se is much less visible and will not result automatically in a goal. The keeper is the lender of last hope. An attacker who fails to score will feel less psychological burden as the keeper who fails to stop the ball.

Only in a few exceptions the keeper could mark

The UEFA league final played last Wednesday was a real excitement; only in the last five minutes Espanyol scored the equalizer. Penalties were required to select the Cup winner. The role of the keeper was apparent, unlike most of the time however.

A keeper has (psychologically) the most difficult role in a soccer team; he is most of the time less occupied than all other players, and his “mistakes” are more visible than any other player. In only a few cases the keeper is a hero like the attacker normally is (when scoring).

When not playing you have time to worry and rethink your mistakes. Attackers do not have that problem because they run from one attack into another. The keeper must anticipate a possible attack from the other team, but is unable to do much before the actual attack. All this “waiting” increases the tension of the keeper, but consumes energy and weakens his attention at the same time.

Mistakes are another psychological factor that press on the keeper. Every goal could be seen as such a mistake, whereas a possible mistake of the defense is much less visible and will not result automatically in a goal. The keeper is the lender of last hope. An attacker who fails to score will feel less psychological burden as the keeper who fails to stop the ball.

Only in a few exceptions the keeper could mark a

ychologically) the most difficult role in a soccer team; he is most of the time less occupied than all other players, and his “mistakes” are more visible than any other player. In only a few cases the keeper is a hero like the attacker normally is (when scoring).

When not playing you have time to worry and rethink your mistakes. Attackers do not have that problem because they run from one attack into another. The keeper must anticipate a possible attack from the other team, but is unable to do much before the actual attack. All this “waiting” increases the tension of the keeper, but consumes energy and weakens his attention at the same time.

Mistakes are another psychological factor that press on the keeper. Every goal could be seen as such a mistake, whereas a possible mistake of the defense is much less visible and will not result automatically in a goal. The keeper is the lender of last hope. An attacker who fails to score will feel less psychological burden as the keeper who fails to stop the ball.

Only in a few exceptions the keeper could mark

hen not playing you have time to worry and rethink your mistakes. Attackers do not have that problem because they run from one attack into another. The keeper must anticipate a possible attack from the other team, but is unable to do much before the actual attack. All this “waiting” increases the tension of the keeper, but consumes energy and weakens his attention at the same time.

Mistakes are another psychological factor that press on the keeper. Every goal could be seen as such a mistake, whereas a possible mistake of the defense is much less visible and will not result automatically in a goal. The keeper is the lender of last hope. An attacker who fails to score will feel less psychological burden as the keeper who fails to stop the ball.

Only in a few exceptions the keeper could mark

is “waiting” increases the tension of the keeper, but consumes energy and weakens his attention at the same time.

Mistakes are another psychological factor that press on the keeper. Every goal could be seen as such a mistake, whereas a possible mistake of the defense is much less visible and will not result automatically in a goal. The keeper is the lender of last hope. An attacker who fails to score will feel less psychological burden as the keeper who fails to stop the ball.

Only in a few exceptions the keeper could mark

se is much less visible and will not result automatically in a goal. The keeper is the lender of last hope. An attacker who fails to score will feel less psychological burden as the keeper who fails to stop the ball.

Only in a few exceptions the keeper could mark a goal and turns into a real hero. Yet in another setting this changes completely when defending penalties. The keeper from Sevilla -- Andres Palop -- managed to stop three penalties and he turned into a real hero. These are rare moments but luckily they are there so we can pay tribute to the tough role of the keeper.

© 2007 Hans Bool