So I'm heading over to do a session. I will concentrate on the usual GK drills....catching, footwork, moving, and playing the ball with feet. Playing. The. Ball. With. Feet. One look at Manuel Neuer of Germany will illustrate the need for GKs to be able to play the ball with feet. Matter of fact, I believe that GKs must be just as comfortable with the ball at their feet as they are with the ball in their hands. I read somewhere that Neuer completed more passes in the 2014 WC Final against Argentina than Lionel Messi. (I read it on the internet, so it MUST be true) Give that some thought and let it sink in.....more passes completed than Messi.
It used to be that GKs concentrated on saving shots. Keeping the ball out of the net. And that is still a GK's number one priority. But the ability to play soccer, just like your teammates in the outfield, is JUST as important-maybe more important! If you as a GK can eliminate opposing scoring chances by maybe playing outside your penalty area--with your feet--you have begun to 'manage the back third of the pitch'. As GKs get older and older, the ability to manage your defenders via communication, and by 'filling' in the gaps and anticipating through balls, crosses, serves, etc; is paramount. Watch the best GKs in the world. ALL of them not only keep the ball out of the net, they control the defensive third of the pitch.
The next time you are watching a BPL match, or a Seria A or La Liga match on TV, study the GKs. They do much more than sit back in their goal and come up with miraculous saves. They are involved in the core defensive effort--most times they are directing the defensive effort.
So tomorrow at U. of The South Soccer Camp, we will work on playing the ball with feet. Hopefully, these young GKs will begin working on their foot skills on their own in addition to their GK training. I'll keep you posted!
Until then.....may the ground beneath your dive be soft; may the opponent always shoot right at you; and may your goalposts be 3 feet wide!
Let me know what you think!
All the Best-EV