Goalkeeping Tips, Tidbits and Random Thoughts

An athlete talking to themsleves during competition is hardly a new phenomenon.... The talk does not have to be vocal. By merely thinking you are talking to yourself and sending a message.
-- Tony DiCicco, Goalkeeper Soccer Training Manual

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Small Talk with Petr Cech

The Guardian makes small talk with Chelsea's Petr Cech.

Labels: Goalkeeping News and Analysis

Posted on Saturday, March 18, 2006 | Permalink

One, two... more than two

Some words of advice I had tonight for an inexperienced goalkeeper who was distraught at giving up a number of goals against a superior team:

Goalkeepers need to have a short memory. You have to forget the last goal conceded and focus on saving the next shot

Goalkeepers have to forget how to count. You need to be like the Yanomamo indians whose numbering system is "one, two, more than two". After three or four goals, they all look the same so don't worry about it. If that many shots are getting taken, chances are the keeper is not at fault on all of them.

Labels: Psychology

Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 | Permalink

A keeper should always strive to make the simplest save possible. Lots of keepers like to look good--diving when they should stay on their feet, adding extra rolls to a dive, etc. Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese learned that the hard way versus Juventus in a recent Champion's League match. Wiese took an unneeded tumble to the turf after catching a routine cross and lost the handle on the ball, with disastrous consequences.

After watching the video clip of the incident, I see absolutely no reason for Wiese to have hit the turf after catching the cross. The final replay does show a Juve attacker right in front of Wiese, but the roll wasn't needed to avoid contact.

Labels: Matchday observations