Starting Position

GK Starting Positions

A quick look at a top-level youth GK making a small, but important error on his starting position, and a pro GK getting things mostly right, but conceding anyway:

The GK is playing for NJCSA against the Philadelphia Union (U16).  He is a remarkable athlete, and certain to enjoy a quality college playing career.  But, typical of young GKs we can see he is stuck to his near post when the ball is quite clearly outside the 18 (0.00001 % of all goals are scored from here, people) so there's no need to be so protective of that part of the penalty area.  As a result, the GK ends up making a hurried touch on the cross (thankfully he's as athletic as he is...any less and it could have been far more troublesome) and conceding a corner.  Had he been two yards (maybe more, depending on his confidence and how close the server of the cross actually was when he hit the ball) deeper across the face of goal, and perhaps two yards higher off his line (again, that will be a corresponding distance based on the distance from the goal line of the server - and based on his skill set/confidence) this ball is a catch instead of a tip for a set piece.

And that's the real math.  If he catches this ball, and that turns into a counter attack...something NJCSA most certainly would have been hoping to do against an MLS club's team, well that's a big moment in a game.  On the other side of the coin, the Union would expect teams to bunker in a bit more, so the game plan would have called for creating many set pieces (40% of goals, depending on league, team and so forth, come from set plays) to help the offense manage a compact, tough defense.  So, the GK in positioning himself less than optimally, has played nicely into his opponent's plans, and missed a chance for his team to effect their plan!  That could be a "net 2" type of play, one less goal scoring chance for him, one more for his opponent.

Here's Geoff Cameron's equalizer for the USA this fall...watch the Mexico GK start almost 7 yards off his line, then recover...very aggressive starting position.  The defensive line holds level with the ball...which offers the GK lots of space to cover, but also a possibly easy catch.  Unless Bradley whips a perfect ball in, and Cameron gets ball side of his marker, both of which happened.  What's really interesting is that in this battle of nerves, Bradley didn't blink.  He hits the ball pretty much to the exact spot the GK was standing at the start of the set piece.  The GK recovers, and cannot react fast enough to block the powerful header.

Had he just stood where he was, we must wonder if this isn't an easy catch.  Of course, the question then becomes, could Bradley hit it hard enough to beat him at the near post (and could he see that the GK held his ground as he approaches to strike the ball)?  The main problem for the GK is that he got caught 1/2 way.  Had he stayed, I think this is punched easily to safety.  Had he simply moved faster (quick feet...a GKs #1 asset) and gotten all the way to the goal line and had his feet set (which may have meant a lower starting position, tradeoffs everywhere here) what would that extra 70 inches of reaction time meant to him?  Watch the full highlight of this goal here on youtube.