Not enough GKs now-a-days catch the ball. Oh, I know all of the excuses.......the ball is all juiced up and goes faster.....the players are all bigger and stronger......the ball wobbles and knuckles in flight.......the ball is just coming way too fast. Yup. All good excuses. But they're just that....EXCUSES. How about we train more at catching shots, serves, crosses? Everyone who plays soccer at a high level wants to 'build out of the back', right? Our own National Technical Director has sent out a directive (that what Directors do...) saying that we should train all of our teams to build out of the back. OK. So, how about we train our GKs to catch the ball, thereby insuring possession so that we can now--wait for it--Play Out of The Back!
NFL receivers catch a pointy ball thrown at them at over 60 mph, and then someone is allowed to try to kill them after they catch the ball, and they still catch it. NHL goalies can catch a small piece of black rubber shot at over 100 mph, coming through a PILE of bodies and legs. They catch it. MLB catchers can catch a small ball thrown (oh, and wobbling and knuckling) at over 90 mph. How come we can't catch a round ball, shot from a greater distance and decelerating as it approaches us? Answer: we don't spend enough time training at catching the ball.
GK Coaches, I urge you...spend some more time working on the basic fundamental of catching the ball. Add in emphasis on this GKing aspect during your training sessions. It deflates the opposition when they hit a 'rocket' and your GK calmly catches and begins to distribute the shot that everyone thought was surely a goal. Plus, we now have POSSESSION!
Just a thought.
Thanks Mr Drobny. Great Catch!
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