The Goalie Is The Game Decider

That's how the modern goalie plays

Everyone agrees that the goalie has a central role in any soccer team. But the goalie isn't just there to protect his goal. That's because the skills a goalie needs in soccer today have become more complex.

The technical skills

If you think for a moment about the past, each backwards pass to a goalie used to be a nail-biter for every fan. How many times have you seen backwards passes just get punted forward instead? The chance that the goalie never even got the ball was a lot higher than it is today.

Ruud Gullit said:

"A goalie is a goalie because he can't play soccer"

That statement is no longer valid in today's modern goalkeeping. The times are over when a player gets put in the goal because they are of no use on the field . Especially in youth soccer, it's important that the children don't specialize in the goalie position too early. You should let the kids rotate who wants to play goalie so they can gain experience as players and learn technical footwork skills.

Especially when goalie training, footwork skills should not be neglected. Many drills can be done with just the feet. Passing drills should always be part of the regular drills of a modern goalie.

The opening game

The goalies are also crucial to the game development. It is precisely for this reason that a goalie should have collected a bit of experience as a field player.

Through a fast opening game, the play can always come back to dangerous attacks that can be difficult to defend against. But the modern goalie should be ready to cooperate on the game development as an active player as well. The phrase goes: "the goalie is the first to attack."

The actively playing goalie

If the goalie has already worked a lot with the hands, then they should have more contact between the ball and the foot than with the hands. The goalie should be very much involved with the game and not just because their team is in possession of the ball and a backwards pass could mean a gain of time. The goalie is increasingly involved in the the game development and plays a large role in particular in shifting the play back to the other side. Therefore, they should master not just the passing moves, but especially the reception of the ball and carrying the ball, working both legs in the drills, of course. Often the goalie is also known as the "modern fullback", which we all know is missing in the back four.

Naturally, it is important to actively participate in the game. Today, goalies no longer stand along the goal line as if they were planted there permanently.

A goalie must be able to "read" the game at any time and be willing to engage in active play at any time. It is required of a modern goalie that he focuses on the game from the first minute all the way until the last minute. Scenes in which the goalkeeper leans against the goalpost and watches the game as a spectator now belong in the distant past.