They are saying that the job of a goalkeeper is thankless; one mistake, and it’s an unforgiving, match-turning blunder.
However additionally they say that whereas the assault wins you matches, it’s the defence that wins you tournaments, and on the coronary heart of a group’s backline is their goalkeeper, shouting and organising, leaping and diving, and today, additionally threading pitch-perfect passes beneath stress.
To thank these performers and in appreciation of their diversified expertise, FootTheBall has listed the 5 shot-stoppers who became showstoppers through the 2022 males’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou.
The tales of the defence of the Moroccan fortress shall be advised for ages, and in these tales, one of many protagonists would be the Atlas Lions’ smiling guardian Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou.
With essentially the most clear sheets (32 in 59 matches) all through 2021 and the sixth-best save share (78%) in Europe within the 2021-22 membership season, Bounou’s expertise was more and more getting recognition in some circles however after his back-to-back player-of-the-match performances in Morocco’s epic victories over Spain and Portugal, the love for him rightly went by the ceiling.
Alongside Emiliano Martínez and Jordan Pickford, the Moroccan goalkeeper has stored essentially the most clear sheets on this World Cup (3).
The 31-year-old’s finest moments between the sticks had been saving two penalties within the shootout in opposition to Spain and acrobatically stopping João Félix’s thunder-curler late within the sport in opposition to Portugal.
Luis Enrique: “Forward of the match in opposition to Morocco, we analysed Bono’s penalty saves. Statistically, Bono has guessed 80% of the penalties in his profession… Not saved, however guessing the aspect to which the kicker takes the penalty. That is unreal. He is excellent.” pic.twitter.com/bwduJs8I1r
— Barça Common (@BarcaUniversal) December 12, 2022
Dominik Livaković
On this World Cup of upsets and underdogs, Croatia have punched effectively above their weight, and their safe-keeper, Dominik Livaković, has been within the thick of it between his sticks, making 24 saves – essentially the most on this match.
Croatia established themselves because the Kings of the penalty shootout on this World Cup, they usually have their 27-year-old goalkeeper to thank, whose motto for the tiebreaker has been “Thou Shall Not Move”, as Japan and Brazil remorsefully came upon.
Within the quarter-final in opposition to Brazil particularly, Livaković performed like a person possessed, making a whopping 11 saves – essentially the most in a World Cup sport after Tim Howard’s 16 within the 2014 version.
Croatia have conceded 3 targets from 8.36(xG) on the World Cup.
Dominik Livakovic: pic.twitter.com/7SakfWw7he
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) December 9, 2022
Following his two consecutive player-of-the-match shows, Livaković entered the esteemed listing of uncommon goalkeepers who’ve saved three penalties in a World Cup penalty shootout in addition to changing into solely the fourth male goalkeeper to avoid wasting 4 penalties in shootouts in a World Cup marketing campaign.
Emiliano Martínez
“I heard Louis Van Gaal saying ‘we’ve received a bonus in penalties’, if we go to penalties we win.’ I believe he must preserve his mouth shut,” raged Argentina’s hot-headed, spicy net-minder Emiliano Martínez, after saving two penalties within the tiebreaker in opposition to the Netherlands within the quarter-final and dragging his group to the semifinals.
Martínez is evidently amongst those that like to open their Large Mouth and never draw back from enacting Large Gestures, however on this World Cup, the Argentine quantity 23 has walked the speak, together with his best contributions being the unimaginable late save within the ultimate and the large performances within the shootouts in opposition to the French and the Dutch.
Usually as effectively, ‘Dibu’ has been a determine of relative safety and assurance between the sticks. To go together with his three clear sheets, the joint-best on this World Cup, he has claimed round 15% of the crosses which have entered his field.
Emiliano Martínez is him pic.twitter.com/tzwyPqK3ED
— Soccer on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 9, 2022
Hugo Lloris
Made his debut for Les Bleus in 2008, captain since 2010, Hugo Lloris is one the best France have ever produced, and the 35-year-old has made himself and his group proud together with his professionalism in purpose throughout this World Cup, the place he’s additionally change into his nation’s male file look holder.
Regardless of holding only one clear sheet that got here in opposition to Morocco within the semi-final, Lloris was in superb kind all through the World Cuo. Furthermore, he flaunts a wholesome save share of round 82%, the sixth-best on this version, in addition to secures 10.4% of crosses delivered on this space, the fifth-best price within the match.
However greater than his stats, it’s the French captain’s rise to the large event that has been doubly spectacular. Each within the quarter-final versus England and the semi-final in opposition to Morocco, for prolonged intervals of the sport, Les Bleus had been beneath the pump and wanted their final line of defence to show up on quite a few events. The French number one stepped up, making essential, acrobatic stops within the two video games.
🧙♂️ “𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠!”
Hugo Lloris made 𝟲 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 in opposition to England, the 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 by a 🇫🇷 goalkeeper in a significant match since 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 in opposition to South Africa through the 2010 World Cup (6) 😤⛔️ pic.twitter.com/4sZ2hfcOca
— French Workforce ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) December 11, 2022
Shūichi Gonda
Japan may need succumbed to Croatia’s allure of monotony however their journey to the spherical of 16 wons hearts of thousands and thousands as they stood on the top of the group of loss of life by defeating European giants Spain and Germany, booting out the latter within the group phases.
An important a part of Japan’s success, notably of their defence, was the 33-year-old Shūichi Gonda, who had the time of his life on this match.
He minimize a determine of security in opposition to La Roja, making 4 saves, but it surely was his player-of-the-match efficiency in opposition to Germany’s relentless incursions that blew everybody away. In that fixture, regardless of freely giving a penalty, Gonda made 8 saves in whole, with 4 of them coming back-to-back-to-back-to-back inside a span of 20 seconds.
As compared with the remainder of the goalkeepers, Japan’s shot-stopper made the fifth-highest saves (15) on the fifth-highest price (84.2%) within the match.
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