Who says attackers get to have all the fun in soccer? Defenders and goalkeepers are just as passionate about their craft, sometimes even more so. These 10 photos show a cool block or similar defensive thing can elicit just as much emotion as a Puskas-worthy goal.
Mario Felgueiras is a 31-year-old journeyman goalkeeper. On Sunday, he saved a penalty to help Paços de Ferreira upset first-place Porto 1-0, pulling Os Castores (The Beavers) out of the relegation zone in Liga NOS. But all his heroics will be overshadowed by what might be the worst football dive in the history of the game.
The New York Red Bulls took a giant step towards the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals with a rare MLS victory in Mexico on Tuesday night, downing Club Tijuana at Estadio Caliente 2-0 in their quarterfinal first leg matchup.
The Metros will need to take care of business at Red Bull Arena on March 13, but they played the first leg to perfection. Bradley Wright-Phillips, the club’s all-time leading scorer, scored a brace and USMNT goalkeeper Luis Robles recorded 13 saves, and the MLS side now returns to Harrison with two vital away goals and a precious clean sheet.
Everybody loves goalkeepers. Except, of course, when they mess up and concede the stupidest goals. Recently, we have thought a lot about the things that make goalkeepers weird.
From strange training drills to incomprehensible attitudes, keepers have so many things that make them unique.
No player has appeared more in the UEFA Champions League than FC Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Today, the 36-year-old shot-stopper made his 167th appearance in the competition in Porto’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool (ultimately a 5-0 aggregate win for the Reds).
Casillas also holds the Champions League clean sheet record, a mark he improved to 59 today.
Goalkeepers are a different breed from the rest of us. It’s bad enough they’re allowed to use their hands and train in the weirdest ways imaginable, but they also have a crazy fashion sense. In addition to being able to wear pants and oversized gloves, goalies with hats have long been a part of the game, though it’s not as common these days. So we thought it would be a good idea to look back at goalkeepers who wore caps to remind everyone of just how weird goalkeepers are.