soccer links:
- Sounders U23 keeper Zac Lubin is trying his hand in Sweden's third division.
- Funny indoor goalie pics
- One poster makes his guess at Brazil's goalkeeper selections for the upcoming summer tournament.
- Another predicts how boring US goalkeeper uniforms will be.
- All the US's World Cup games in full.
- Steven Goff tweeted that MLS two time Goalkeeper of the Year Zach Thornton is among finalists for head coaching job at his alma mater, Loyola U (Md.). He is currently the Villanova assistant.
- Outgoing MLS keeper, Michael Gspurning, signed in Greece. Best of luck to Michael overseas.
- Goalkeeper scolded for falling out of tree trying to save cat. ("Haha" - Bill Vegas)
- A $100,000 catch.
- Zidane's son is a goalkeeper. (Zidane was a soccer player, from what I can find.)
- Here are some pictures I thought were cool. Some (most) have nothing to do with soccer.
