Goalkeeping 101 : Manuel Neuer’s Fundamental Error Analyzed

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Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER, the expensive as well as high-profile transfer costing 18.0 million Euros from Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen this summer, gifted SV Hamburg an early goal after just six minutes as Bayern Munich lost 2-1 in the semi-final of the exhibition Liga Total Cup in Mainz.
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As is well-known, whenever the goalkeeper comes off his line he must be sure to either catch cleanly or punch the ball effectively away to safety — failure to do so can and oftentimes does have disastrous consequences for the team.

Goalkeepers are taught it is imperative to both take the most direct route to the ball as well as catch the ball at the highest possible point in the air. The reasoning behind the ‘direct route’ theory is actually rather simple. Not taking such a path actually does nothing but invite attackers to cut in front of the goalkeeper and make contact with the ball first.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER made a major fundamental error in dealing with a ball into the box early into the Liga Total Cup match with SV Hamburg and, in the end, his team paid a terrible price. The trained eye can easily see the clear and present danger. Instead of coming on an immediate, straight-forward angle to the ball, Neuer’s first move is actually sideways to his left.

One can also easily see that Neuer, at the last moment, realizes his mistake and attempts to hurl his body back over to his right. Albeit too late, however, as the Bayern Munich goalkeeper winds up on his butt and the ball, not surprisingly, ends up in the back of the net via 19-year-old South Korea international striker HEUNG-MIN SON.

The ball delivered by Germany international defender DENNIS AOGO of SV Hamburg was actually excellent in quality. Always hard to deal with, a low and driven cross with a nasty bend curling away from the goalkeeper. But still, the fundamentals are and will forever remain the fundamentals.

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More Photos Of Friends From Madrid

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After a fine individual move to beat two defenders in the box, Spain World Cup champion reserve striker FERNANDO LLORENTE of Athletic Bilbao slides the ball past Spain World Cup champion goalkeeper IKER CASILLAS (1) of Real Madrid in only the 2nd minute of the La Liga match at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in the capital city of Spain. (Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images)
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Yesterday, the blog featured Germany World Cup reserve goalkeeper HANS-JOERG BUTT getting some help from one of his three best friends in Bayern Munich’s 1-1 away draw with Bayer Leverkusen.

Today, the blog highlights Spain World Cup champion shot-stopper IKER CASILLAS on the receiving end of some very public assistance from a few more of a goalkeeper’s good buddies — the defenders.

Good to be lucky, lucky to be good — but that would be some other story for some other day.

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Portugal World Cup defender PEPE (3) is Johnny-On-The-Spot for his ‘keeper and saves a goal for Real Madrid by clearing the back-of-the-net bound ball against Athletic Bilbao in just the 2nd minute of the La Liga match at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in the capital city of Spain. (Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images)

Goalkeeping 101 : Pepe Reina’s Blunder Broken Down

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Spain’s World Cup goalkeeper PEPE REINA of Liverpool collects the ball ahead of England World Cup striker WAYNE ROONEY of Manchester United during Premier League action at Old Trafford. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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There can be no question that Liverpool goalkeeper PEPE REINA was completely at fault on the play which produced the equalizing goal for Arsenal at Anfield on the opening weekend of play in the English Premier League.

The fumbling of the ball into the net by Spain’s deputy World Cup goalkeeper drew all the attention in the press — what was ignored was the fundamental mistake made by Reina that precipitated and facilitated the tying goal.

As the highlight video below reveals, when the initial ball was played into the box by Arsenal, Reina just stood on his heels inside the six-yard box.

Goalkeepers are taught to always attack the ball and collect it at its highest point on crosses. One thing netminders are admonished never to do is just stand there and wait for the ball to arrive.

The Arsenal player who cut in front of the Liverpool goalkeeper at the last moment provides the clear and simple reason for why that would be.

If Reina, who got caught with his boots nailed to the floor, deals with the initial ball played into the box properly, the chaos that follows never comes about…and Liverpool collect all three points.

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