I absolutely loved being a goalkeeper. The majority of my teenage footballing years, and laterally my mid twenties, was spent between the sticks, defying and denying my friends and lads from other teams with my reactions, reading of the game and penchant for the spectacular TV save. It's one of the things I was actually good at in my youth.
PE wise, I was usually the captain's second pick when it came to picking teams. Obviously you need the best outfield player first, and then you build around him, starting with your keeper. It helped that by and large I always had my goalie gloves in my bag, for just that occasion. While the other teams would opt for "any man save" or " goal and in", I was more than content to fling myself all over the shop for however long Cammy Murray let us.
First choice goalie for my year at school was a great feeling, but also a poisoned chalice. This was mainly because Lanark Grammar '97s weren't very good. I don't think I'm doing any of my team mates from then any dis-service by saying that as a unit, we were pretty hopeless. We had individual talent, but rarely between first and fourth year did we work as a unit. This was arguably more important for the outfield players than for me, so when things went to pot in front of me, I knew that I had to keep focused on my own game.
As well as I would play, we'd almost always be on the end of a scudding, which was doubly hard to take for me, as it was my role to write up the match reports for the school page in the Lanark Gazette, reliving every goal that went by me, trying not to focus too much on my own efforts. As much as I enjoyed representing my school team, I enjoyed playing with my mates far more. I've always preferred the fun part of sport as opposed to the regimented, team dynamic, which could be why I didn't progress to where I could have with it.
While in goals for LGS, my confidence was dipping with every defeat, I conversely picked up two player of the season awards for my U16s team at Hamilton Pitz, for my AstroTurf heroics. Between the first and second gong, my school number one jersey became under threat, as regular Tom Chapman had returned after summer holidays as Big Tam Chapman. A good foot taller now and bigger built, he was preferred in goals for fourth year, while I was switched to an ineffective centre mid/ centre half role.
For the rest of my school career, I played outfield, but I never felt the same affinity for playing for the team as I had when in goals, aside for my crowning sporting glory at school. I had scored my first and only goal for LGS in a 6-1 defeat, a glancing a header at the front post, (which despite what my team mates may say, DID NOT, come off my back) in a build up game to a match with our fiercest rivals, Carluke High. Cammy Murray's ethos was that the captaincy of the team would change from game to game until we won a game that year. Needless to say, in my outfield role, I was about eighth in line for the armband.
Nonetheless, my goal earned me the C for the visit of Carluke High, and from what I remember of it, I took what is now commonly known as the Lasley approach to it. Terrier-like and committed, I took the captaincy to heart, driving my team on against our neighbouring school. Somehow we found ourselves two goals up at the break. The second half would be all about preserving that lead, and when the deficit was cut with about ten minutes left, the nerves began to jangle.
The ref must have been sick of me asking how long was to go, but when he blew the final whistle, he would have seen just how desperate we had been for the win, our first win in three years, and against Carluke, our natural enemy, of all teams. It was a new feeling, one that as a team we had never experienced. Players who had barely talked to one another for the last four years were hugging and smiling like they were best pals. Cammy Murray didn't even know what to say to us, having been so used to giving us the "good effort, lads" and "you did your best" patter after every game.
We never won another game.
It was my proudest moment playing for LGS, and probably of my whole time at school to be honest and it's something that I've infrequently experienced over the last eleven years.
I've rambled on for an A4 page now about my footballing career but the relevance of the above to the World Cup is twofold.
1. Goalkeepers and goalkeeping are brilliant.
2. Underdog triumph is also brilliant, while it lasts.
As written of earlier in my posts, I have been very impressed with the standard of goalkeeping in this year's tournament. Even though the majority of the stand out keepers have now been eliminated, Brazil 2014 will be remembered for some quality shot stopping action. However, few games will mirror the custodial drama of what took place between Costa Rica and Holland on Saturday night.
Keylor Navas was tremendous in dealing with everything that Arjen Robben and the Dutch threw at him in their quarter final. For a fairly short looking keeper, he has an amazing leap and reach. His free kick save from Wesley Sneijder's was top notch and his punching while not condoned at all by me, has looked the strongest of any goalkeeper in the WC. Having been the penalty king against Greece in the previous round, it looked like it would again be his time to shine when extra time ended goal less.
Louis van Gaal had other ideas.
KRUL INTENTIONS
With seconds remaining in the extra session, Japser Cillesen, who had only just kept Urena from stealing the match at the death for Costa Rica, was replaced for penalties by Tim Krul. Outrage spilled out on to Social Media as the watching and tweeting world failed to comprehend what was going on. How can you take a hot goalie out, for one who has only ever saved two penalties in his whole career? What does that do for Cillesen's confidence? Why is Krul not first choice if he's to be subbed in for pens.
The answer played out perfectly for Holland and an Gaal. His shrewd move played with the Costa Rican gameplay, as they would have scouted Cilllesen's dive probability in the build up to the game. The ruse was obviously done with complete agreement between Cillesen, Krul and van Gaal, which was even more manifest given the number one's celebrations at the end.
The swop was more than justified, as Krul didn't just save the two key penalties he needed to, but guessed, nay knew, which way to dive for all five of them, and was not far from reaching the other three as a result. His gamesmanship before each penalty was a little questionable, and in all honesty, a dick move, but it worked. While his psyche outs weren't as elaborate as they could have been ( see BaseketBall as an example), his "I've been watching you" gestures and proven actions sent the Dutch through.
It was a shame for Navas, who had worked so hard for his side over five games, to be outshone by a guy who has only faced five shots in the sometime frame. As sentimental as it would have been for Navas to be the penalty hero, and despite the intrinsically unlikeable nature of a few players in the current Dutch squad, footballing wise, it was better that they prevailed. The Costa Ricans weren't as entertaining as other nations that have gone further than they should have, and were heavily reliant on their defence against rampaging Robben and co.
As much as we are still likely to see it, no one wants to watch a team park the bus in the semis. Although, their hopefully won't be any stationary placement of large people carrying vehicles when the Dutch take on Argentina in their semi final. Messi and co racked up another one goal victory, this time against Belgium, to progress to the final four, with another slightly laboured display. Gonzalo Higuain's instinctive half volley from the edge of the box was enough to do the job, despite Belgium throwing all they could at the, in the closing stages. Messi should have had the game wrapped up in the dying embers, but a decent block by Courtois kept the defeat to Argentinian standard.
GONZALO WITH THE HIGUAIN -D
Germany progressed to the semis with an efficient win over France, Mats Hummels heading in the only goal of the game. Manual Neuer, while relatively untroubled, managed to make goalkeeping look easy, making two terrific stops in the second half look spectacularly ordinary, where the South Americans would have been Supermanning about all over the shop to make the stop.
NIGHT MATS THE MUSE-HUMMELS
That less than enthralling affair preceded Brazil v Colombia, with the Selecao coming up against their biggest threat of the tournament so far: James Rodriguez.
Having been the standout player of the games so far, Scolari's side were well aware if the talents that the Monaco forward possessed, and if anyone was going to cause an upset against Brazil, it would have been he and his team. The danger that he posed was well evidenced throughout the fast paced and intense 90 minutes as he was kicked up in the air almost every time he found himself in possession, inevitably impacting on the influence he would have on a game that the hosts won in a fairly ugly fashion.
Thiago Silva's 7th minute opener sent the home fans in to a frenzy, nudging the ball in unmarked from a wicked corner delivery. The goal was indicative of the opening half, unpretty but effective, as Brazil looked to advance to a semi against Germany. Ospina found himself the busier of the two goal keepers, but again profligacy in front of goal from Fred and Hulk saw the Colombians only a goal down at half time.
When keeper's are having worldie's, it often lamented that it will take "something special" to beat them. With the likes of Oscar, Neymar and coon the park, it was rather surprising that the special something would come from the boot of David Luiz. An ill advised lunge by Rodriguez gave the PSG centre back a chance to have a crack at goal from around 30 yards, and with a swing of his right instep, he powerfully side-footed the ball past Ospina from that range. It was a great hit, followed by a lot of God bothering as Brazil's passage to the semi final was sealed.
It did come at a cost however. Thiago Silva picked up a booking for arguably the softest challenge of a bone crunching night, while Neymar literally had a bone crunched, ad a knee in the back from Zuniga saw him stretcher end off in proper, real pain. Scans show it to be a cracked vertebrae, signing the young prodigy, and pacemaker for an already ill beating host nation, out of the rest of the tournament.
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
The backlash to the Zuniga challenge in Brazil has been outrageous, with their stricken hero's injuror being subjected to all sorts of abuse on social media, print and TV media and everywhere else with a yellow and blue tinge. The Argentinians on the other hand, happily waved about plastic spinal columns as a mark of disrespect to Neymar. Having proven to be the vital component in all that has been good about Brazil's performances so far, his loss is a massive blow to his country and the rest of the tournament.
The latter can also be said of James Rodriguez going home with the rest of his team mates. His consolation penalty, to make the final score 2-1, kept up his goal per game ratio for the tournament and confirmed him as potentially the next big thing in world football. Had he been able to play instead of being fouled at every turn, the outcome may well have been very different.
The refereeing display was another talking point in an incident laden match. Letting a lot of challenges go unpunished where they might not have, was brave, but in doing so, he helped light the fuse on what was already a fiery match. A beer handle on the game may have prevented Neymar's injury, or Silva's suspension for the semi. It may also have handed Colombia and advantage in the dying moments, Cesar only booked for conceding the penalty, when a red card looked imminent.
Yepes even had a goal chalked off for Colombia in the second half due to a dubious looking offside call, as the ball wasn't played by either of the offside players before being poked in. As great as the free kick foam can and the goal line technology has been in advancing the policing of the game, it will never account for human error and bad personal judgement. When he blew the final whistle, he did make one thing perfectly clear though. It would be Germany versus Brazil in the first semi final.
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