Entries by Liviu Bird (18)
English goalkeeper rotation in recent times
Last week, Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia further cemented Jens Lehmann’s place on the bench by signing a long-term contract extension. The details have not been disclosed due to a club policy stipulating that they will not reveal information about player contracts.
In the spirit of the occasion, I have decided to have a look at some uncertain Premier League goalkeeping situations in recent times and how they precipitated.
Liviu Bird
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PrintGoalkeeper Profile Of Matt Reis
With the MLS season drawing ever closer, I thought it was time to look at my favorite MLS goalkeeper. New England’s Matt Reis has been capped twice by the US National Team.
The Atlanta, Georgia native played his college ball at University of California, Los Angeles between 1994 and 1997 before being drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1998.
His time in LA was anything but glorious, and he played only 16 times in five seasons because of established number one Kevin Hartman. He moved on to the New England Revolution after the 2002 MLS season.
True goalkeeping class on display in Seville
What started out as, surely, one of the worst nights in Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Volkan Demirel’s memory soon turned into one of the best memories he will ever remember.
Olyroos goalkeeper banned for striking official
Sunday, the Newcastle Jets defeated the Central Coast Mariners 1-0 in the Australian A-League grand final at the Sydney Football Stadium.
During the last minute of this match, Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic was sent off for violent conduct after an altercation with head referee Mark Shield, who has been voted the top match official in the Australian A-League in both (2005/06 and 2006/07) seasons since its inception.
Vukovic appeared to strike referee Shield in the arm after he failed to call a handball on the Jets in the dying seconds that would have resulted in a penalty and, presumably, send the match into extra time. Striker John Aloisi was booked for dissent in the incident, but Vukovic was rightfully shown a straight red card.
Tottenham goalkeeping drama continues
On Thursday night at White Hart Lane, Paul Robinson started for the first time in ten matches (with the captain’s armband, no less) and produced a couple of match-saving stops for Spurs on the return leg of their Uefa Cup round of 32 tie with Slavia Prague.
England in need of a solid number one goalkeeper
Although Fabio Capello selected David James as the starting goalkeeper in England's recent 2-1 win over Switzerland, the new manager doesn't really have a first choice keeper at the moment.
"Only 38 percent of the players [in the EPL] are English. The pool is reduced. I have had to reinstate a 37 year old goalkeeper but I have spotted one in the Under-21s who is very interesting," Capello told Italy's Radio Anch'io.
The Under-21s goalkeeper that he was talking about is Manchester City's Joe Hart. It can be inferred from Capello's comments and actions -- this was not the first time he praised the young Mancunian -- that he may be selected for England's next friendly on the 26th of March in France.
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FA Cup Fifth Round Goalkeeper News
The magic of the FA Cup was on display once again this weekend, with a number of notable performances -- some for the right reasons and some for the wrong reasons.
UEFA Cup Goalkeeper News - 15/2/08
The UEFA Cup has been known in recent times as the "Loser's Cup" because of the prominence of the UEFA Champion's League. The excitement of the competition is often overshadowed by the bigger names in the Champion's League, but on Thursday night in Europe, there were a number of incidents that attracted the attention of the major British media (as if they needed something else to write about).
Gastronomic Training for The Competitive Goalkeeper
I was listening to BBC Radio Five Live on the internet tonight, and in their coverage of the back pages, they mentioned that the Independent had done a story about how Juande Ramos has completely reshaped Tottenham's diet since taking over as manager. When I went to the Independent Online Edition website, I found not one, but two articles about footballer's cuisine in England.
Road Trips: Goalkeeping Strategies To Stay In Hot Form When Travelling On The Road!
Living in Alaska makes me somewhat of an expert on long road trips. The shortest road trip I have been on with the state team in the last four years was four hours long, and the longest was about fifteen hours long. Although travel is an essential part of football, it is much harder at the youth level.
5 Tips To Fire Up When Playing in Cold Weather
Last weekend, I was in Portland, Oregon playing in the FC Portland Winter Showcase. The Alaskan in me was excited to see the temperatures drop below freezing and even below zero with wind chill on the last day of the showcase. I know I'm probably one of the only players here who is used to and even thrives on temperatures that cold, so here is my method of dealing with the adverse weather.
College Soccer Recruiting in the USA: An Insider Goalkeepers Guide
Last month, Brad Barnett wrote about what it takes for a goalkeeper to break in at the college level. For advice about how to perform on the field to get recruited to a college soccer program in the USA, see his post. This post is mostly about what to do off the field to attract attention from coaches.
Goalkeeping Job Available in North London
New Tottenham manager Juande Ramos was more than supportive of Paul Robinson when he joined the North London club. He insisted that Robinson was a good goalkeeper and that his form would recover in a short while.
Now Ramos has dispatched his scouts in search of a new goalkeeper. The boss has changed his tune quite quickly in a short period of time. He seems to be fed up with Robinson's mistakes and is looking for a suitable replacement by the end of the month, with Maarten Stekelenburg on top of his shortlist.
Who's To Blame When the Team Concedes?
Paul Jewell recently made it known that he is very disappointed in his squad's defending. After their draw with Newcastle, the Derby County boss said "The two goals Newcastle scored were from absolutely shambolic defending by us."
As goalkeepers, one of the first things we learn is that it isn't necessarily our fault when goals are scored. Jewell seems to be content to blame the team's defending. After all, the ball has to get through ten other players before we have our chance, and when the shot is good enough, what is the goalkeeper to do?
Trouble in Valencia
Fans of Spanish football will have undoubtedly heard the news that new Valencia boss Ronald Koeman has decided that goalkeeper Santiago Canizares and captain midfielder David Albelda have been asked to leave the club.
Petr Cech and Chelsea: World Class
After Petr Cech collided with Stephen Hunt at the Madejski Stadium last season and fractured his skull, goalkeepers around the world looked on in horror as a hero fell. The immediate question was "will he ever play again?"
