Goalkeepers

The last 24 hours haven’t been too kind to supporters of Olympique Lyonnais. Lyon’s senior team received the Bayern boot from the Champions League and the youth squad was eliminated from the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday.

But Lyon’s youth team had a far more devastating exit after losing to RB Salzburg 4-3 in the quarterfinal. The most brutal part is that Lyon had a clear opportunity for that fourth goal at the start of the match. Watch as this poor Lyon youth player misses a penalty kick three times in a row.

A great philosopher once said: “Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days, everybody know what — what I’m talkin’ ‘bout, everybody gets that way.” These words ring no truer then for Ajax youth team goalkeeper Daan Reiziger.

In a quarterfinal match in the UEFA Youth League against FC Midtjylland, Reiziger and his team were in prime position to win. In the 74th minute Reiziger’s team led 2-0 and all he had to do was not make a massive mistake to let Midtjylland back in the game.

This year, the transfer market promises to look very different as clubs look to conserve money during a difficult financial time. While COVID-19 might put a damper on expensive transfers, there is still plenty of good value in the market.

Many of the best players in today's game have been purchased for just a fraction of the enormous transfer fees paid for superstars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. 

On paper, Manchester United was the heavy favorite in its Europa League quarterfinal tie against FC Copenhagen on Monday. The Red Devils' attack included big names like Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, as well as teenage sensation Mason Greenwood.

Yet for 90-plus minutes, United was held at bay by a 30-year-old Swedish goalkeeper named Karl-Johan Johnsson. 

The sun shines down on another day of soccer practice in suburban America. The heat reflects off the turf, making the late afternoon air a bit sultry but bearable. For a few brief minutes I forget about the global pandemic as I pepper the goalkeepers with low, hard shots.

This will be the second season as the goalkeeper coach for my former high school team, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. During a difficult year, coaching soccer this fall is something I have eagerly looked forward to. 

Goalkeeper is a frequently criticized but rarely praised position. Everyone wants to see acrobatic, top-corner dives and flashy one-on-one saves, when in truth those moments are just a fraction of what actually defines a goalkeeper. The modern goalkeeper must be able to play with their feet, organize their backline and play sweeper, while also executing their traditional shot-stopping duties.

Therefore, it is crucial to utilize all of these categories when ranking goalkeepers in order to paint a complete picture of a goalkeeper's abilities.