With the holiday’s over, and the New Year upon us. We at Soccerlens want to provide you, the readers, with the top Goalkeepers of 2008. Without further delay, here you go:

Gigi Buffon
The Juventus number one has long been received in the world as one of the best to currently play the game. In some circles he is one of the best to ever play the position, however in 2008 he had a great year.

With the current campaign added with the campaign from the 2007/08 season, he has managed to start 38 matches and recorded 101 saves with Juventus alone. His work as the Italian number one is an entirely different body of work, just as impressive.

Petr Cech
No one in the world can question Cech’s toughness after coming back from a horrific head injury. But what he has done in the short span the EPL has played this year, it is obvious he has not lost anything. Thus far he has played in 17 games, recorded 43 saves and maintained 11 clean sheets. Not bad for the beginning of the EPL campaign. Cech is one of the world’s top keepers, and had a great year in 2008.

Edwin van der Sar
With 10 clean sheets in 16 games, Edwin van der Sar has defied time and age to stay as the #1 at Manchester United. His stats in the 2008/09 season speak for themselves. Add the 2007/08 season stats of 43 games started and 166 saves is just as impressive.

Iker Casillas
Spain’s top keeper, a role shared with Real Madrid, had a great 2008. His stats speak for themselves when you combine the 2007/08 La Liga campaign with the early portion of the 2008/09 season. 65 games started with Real Madrid and a save count of 213. Those are just the stats for Real Madrid, his Spain body of work is just as impressive leading his home nation to the Euro 2008 title.

Brad Friedel
Having been a mainstay in the EPL, this American surpassed the record of straight appearances in 2008. Appearing in 167 matches without missing one is a phenomenal achievement, and one that needs to be recognized. In typical Brad Friedel fashion, he is glad for the recognition, but preferred the win on the day he broke the record instead of the tie. This is the main reason Brad Friedel had a great 2008!

Who is your best keeper of 2008?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Following on our article on the art and science of goalkeeping, here are some of the goalkeeper training tips that I utilize with my students as well as what I think is the best goalkeeping equipment out there today:

I. Best Goalkeeper Training Tips

Diving

Drills to do Alone

One of the most important things for a goalkeeper to learn correctly is to dive. With a correct diving technique the chance at injury is far less and your football/soccer career can proceed longer. One drill that I have my students do is to put a ball in front of a post at the six yard box. Then put your hand on the far post, take two side steps and dive toward the ball. This will make you attack the ball and learn to land correctly. When you are comfortable with that, add another ball to jump over, and so on. Once one side is comfortable, switch sides and dive the other way.

Drills to do with Someone Else

Drills for a keeper are always easier with another person involved. Here you can incorporate the same drill as above, but have the other person kick it to the space. Once comfortable with that, have the person take full on shots while you dive over a ball or even another player on their knees to incorporate the power dive.

Handling and Catching

Catching a ball cleanly will help prevent any rebounds. The best drill for this is the simplest of all, just have another player kick a ball directly at you. Utilize the “W” technique for your hands (Thumbs together to create a W), and catch the ball cleanly. Once caught bring to your chest. For the low shots bring it in to your chest and fall on your arms. To incorporate catching and handling in your dive, make sure you catch the ball that is kicked or thrown to you and pin it to the ground.

Footwork

In order to work on the footwork, a keeper must utilize everything they can to make the drill a success. Set up five balls about a foot apart, and another ball at an angle about five feet away. Small jumps over the balls, then once you land dive toward the ball at the angle. After a few times, switch sides and work on the other way.

Distribution

This again is best utilized with another person that can throw the ball back to you, however you need to set up target areas to hit with your throws and kicks. If you are alone, then use the goal as your target and step out to midfield. Ideally you should be able to throw a ball just as far as you can kick it if doing it correctly.

Angles

Get the top scorers on your team and have them take shots from all over the 18 yard box. Then have them mix it up and try some break away shots. This will force you to work on your angles and also help you learn where the best angles are to where it becomes second nature to you during a match.

II. Best Goalkeeper Equipment

Goalkeeping Gloves

The best gloves on the market will all depend on your preference of companies. Adidas, Reusch, Nike and Puma all make great gloves. I have personally worn all of them and prefer Reusch as they are only a goalkeeping manufacturer. Try a few out and make your own decision.

One thing that many companies have started to do is finger protection, and I will be the first to say I do not like it. I have played with the finger protection and it actually taught me to deflect everything and catch nothing, thus having to learn again how to catch correctly. This is extremely overrated in my opinion. Underrated is the extra foam on the palm and fingers of gloves. This added protection will give you the ability to catch more and relieve the ‘sting’ of the shot. But much like the finger protection, too much and you will catch nothing because of a lack of feel for the ball.

Goalkeeper Jerseys

Many of my players ask if they should wear long sleeves or short sleeves. This is a personal preference, but I prefer short sleeves. If you are diving correctly you should not need the long sleeves, but the pitch you are playing on can determine this answer. Hard ground with little grass you need long sleeves. Playing at Old Trafford I think you can manage short sleeves.

Shorts or Pants

Again a personal preference of how you feel. Shorts for me, unless training, is the only way to go during a game because the shorts give you more mobility. Depending on the pitch I would suggest shorts, but again if it is a hard ground with little grass you need more protection, so pants are the way to go. But 9 times out to 10 I say put on the shorts!

There are more drills that keepers can do to enhance their performance, these were just a few of my favorites that I utilized when I played and that I teach my keepers during training sessions.

The biggest factor is to learn how to push yourself into greater performance. Once you can find that threshold you will be able to achieve anything because the mental aspect will be attained.

I hope these tips help and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Also See:

The Art and Science of Goalkeeping
Five Tips For Buying Goalkeeping Gloves

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Goalkeeping is a special position that takes a special individual to play. I should know – I have been playing it for 15 years and currently train goalkeepers with a local club here in the US and several camps throughout the year.

What most people outside of football/soccer do not understand is that to play the position of a goalkeeper takes extreme training and dedication. Just like you don’t become a good striker by playing up front, you don’t automatically become a goalkeeper just because you managed to emulate John O’Shea in a kickabout with your mates.

So what does it take to become a good goalkeeper? Here are a few things you should work on:

Goalkeeping Technique

Learning the proper technique for punching, diving and sliding will bring out your best performance in the net and ultimately lead you to become a reliable goalkeeper.

Punching

Anyone who can make two fists can punch a ball, however it is the technique involved that makes this truly an art form. Bring both fists together into your chest, and push them out to meet the ball at the opportune moment to propel it away from danger.

However the situation sometimes arises that you can only use one hand to punch, this is alright but not recommended. Always use two hands to punch a ball, and bring one of your knees (whichever is facing the crowd) up to your chest to protect your body.

Sliding

Regardless of how you slide you need to attack the ball. Hands out in front of you meeting the ball, bend your wrists inward to keep any rebound in front of your body and slide through the player. A keeper can not be afraid of contact!

Diving

A proper dive will have the keeper landing on their thigh, shoulder and upper arm. It takes a lot of practice to learn to land correctly, but you will be grateful once you have mastered this technique. Always keep your bottom leg straight, and bring your top leg to your chest for extra power on the dive and protection from players crashing the net.

When catching a ball out of the air, remember to utilize the ground as your third hand and pin the ball down. This will soften the landing as well as use the ground as another tool for not letting the ball bounce off out of your grasp.

Footwork

It is crucial for a goalkeeper to be on the balls of his feet and ready to move at a moment’s notice. Goalkeepers do a lot of work on their reactions and response-time; if you are always ready opposing strikers can’t catch you off guard.

Angles

The objective of closing down angles while goalkeeping is to prevent you from having to dive all of the time, so if you can cut off a player’s angle to where the only shot he has is straight at you, you do not have to dive. Always use your near post as a guide to where you are and what angle you should take. Angles will greatly increase your performance before you even see another player.

Communication

Being the last player on the pitch gives the goalkeeper a tremendous responsibility to the rest of the team. The goalkeeper needs to communicate constantly with his field players. Constant communication will set your team at ease by knowing they will always have someone in their ear that can see what is going on. Not everyone is born with the communication gene, but in order to be a strong goalkeeper you need to learn to communicate on the pitch. Regardless of comfort level.

Corner Kicks

This is all about pushing your comfort level and finding what works best for you. I personally always stood with 3/4 of the goal in front of me with a defender on my back post, because it is easier to run forward instead of tracking back. A good rule of thumb is to find where you are too comfortable, then take away pieces to keep you on your toes. Experiment in training sessions and see what works for you.

Penalty Kicks

PKs, depending on the level of play, can be nothing more than an educated guess. What I tell my goalkeepers is to go on reaction. DO NOT OVER THINK THE SITUATION! Go on your instincts, they are usually right. If you start thinking, “well he is right footed, so he’ll place it in the far corner. But what if he knows I’m thinking that? Then he’ll go near corner, or maybe…”, then you have lost the PK already.

It is said that as goalkeepers develop their skills they can learn to read players before they kick the ball. I believe this is true, but the keeper is already at a disadvantage with PKs, so my suggestion is to just go with your gut and guess.

Goalkeeping Psychology

Mental Preparation

The best advice for mental preparation is to clear your mind of all outside distractions. Many listen to music before a match, others sit quietly by themselves. Your choice, but clear the mind of everything but the game ahead of you.

Staying Focused

Staying focused can be difficult, but it is necessary for a top performance and I would advise training yourself on how to stay focused by constantly thinking about the “What if” scenarios. Always think about the game while at the game, never stray away from those thoughts and always keep your focus.

Staying Balanced

Becoming overconfident can kill a career, not just a game. However becoming too under-confident can do the same thing. It is a delicate balance that must be obtained, and even the professionals struggle with this sometimes. Paul Robinson from England is a great example of how a lack of confidence can throw your career into a tailspin.

Having what I call a “Forgetful Memory” is a must in today’s game. You must forget the last spectacular save you just made, as well as you must forget the last goal that you feel you should have saved. No keeper will ever have a shut out for their entire career, it is just not possible, so every goal and every save needs to be forgotten (in the sense that you learn and move on, not dwell on your personal failure or success).

Match Preparation

Training will only do so much to help you get ready for a match. You must study the opponents. Study their runs, their set plays, their passing tendencies, who takes the PKs, who takes the free kicks, what angles work best, etc. Rely on your training and abilities to make it through the match, but prepare for what you feel can beat you; i.e. set pieces and certain players’ habits. A good example is how opposing keepers prepare for Delap’s rocket throws or Leah’s mortal somersault.

Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Every goalkeeper will learn their strengths and weaknesses quickly. Find those weaknesses and improve them, find your strengths and utilize them more often. But never let the opposition sniff any hesitation if you have to dive on your weaker side or if you have trouble in coming out quickly enough. The opposing team needs to think you are great in all aspects.

Specialized Training

Training with a team is vital and necessary for the development of the keeper. However you will not get nearly as much action with the squad as you will in specialized training. Find a goalkeeping coach to help train you, if you do not have one with your team then look around. There are a ton of old goalkeepers that are willing to share everything they know with new goalkeepers. This training will help you get to the next level of playing, whether that is college, professional or just the next level at your club.

I hope this information has been useful for any keepers out there. Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions you might have about the position or situations that might arise while you are goalkeeping.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

So you all are up to date with everything, Umbro has delayed the release of the 2008-10 England Away Kit until March 12th. However, our friends over at Subside Sports have unveiled a beautiful Fabio Capello shirt that will be given away free when you pre-order the new England away kit, or you can buy the shirt itself.

Taken on the theme of such Mafia shows as the “Sopranos” and the “Godfather” movie series, the shirt shows a picture of Fab Capello’s face with “Fabio Capello. England. Redefined.” The kicker is the second “L” in Capello is shaped like a gun pointing up. Great shirt, a must for any die hard England fan. Head on over and see the shirt for yourself, you will be glad you did!

Buy Your Fabio Capello Shirt Here

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

This article is a submission for the Soccerlens Football Writing Competition; to participate, please read the details here.

You might call me crazy. You might call me insane. However I feel that the MLS will one day be viewed upon as a top league in the world. Here’s how the MLS will one day rival leagues such as the EPL, Bundesliga and Serie A.

International Flavor

With the signing of David Beckham this past year, and international greats such as Blanco, Fred, Emilio and Angel, the MLS has been thrust onto the world scene and is now getting noticed. I will say that the play in the MLS is not that of the EPL or other top leagues in the world, however it is better than most professional leagues around the world. With the international appeal now being cast, it will soon attract top stars that are willing and able to bring the league onto the front of great professional football.

Money

With the new “Designated Player” rule, it allows the MLS teams to allocate a certain amount of money to the signing of a player that would require more funds than most. This rule became effective with the signing of Beckham and has been known around the league as the “Beckham Rule”. With more sponsors and more money coming into the teams it will allow the MLS owners to buy world renowed talent to come and play in America. If the play is sufficient, what is stopping a Ronaldinho or Wayne Rooney to experience America and play in its league? With this new rule it makes that a strong possibility.

Soccer Generation

The talent that is now coming into the MLS is that of a generation raised on soccer and World Cups. Many would argue that soccer became really big in the US during the 1994 World Cup, and there is not an arguement to that point. However soccer has long been the most participated sport among American youth, the 1994 World Cup allowed the parents of this generation to accept a “Non-American” sport into the realm of reality. After 1994 the beautiful game was here to stay in America. Now seventeen years later the sport has a strong league, and these players that grew up playing soccer are now given an opportunity to advance on the World’s stage.

Perception

Unfortunately to this day, the rest of the world views the MLS as a “Mickey Mouse” league where washed up stars will go to still be competitive long after their careers should have been finished. This perception will not change unless the league and owners are committed to getting top notch talent from around the world into the MLS, as well as “organically” growing their own American stars from the mix. Keeping US Soccer stars such as Clint Dempsey (who now plays in the EPL), Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore, etc. in the league is a must. However the MLS has failed in this by letting the most expolosive player go to the EPL. Dempsey was one of the best players the MLS had, and by not being more competitive they let him slip away to the EPL and more “World Class Football”. Great for Dempsey and US Soccer, bad for the MLS.

The only issue that many will see in the MLS becoming a “World Class League” is that it will never be the number one sport in its own country, so how could it be considered a number one league anywhere else? Legitimate question, however I personally feel that the talent will come to the MLS, and once the talent comes the quality of play will come as well. Give it another five to ten years and the MLS will be a league that will deserve the respect that it so desperately desires right now.

This article is a submission for the Soccerlens Football Writing Competition; to participate, please read the details here.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With the signing of such internationally known stars as Beckham, Reyna and Blanco, many have asked me if I think soccer will every “Catch On” in America.

Yes, but it will never be as big as American Football, Baseball or Basketball.

Being an American I know that we love the sports that we either invented or made famous, this is why hockey never caught on (though it is still considered to be one of the big 4). Basketball was made famous by the great teams of the 70′s and 80′s, and of course Michael Jordan. Baseball is considered to be “America’s Past Time”, and American Football has become the number one sport in America to watch. So where is soccer’s place among them?

Soccer has made strides in this country and will continue to do so. The media blitz of the David Beckham signing, and his wife moving to LA have helped make the sport more recognizable among the American public. But many still feel it is a sport played by foreigners and should not be on American soil. Those people are naive and stupid. Now I love American Football, Basketball and Baseball…I’m American, it’s the way we are wired. But I will never say that a sport should not make its way into our culture, seriously it is the WORLD’S SPORT! It is the only sport that American’s compete in that has a true “World Champion”.

However, until the likes of Adu, Altidore, Dempsey and other Americans make a name for themselves, soccer will always play second to the big 3. Sorry Hockey, you have been replaced.

I see good things for the Beautiful Game in America, but it will depend on American and International stars alike.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

For starters I want to say congratulations to Brazil and Germany for making to the final of the Womens World Cup (which plays on Sunday). They deserve it; the Brazilians outplayed the US in today’s semifinal match and deserve their place at a shot for the title. Now on to the horrible coaching job by US Coach Greg Ryan.

Two days prior to the biggest game thus far for the US Women’s National Team, Coach Ryan decided to bench his starting keeper that had only allowed 2 goals in the tournament. Those goals were scored in the first game of the group stage, and Hope Solo, arguably the world’s best female keeper, had not conceded a goal in 300 minutes.

So why bench her for a cold and aging Brianna Scurry? Great question. Coach Ryan said that past performances against the Brazilians factored into his decision. With all due respect Coach, the past is just that. The past. You have cost Hope a chance to prove herself as a force in the world because of the past.

Another bonehead move came when the US was down by 2 goals and Coach Ryan substituted and added defensive players. This case should have been a prime example to put more offensive minded players to press the Brazilians, but this was not the case and it cost the US a chance to win their 3rd World Cup.

Again I want to give credit where credit is due, and the Brazilians deserve to be in the final with Germany. It should be a great match with the athleticism of Brazil and the aggressive nature of the defending World Champions. My guess is Germany wins 3-2 in a hard fought match.

Coach Ryan, please do the US Fans a favor and quit trying to be “The Greatest Coach Ever” by making stupid decisions, stick with what works and let the results give you that title…if you deserve it.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With the MLS regular season winding down, I thought it would be beneficial to give an update of where every team stands in both the east and the west divisions. As well as my predictions of which two teams will be in the final and who will end up taking home the MLS Cup for 2007!

In the Eastern Division, two teams have clinched a playoff spot with the remaining five in a tight points race that will prove to be exciting down to the end. With DC United and New England both in the playoffs, it comes down to New York, Kansas City, Chicago, Columbus and Toronto FC. There is only 15 points seperating the last place Toronto FC and the third place New York Red Bulls, which makes this race the one to watch for guaranteed excitement. The points shape out as follows:

TEAM POINTS
DC United 50
New England 46
New York 38
Kansas City 36
Chicago 32
Columbus 31
Toronto 21

The Western Division is the weaker of the two, however Chivas USA and Houston have both clinched a spot to play after the regular season ends. Unlike the East, the West only has one legitimate team clinch another playoff spot and that would be FC Dallas. With the last playoff spot open, I expect another Eastern Division team to slide into that spot, making the final tally of 5 teams from the East, and 3 from the West. The points in the West are:

TEAM POINTS
Chivas 47
Houston 45
FC Dallas 40
Colorado 29
Real Salt Lake 23
Los Angeles 21

With DC and New England guaranteed a playoff birth, the focus now comes down to who will accompany them into the series? New York will be in the mix with their veteran leadership and young striker Jozy Altidore, but also look for Chicago to make a run at the end of the season and push their way to become the fourth team from the East. FC Dallas has the third spot locked in for the West (barring any major catastrophe), and thus leaves one spot left for the playoffs. Kansas City is my pick to slide into that last remaining playoff spot and play with the teams from the West.

The MLS Cup is being played in front of the home crowd of DC United, thus giving them an edge if they were to make it to the final game. I expect this to happen as they will represent the Eastern Division behind the beautiful play of Luciano Emilio. From the West, expect to see the defending MLS Cup Champion Houston Dynamo and their steady play to challenge DC for the title.

In the end you will see Emilio being named the “Man of the Match” as he helps DC United to a much deserved victory in front of their home fans. Should be interesting to watch!

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There has been many famous names that have played the beautiful game in an American League, Pele, Beckenbauer, Best, etc. Honestly the list could go on for a long time when you mention the now defunct NASL. But with the hype of argueably the biggest and most recognized name in the world, Beckham, there has been much attention to the league this year, and Beckham has not had the biggest impact aside from the press.

Though Beckham brought attention to the MLS from a world stand point, it has been the other international stars that have brought legitimacy to the league. Starting around the same time frame as Beckham, Chauhtemoc Blanco signed with the Chicago Fire bringing immediate success to the club. Scoring in his first game as a member of the Fire, Blanco has Chicago in a position to make a run and compete for a playoff spot. Combine Blanco with the young core that is around him now and you will see a powerful team in the years to come.

Claudio Reyna is one of the most recognized players in America and Europe. Nicknamed “Captain America” by his European counterparts, Reyna shocked the world by not resigning in the EPL and made the switch to help his former US National Team Coach Bruce Arena and his new position with the NY Red Bulls. Though he was the player that received the most attention, it was the addition of Juan Pablo Angel from Aston Villa that has really helped. His experience has been a tremendous help for US National Team up and comer Jozy Altidore. From his first day with the club, Angel has taken Altidore under his wing and is helping him to become a better player, on the pitch and off.

Even with the bigger names in larger markets, such as Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, there has been one player that has come on the seen and made such an impact that it has turned the team around. That player is Luciano Emilio from DC United. The Brazilian has had a phenomonal year thus far, and it can only get better from here. Starting 23 out of 24 games with 19 goals, Emilio has helped his club clinch a playoff spot already and has DC United sitting on top of the East standings. Surrounded with players such as Jaime Moreno, Fred and Ben Olsen, DC United has been able to feed the ball to Emilio and let him do what he does best, and that is score.

When all is said and done, hopefully the MLS will be viewed by all to be a world class league. Though it is not at that standpoint yet, with the influx of international stars coming to the league it can only help improve the standard of play that we are seeing now. The future is bright for the MLS and Beckham may be the “Ambassador”, but the rest of his counterparts are leading by example.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

On September 9, 2007 the United States will take on #1 ranked and 5 time World Cup champion Brazil. US head coach Bob Bradley announced his roster and it is not short of what would be playing in any World Cup if it were to happen today, and Brazil is bringing their first team as well. Here’s how they match up:

US

GK : Tim Howard, Chris Seitz

Def: Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce, Frank Simek, Jonathan Spector

Mid: DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Bobby Convey, Clint Dempsey, Benny Feilhaber, Pablo Mastroeni

Fwd: Davy Arnaud, Landon Donovan, Eddi Johnson, Josh Wolfe

Brazil

GK: Doni, Julio Cesar

Def: Maicon, Daniel Alves, Alex Silva, Lucio, Juan, Alex, Kleber, Gilberto

Mid: Gilberto Silva, Mineiro, Josue, Fernando, Elano, Kaka, Julio Baptista, Diego

Fwd: Ronaldinho, Robinho, Vagner Love, Afonso

Now under normal circumstances I would say that the US has no chance at all of winning this game, however this will not be a normal night. This is about Pride. The US is coming off a dismal World Cup showing and want to prove that they are a legit nation to contend with in terms of football. Brazil does not want to lose to the Americans as it would potentially upset their number 1 ranking. So who does this event really favor?

If this game was anywhere outside of the US I would say it would be Brazil’s game, hands down, no contest. A clinic would be put on by Ronaldinho and Robinho up front, while Kaka dazzles the midfield to the delight of the crowd. However with this game being played in Chicago, on American soil, with a stadium full of fans wanting to see the US beat a great Brazil team, the result could go any way.

Brazil will play just like they always do, the real challenge will be for all of the individual stars to shine together, which was the downfall in the World Cup last year. If Kaka can jump start the Brazilians, then it will open up for Ronaldinho to do his magic. The Americans will be very aware of this and will have to play their best game to win, or even draw. When you are playing a team such as Brazil, you better bring your best game, or it will turn into a scoring clinic for them.

It should be interesting to see which American team shows up, the one that was at the World Cup, or the one that swept the Gold Cup. One thing is for sure, it definitely will be a “Clash of the Champions”, let’s just hope the Americans can keep up…games like this do not see their way to America very often.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News