What I Mean By Thinking Outside The Square…

We spoke about Rogerio Ceni of Sao Paulo a while back, and this guy truly amazes me. Not just because of a keen self awareness of his goalkeeping ability, but because he “thinks outside of the square”. Ceni has to date scored 77 goals, and the below video (thanks to the guys at The Offside) was his 6th goal this season. Goalkeepers whom just “keep” goals are slowly becoming an extinct breed, but goal keepers like Ceni form the new mold of goalkeeping hybrid (sounds like I’m selling a Toyota Prius)!

Now what I mean, when I say “think outside your square”, is that the goalkeeper should never be restrained by their 18 yard box. To an extent, that big ugly 18 yard box is at best a visual deterrent, that is constraining you to move forward and aid attack…Ceni knows this, and utilizes his other goalkeeping abilities potently. So the question is, what do you have to fear?

If you fail, you fail. The conundrum is where a goalkeeper never learns from their mistakes. Taking risks (calculated of course) is a sign of great goalkeeping, as with great risks come great rewards…think back to Yashin, whom modernized the goalkeepers role on the field. Rogerio Ceni is a phenomenal case study into the role of the new age goalkeeper. Goalkeeping school is in session…so take some notes.