Casillas- The Best In The World

Posted on 08. Jul, 2008 by Borris Becker in General

For me, the best player in the world for 2007-2008 should be Casillas

Casillas- The Best In The World

 After the penalty shoot out that Spain won against Italy at Euro 2008, I think Iker Casillas deserves this tag of being the best keeper in the world, leaving behind Buffon of Italy and certainly Cech of Czech Republic who had a terrible tournament and also had quite a few hick ups for the past two seasons at Chelsea. 

I know and respect that everyone has their own player of the tournament for the Euro 2008, but I am going to choose Iker Casillas well over every other player who played in the Euro 2008 tournament.

Goalkeepers rarely get the recognition they deserve in major tournaments as the goal-scoring of attackers and the flair of the midfielders often grab all the headlines and limelight.

Casillas was outstanding in Euro 2008. He did his team and their supporters pround and is one of the most likeable characters in Spanish football in a sense that he is the best yet he is still so humble and does not talk about his greatness and all too much, if you look at Ronaldo and some other guys, they are always talking about becoming the greatest and collecting individual awards or talking about changing clubs.

Iker is the most quite of the lot. Only last year Cech said that he would want to leave Chelsea if he is not paid what he is worth but Casillas has not yet complained, partly because he is getting paid a lot by Real Madrid, makes sense too, I think Casillas is worth 20 points in the league every season for Real Madrid.

He pulls of the most amazing saves which decide Championships

The great things about him is that not only he makes good saves and does everything else well but he is able to pull of saves no other keeper would even try to save, that is why he is the best, his agility, positioning and speed is better than the rest of his competitors.

Buffon has superb positioning ability but cannot move as quick as Iker Casillas whereas Cech is good in the air or was atleast thought to be good in the air, I would not say that after his hurendous mistake in Euro 2008 which lead to Czech Republic elimination from the tournament.

If you want to see some amazing saves which probably tipped the balance in favor of Real Madrid in many matches I suggest you watch the  Champions League game between Real Madrid vs Olympiakos at the Bernabeau 2007-2008, where Casillas made a unbiliveable save towards the end of the match which gave Real Madrid the match.

Also, check out the saves he made against Arsenal in the Champions League season 2005-2006, round of 16 where he saved Thierry Henry’s superb placed shots, the commentators could not believe how did Casillas saved the far post curling shot of Henry which they thought should have been a goal if Casillas was not the goal keeper, a commentator by the name of Andy Gray I think, was so astonished that he said “its a goal”.

I saw that and believe me when Henry got into that position and placed the shot, I thought, a goal for Arsenal and then I looked up at the screen again and saw Real Madrid 0-0 Arsenal (the match took place at Emirates stadium)/

I think Casillas is the only keeper that is feared as a player when opponents look at the team sheet of Real Madrid. Everyone looks at the teamsheets and say something like,  ‘hye is messi playing’ or ‘is ronaldo injured’, but when opponents look at Real Madrid’s team sheet, the last name they want to see is Casillas.

Casillas is the key player for Real Madrid in every match and Real Madrid depend too much on him in every match. Normally you look at Chelsea, people would say, Drogba and lampard are the key players if Chelsea wants to win the league or a particular match.

For Manchester United it is C.Ronaldo and Ferdinand, you can count Vidic as well. For Barcelona, its Messi and Xavi, for Arsenal, its the whole team. Only Casillas, is good enough to be reckoned as a key player whos performance will affect the performance of the rest of the team. Yeah Buffon is good and Cech is too, but they are never looked up to as players who will lead a team and inspire the team to win a tough match.

Anyway, Cech who is good in the air is true but even Cech cannot match Casillas agility that Casillas shows so often, Casillas is almost the perfect goalkeeper and I am telling you this and I think every Real Madrid player, coach, official and many fans would tell you this that Real Madrid would not or should not trade Casillas even if Ronaldo plus kaka deal if offered to Real Madrid.

However if Messi is also included in that deal and I do not know about the rest but I will certainly think twice.

Casillas is good in all departments of his game, low saves, high saves, he puts them all away, remember, another Cech weakness is the low shots

 Iker has kept 42 clean sheets in 82 matches for Spain in his career and, while that is also down to good defenders in the team, the Spainsh keeper has been simply world-class ever since he came through the Real Madrid youth system.

During Euro 2008, Casillas played the first two matches in the group stages before being rested in the third match, after Spain had already qualifed. He amazingly kept clean sheets in the quarter-final, semi-final and final matches during the tournament which allowed his fellow countrymen to use their striking skills up front to destroy their opponents.

I think Casillas should definitely be included in the Golden Ball Winner first 3, I mean what else you want from a keeper to do to prove that he is one of the best players in the world. Football is not only about attacking players, I enjoy watching Ronaldo and Messi but I also enjoy watching Casillas. Goal Keepers should be given the credit they deserve because it is the hardest position to play in.

I know the most difficult thing to do in football is to score a goal but look at it this way. If a attacker makes a mistake and misses a sitter or looses ball posession then ok, the team can recover or the team does not get punished for that every time, but if a goal keeper makes a mistake then more often than not (which is an understatement) the team gets punished severly.

So goal keepers have this added pressure to coupe with as they cannot afford to make mistakes while attackers are allowed. I know this does not show that attackers should not be awarded so many, if not all, the best player awards, but atleast I have tried to tell people that goal keepers can also be awarded the best player awards if they play like Iker Casillas.