Keepers of our Goals

Have you ever wondered who plays at the most dangerous position in a game of football? If that was not wonder enough for you to wonder about, then try this one - as per the rulebook, who enjoys the most privileged position with special rights and protections? Same answer to both of the questions. That of the goalkeepers’. Yes. He is the only one who can handle the ball with his hand. He does not have to run around the field and can confine himself to the area around the goalpost or at most, the area called as D. Anybody who charges him when he has the ball in his arms will be send off the field immediately. What more can you ask for? What more special privileges you need?

Probably the glossy picture a school football team coach might try to paint to get a goalkeeper for his team. Is it true, then? Yes, absolutely. Each one of those claims is correct. However, in an actual match, the picture no longer remains glossy. Each of his other teammates is just one out of 10. Even if one of them goofs up, there will be somebody else to make up for it. When everyone else fails, it ultimately comes to the goalie. And in the unfortunate event of the goalie failing, it doesn’t go anywhere else, it goes straight to the post, and that’s a GOALLLLL!!!... yea... its as simple as that. None of the events in the avalanche of mistakes made by his comrades will be taken into account when a goalie is accused of that inevitable GOAL... Nobody will blame the left wing defender who could have done a sliding tackle and taken the ball away from the advancing forward. Nobody will blame that stopper back who could have headed away the lob the left wing forward gave to the center forward. But all of ‘em will be up in arms against the goalie who couldn’t clear that simplest of balls (, when in fact the goalie has already done a full length dive to his left, managing only to reach a foot too short of the passing ball).

When a forward misses a chance to score, its just another “OHHHH!!!...” nothing more...nothing less.... “That was a good attempt from him... but sadly he couldn’t convert it... bad luck” No big words, no cries for his blood. A forward gets some twenty chances in each game, and if he manages to convert two or at least one of them into a goal, he is praised like a god-send-messenger. Nobody even remembers about the 18 wasted opportunities. In contrast, the goalkeeper is tested a good hundred times in each game. Even if he manages to save ninety-nine of them and goofs-up on a single one, he is prone to be crucified. The same principle applies in an ironic way; nobody remembers those 99 saved ones.

So that makes the life of a goalie pretty unfair and a tough one. He is assumed to do well 'each time'. Expectations are sky-high and mistakes are fatal. No room for error. Tensed life. After hearing all these things, you may ask, why bother at all? Because of one factor. You will be ready to bear with all that I’ve mentioned above if you just experience once, what I am gonna say now. The advantage a goalkeeper gains in case of a penalty shoot-out. That’s when the victim becomes the hero; hunted one becomes the hunter; roles reverse; equations change. A penalty is the ultimate in scoring opportunities. These kicks are awarded for fouls that occur inside the penalty box or when the scores are tie-ed at the end of the stipulated time. These are one-on-one kicks between any one player on the team and the opposing goalie. The ball is placed on the penalty spot, which is 12 yards from the front of the goal, and a player gets a chance to kick it in while the goalie tries to stop it. So its accepted that the chances of the goalie stopping a penalty is minimal. That is when the poor fellow finds his moment of glory. He has nothing to loose, but a goal to save. If he fails, nobody blames him; if he does not, he is the savior. So, when you are pitted as an underdog, without much chance of winning, probabilistically deprived, whatever you do turns out to be in your favor. The goalie starts controlling the entire stadium like a music conductor conducting a concert, with his rhythmic hand movements. Player who takes the penalty kick only gets the attention of the front row left most violinist. Load is shifted to the shoulders of the player who takes the kick now. There were plenty of ‘em who went down when faced with this changed set of equations. Baggio, Bekham and many more....

That was about the great league... Now, something personal. During practice sessions, I love to stand in as the goalkeeper. You will be guarding the goal, and all the players of your team will be lined up in an arc outside the D. All of them shoot the ball at you from that close range. Man, the pleasure when you can beat them all... there is nothing quite like it.... You can see the ball leaving the foot of your teammate, going up in the air, tracing a parabolic arc, moving softly in air, and finally coming roaring at the post. By that time, you analyze the speed, curve and direction of the ball and adjust your steps, open up your arms, and punch the ball away. I particularly like two types of blocks. If the ball is coming below your shoulder level, then you can position your hands so that they form an outstretched prayer pose, where you hold your palms together as if you are in prayer, the only difference being, your palms are as far away from your body as is possible. You use the underside of your palms to block the ball. The elegance is unmatched. :_) Second type of block comes in handy when the ball goes high and away from you. You are at one corner of the post and the opponent has aimed the ball at the far end. You run back, chasing the ball, then reach in time, jump as high as you can, stretching completely, finally gently glide the ball out of the far corner of the post, and fall down in a near horizontal plane. Again, magical.... :_)

So next time you catch the game on TV, don’t forget to watch out for that smile of confidence on the goalie’s face during a penalty shootout.Just a bit of statistics: Usually the goalkeeper of any college team has the most number of lady fans, (should I add, after the center forward of course ? ;_)) :_D