What’s Up With Goalkeepers & The 4-4-2?

I can’t remember a time when any of my coaches formulated a formation strategy with the goalkeeper being a pivotal aspect. “Johnny, just save the ball…”, or “Alright here’s the formation…Johnny, your in goals…” Nice, but not good enough. In fact, to not align a goalkeeper with a desired tactic or formation going into a game, hinders overall team performance. Following is an overview of the 4-4-2, and my take on how a goalkeeper should be utilized for it.

• 4-4-2 Soccer Formation: The good ol’ England World Cup special…but possibly the most popular tactic used by soccer teams around the globe. The underlying thought is to block off opposing attack in the midfield so they can’t attack effectively. With this formation the goalkeeper becomes the sweeper. In effect, the ball can be spread wide to his/her left or right back, or wings. I don’t like it, England only won one World Cup with it, but it is dynamic and widely used.

So, maybe I’m just from the old school, back when you knew your sweepers name, but the 4-4-2 did shift the role of the goalkeeper significantly, in effect allowing a more attacking style of play. Every goalkeeper should align themselves with this formation, as it is the most widely used on the soccer field today. Mostly, a goalkeeper should learn the subtle grooves and movements of play and how to move within their goal area as play is shifted.

What I mean here is that goalkeepers should learn to move with the shape of the game as it progresses over 90 minutes. If the ball is up the other end of the park, move up and toward (yes, even well outside) your 18 yard box…go ahead, don’t be shy…just do it! On the other hand, if the ball is within your playing half, retract back toward goal, but never hug your goal line.

Goalkeepers need to learn how to adapt to the shape of the game, and therefore, they should be included in the tactics of the game, other than just tending to goal. Another important aspect of the 4-4-2 is that the goalkeeper must learn effective distribution by foot. Attacking players play deep into the oppositions half, and being able to kick long distance aids attack, and adds pressure to the oppositions defensive line.

So, next time you coaches out there throw the dusty whiteboard up and start barking out orders, don’t leave poor ol’ Johnny in the dark recesses of the change rooms, utilize him, and make him understand his role in the tactical set-up of the team. He’ll thank you for it with great performance.

Ziga Zoga: The New Social Network For Soccer Players!

Hey gang! Just came across a fantastic new soccer specific social network called Ziga Zoga. Now this site has the potential to really blow up on the net if you can dish out some support for Jason and the crew. Although the site is relatively new you will be able to interact with many players and top trainers, like ex Newcastle United goalkeeper coach Simon Smith. Some of the features of Ziga Zoga that I can see would be beneficial include:

• Create your own home page with playing profile etc…
• Check out the Ziga Zoga blog for soccer training tips and soccer news
• Check out videos and photos from you Tube and around the net
• Get stuck into a forum or create your own group.

Cool! The best thing is that it is made with us soccer players in mind. Nice work Jason!

The Goalkeeping Way Back Machine: Episode 18…Gyula Grosics

Gyula….Gyula, I’m getting flashbacks of that scene from Ferris Buellers Day Off? Well, Gyula Grosics did not ditch the football field like Ferris ditched class, but just like Ferris when it came to goalkeeping, he is in a league of his own (not that Ferris was a goalkeeper in any way, he was just so cool in an 80′s kinda way). So, with that opening paragraph flying way over your heads, I wanted to school you on the significance of Gyula Grosics and why he made such an impact to the modern art of goalkeeping.

Grosics was part of the Hungarian “Golden Team” of the 50′s which included the maestro Puskas. From 1954 to 1962, Grosics helped lead Hungary to three World Cups, narrowly being defeated in the finals by a powerful Germany (3-2) in their first outing during the 1954 campaign. But why is Grosics so significant to goalkeepers everywhere? Well, if you did not know (I certainly didn’t), Grosics was the goalkeeper who mastered the art of acting as a sweeper in aiding attack and defence, thus creating the “sweeper-keeper”.

In effect, Grosics began the catalyst in what would later become the modern role of the goalkeeper. Today may be the first time you heard of Grosics, but what he created was a style of play that helped aid attack and bolster the defence, which is a staple for the modern goalkeeper. Now I could not find any video that solely showed snippets of Grosics in action, but the video below shows highlights of that fateful first outing against a tough German squad in 1954…goalkeeping history in the making.

When The Backpass Becomes a Goalkeepers Worst Nightmare

The back pass, oh what a nail biting experience it is for any goalkeeper. Again, I stumbled across a post at The Offside which shows Botafogo goalkeeper Julio Cesar kick nothing but air as a back pass goes horribly wrong. Well, I must admit that yes, the goalkeepers role has shifted significantly, and it has made the game of soccer more exciting, but how does a goalkeeper deal with that heart stopping back pass? There are a couple of ways for the uninitiated, let’s go through them.

1. Communicate: More often than not we stand like stunned mullets when a defender shoots through a back pass. Most of the times, it is second nature for your defence to pass the ball back under pressure. But if you have not communicated that you are unprepared, or under too much pressure to handle the back pass, then you will expect the ball back to you more often than you like. Learn to communicate with your defence when it comes to a back pass situation.
2. Play Wide: Oldest trick in the book, but communicate at the outset of the game that you require your defence to play wide so that you can effectively distribute back passes when under pressure.
3. Practice: This paradigm shift in goalkeeper technique, entails that you practice the back pass religiously. I’ll even go a step further to say that you should practice heading and chesting the ball also. Great goalkeepers know how to calm themselves in this situation, so practice the fine art of being still.

Another thing to remember is that you are not the only one to make a mistake with a back pass. Mistakes will happen and do happen to the best in the world. At the end of the day, it is how you deal with the situation that will dictate how you will progress in your development when it comes to the back pass. As stated in point 3…learn how to be calm under pressure, this is what the best in the world do. Repetition of back pass type drills is also vital during the training week…make it a staple of your goalkeeping diet!

Scott Carson May Well Give Reina a Run For His Money?

The recent U21 European Championship has bolstered Scott Carson’s chances at Liverpool, with Rafa Benitez proclaiming that the England International will do well to give Pepe Reina a run for his money in the coming Premiership season. Carson pulled off some phenomenal saves and also proved his worth with some sound penalty taking skills, showing the confidence that will help him excel at Liverpool against some tough opposition. Following is some video highlights from the recent U21 European Championship. The question remains, could Scott Carson be a serious threat to Reina between the sticks. What do you think?

The Goalkeeping Way Back Machine: Episode 19…Ray Clemence

I’m going to be biased because I’m a Kop fan at heart, but Liverpool have always had a knack of producing some of the best goalkeepers in England. Ray Clemence resonates some of the best in English goalkeeping, not only at home but possibly in the world. With over 665 games for Liverpool and 314 clean sheets, this veteran played his guts out winning 5 first division championship medals, an FA Cup, 3 European Cups and 2 UEFA Cups, the man has done it all. One of the great things about Clemence’s style of goalkeeping was his ability to use powerful momentum to move off his line and attack the ball…he also has mad sideburns and a toothy grin that would make the Cheshire cat envious.

Another important aspect of Clemence’s style of goalkeeping was his great aerial ability. If you slow down some of his most important penalty saves (for example), you would notice that when he dived he would outstretch and move forward off his line to attack the ball. During the late 70′s and throughout the 80′s, Clemence had to go toe to toe with Bruce Grobbelaar for a Liverpool starting spot, and the great Peter Shilton for the English cap. This testing period showed Clemence’s great goalkeeping ability to be resilient when the going gets tough…something each goalkeeper should scribble into their training diary.

Clemence was one of the only goalkeepers since the great Frank Swift to have captained the English squad against a powerful Brazilian squad (alright it was a friendly, but it is still important!) This showed that goalkeepers can also be effective generals. Leading from the back allows a goalkeeper to help aid their attack and hold their defence in place. Because the goalkeeper has an eagle-eye view of the playing field, they can take the time to communicate their directives up the channel from their back line to their attacking players (if they communicate effectively, of course). Following is a video of the great Ray Clemence in action for Liverpool.

Keller Rakes In a Century

Kasey Keller hits his golden century for the US, and it would be a good time to reminisce over such a phenomenal goalkeeper. Keller played for the University of Portland, F.C. Portland and plyed his trade in the Premier League with clubs like Millwall and Leicester. One of the most mind boggling performances I’ve seen from a goalkeeper was Keller’s performance against Brazil in 1998 where he stopped no less than 10 goals at point blank range. Now plying his trade at Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany, let’s celebrate Kasey’s great ability with a video tribute. Enjoy!

The Goalkeeper Way Back Machine: Episode 20…Walter Zenga

We’re going to take you back…waaay back into time. A time when goalkeepers could hold the ball for ten minutes before distribution (well, ok…not that long), where long goalkeeper pants were worn by sissy boys and scrapes on your knees meant you were a bloke, where wearing gloves meant you were a gardener…not a goalkeeper. Yes, I’ve decided to reinvest sales of The G-Code and purchase a used De Lorean (that’s all there worth these days…not much) to take you back into the annals of goalkeeping history. We will uncover deft defying bravado, goalkeepers with sideburns, and some cool goalkeeping videos to boot, over 20 heart stopping episodes. Get ready, you’re in for a seriously ridiculous ride!

Our first episode is dedicated to the Italian maestro Walter Zenga. Now Zenga has gotten the boot from more off the track coaching gigs than you can wave a stick at, but he will always be considered one of the very best that every graced the goals. The cool thing about Zenga was his natural progression from the Serie C1 (does that division even exist?) to the lofty heights of Inter Milan, where he played 328 matches over 11 seasons and won 58 caps for the Azzuri.

Now known for his short coaching stints, Zenga was recently released from UAE club Al-Ain FC after just 5 months at the helm. He also tried an acting gig on an Italian soap opera (he really looks like he uses botox, the guy doesn’t seem to age)? I think Zenga is a wonderful example of resilience and leadership. to come from the backwaters of Italian soccer, and with determination, proving his ability as a phenomenal general in one of the toughest football environments in the world. Zenga…salute (if that is how you Italians say itsay it)!

The G-Code Review At Soccerlens

Wow…is all I could say when I shot past Soccerlens yesterday and saw that Ahmed Bilal had written up a post regarding The G-Code. I just want to say a huge thank you to Ahmed and the rest of the team for their constant support.

If you want to read the review click here.

Also, thanks for all of you who have spent their hard earned cash on buying a copy of The G-Code, and for all the webmasters who have supported us so far!

New Goalkeeper Gloves Store

See the new product display above this post? Hope you do…because we have created a new online store for goalkeeper gloves called Dirty Mits.

Yes, we created it via Amazon, but I know how much value you can find at Amazon, so I’ve partnered with them to develop Dirty Mits.

What you’ll find?

• The latest goalkeeping gloves, updated regularly with the latest specials.
• Super quick shipping and service…it’s all powered by Amazon.
• Large discounts on the very latest and best goalkeeping gloves around.

Let me know of any other brands you would want me to add to the site? Hope you enjoy it, and remember that the above product display is directly from the site and shows regular savings on all the latest goalkeeper gloves you love.

Update: I moved the store widget to the left hand side of the screen (as you scroll down), enjoy!

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