A few days ago I read an article on sky sports regarding the Manchester United’s Goalkeeper David De Gea and his apparent transformation of the art of Goalkeeping to the next level. This current observation was whittled down to the most noted away league game on the 13th of January against Tottenham Hotspur FC, which Manchester United took the spoils in a 1 – 0 win. So much was said about De Gea and his heroics to the point he is now acclaimed for changing the dynamics of Goalkeeping. Naturally I was intrigued by this current acclamation and decided to delve into the general belief of the narrative.

I’ve always had a practical approach to the art of Goalkeeping, as we goalkeepers are aware of the significance of the style and adaptation in relation to the anatomy. The style and mental approach will vary between tall, big goalkeepers and short, smaller goalkeepers especially when it comes to making saves. I will concentrate exclusively on commenting on low angled shots and saves for the purpose of this blog as it centred around Futsal Goalkeeping. For those who are not familiar with the term, futsal goalkeeping is a discipline from the 5 – a side indoor football game where the goalkeeper guards a 2m × 3m goalpost. The rules applied to futsal goalkeeping is completely different to the regular 11 – a side game goalkeeping but we are going to focus mainly on the style of goalkeeping. The first observation one makes regarding futsal goalkeeping is the considerably small goal area which the goalkeeper covers with far less motion at any starting point. This has a considerable effect on the goalkeeping skill set and the knowledge of what type of skills are required that are practical to the game. The Block Save (.. standing in the “K” position while keeping the arms low apart and the body upright) and the Lateral Split Save ( .. doing a split to block a shot with a foot outstretched instead of making a reflex low dive save ) are the most commonly deployed by the goalkeeper and what we’ve witness recently is the introduction of these saves ( particularly the Lateral Split Save) in mainstream football.

The Block Save has been around in mainstream goalkeeping for some time now and is the more reliable discipline compared to the Lateral Split Save, however the latter has crept into the modern game but it isn’t optimal in practicality. This discipline will favour the taller goalkeepers that possess a slower time reaction to dive to the ground to save shots just over a meter and a half away from their set-positioning, and as for short goalkeepers ( from 6 feet 1 inch and below.. ) this discipline will not be optimal in execution. Also another factor that can affect the Lateral Split Saves optimal performance is the difference in playing surfaces and footwear. On a smooth hard court with the appropriate footwear, the goalkeeper in Futsal executes the Lateral Split Save effortlessly but on a grassed or 3D pitch is a slightly different result. The studded boots worn by the goalkeeper can get caught on the surface potentially disrupting the flow of the execution and unbalancing the goalkeeper. Another consideration to be taken into account when deploying this discipline is the size of the goal and the angles covered. The technique deployed in covering a 2m × 3m goalpost is completely different to the one covering a 2.44m × 7.35m, so by adopting this futsal technique as part of ones dependent skill in mainstream 11 – a side football will eventually be exploited by smart outfielders, especially strikers. We are already beginning to see the exploitation in the top professional games as goalkeepers are left stunned in “swastika positions” after strikers have cleverly lifted their shots past them at into the net. What come to mind was the league game heavy 5 – 1 Arsenal FC defeat against Liverpool FC many weeks ago. The second goal conceded by the Arsenal FC goalkeeper Bernd Leno is a clear and unequivocal example of the misuse of the technique. With the striker baring down towards the central of the goal, Bernd was past the 6 yard box and central of his goal. The striker was just getting to the 18 yard box and spotted that the goalkeeper was already in the block/split position and duly lifted his shot past the goalkeeper for an easy goal. How a goalkeeper is expected to make a save from that position with a highly exploitable technical skill is a conundrum that is yet to be solved. Just recently while at training with my club Park View FC, we were simulating a tactical situation and there was a moment when a one vs one between our strike and our goalkeeper occurred and he (Avesta the goalkeeper) was caught in two minds as to what technique to deploy in that situation. It was obvious he had to go for the attacking low dive to the feet of the striker to get the ball but when I confronted him about the confusion, he pointed out to me that he was about to deploy the block position, but he didn’t because they where about to run into each other, which they did! I pointed out to him that in that situation the natural movement of the goalkeeper is to go to ground and then he replied back by saying the reason for his logic is the top professional goalkeepers deploys the technique. Well it doesn’t always work statistically and also the technique is player dependent. I would comment that the technique is at its optimal when deployed instinctively, rather than a regular part of a goalkeepers practical skill set.

In conclusion, the skill sets and techniques in futsal goalkeeping adds some form of value to the evolution and development of Goalkeeping but it cannot and should not be an overwhelming substitute to the traditional techniques. The major breakthrough from futsal goalkeeping to benefit mainstream goalkeeping is the emergence of a goalkeepers ability to be comfortable with one feet with the ball in regards to creating attacking strategies starting from the defensive line to the midfield line, and quality productive distributions. That part of a goalkeepers skill set is rapidly becoming one of the most revered and sought after qualities in the modern game..

You Are The Ultimate Keeper Of Your Destiny.. ULTIMATE KEEPER