Goalie, goalie, goalie get your soccer'ds here.
- I was fortunate to talk to John McCarthy. McCarthy is one of the remaining standout goalkeepers and is looking at getting picked up in the third or fourth round of the MLS draft. Four goalkeepers were chosen in the last two rounds of the 2013 Draft. It looks like he's spent some time with some MLS clubs out west...
- Brad Guzan was called for a penalty on the gif below. Some cried dive, some said Guzan shouldn't have came out at all. Guzan did the right decision in going forward but shouldn't have gone down. If he puts pressure of Suarez he cuts down the angle and likely makes the save. Yes it's a dirty play (watch Suarez's left foot) but if Guzan doesn't put himself in a situation to get conned he can't get a penalty called on him. (No card was given on the play.) Guzan gets close on the penalty but not enough to keep it out. Liverpool tied AVL 2-2 and the first goal can be seen here (skip to 2:30, penalty kick at 3:00). It's tough goal to save. If he stays higher then maybe he gets on it but then gives up the slotted ball on the ground, a higher percentage shot.
- Zolotimes writes about the Philadelphia situation of MacMath v. Blake and more from MacMath's perspective. This is a great article from someone who has followed Philadelphia. (Apparently Vancouver originally had a deal with DC United for the number one spot but Philadelphia made a better offer.)
- Philly Soccer Page did a great story on Bob Rigby, Philadelphia's last goalkeeper selected at number one. Here is an old post of mine that covered USMNT goalkeeper eras and you'll see his name in the mid-70s graph. Rigby is currently the color commentator for the Union and the only highlights I could find were of howlers so I decided against posting them.
- Kelsey Wys was the first goalkeeper picked in the NWSL draft. A second rounder from Florida State to Western NY, she's played with the U23s and U20s USWNTs and will be competing with USWNT goalie Adrianna Franch and Mexican youth national Pamela Tajonar.
- Williams and the u-seventeens won the first game of the Aegean Cup, 2-1 over France. William Pulisic saved a penalty kick with a couple more saves to preserve the win.
- Cech uses some unconventional methods to prevent a goal.
- A little old (but it's historically-based so it's okay), Justin Bryant wrote about the evolution of goalkeeping, covering the laws, styles and what teams are looking for now.
- English International Bert Williams died on Sunday. "Nicknamed The Cat, he spent the majority of his playing career at Wolverhampton Wanderers where he won the League Championship and FA Cup. At the time of his death Williams was the oldest living England international." He is probably more known, at least in America, for being in goal when US won 1-0 over England in the 1950 World Cup. The Miami Herald took a look back at the game and Sporting Intelligence inspects photographs of the goal scored on him at the 1950 World Cup.
- Mattia Perin is apparently the "new Buffon" but as a goalkeeper who guesses on nearly every close range shot and has no interest in holding anything, I would disagree.
- FC Dallas selected Canadian Tesho Akindele, a D2 standout who had 76 goals, 33 assists in 80 games. Seems like everyone forgot that D2 goalkeepers are a step behind D1.
- Pro Soccer Talk linked the top five EPL saves of the week but I meh'd it.
- Someone on Big Soccer provided links to most of the US's World Cup games.
- I found some neat pix, thanks to @AntiqueFootball
- Italy's Paolo Rossi scores v West Germany, World Cup Final 1982.
- Blackpool goalkeeper Gordon West in 1961.
- Mix Diskerud is still trying to get in contact with Taco Bell
- Lastly I thought this tweet about Zack Steffen, University of Maryland goalkeeper, was interesting: