Do you still remember the time when you and your group of
friends tried to play an 11-a-side game, or a normal street soccer
game, and its hard to find someone who wanted to volunteer as
goalkeeper?
Very often, it would be either the most unfit player of the lot, or
the player who was very tired who would unfortunately end up as
the man between the sticks? Now, does this seem déjà vu or
what?
Well, the point I am trying to make is that not many people will
want to become a goalkeeper because it is not an easy position to
play. Its quite unglamorous too.
Besides being an almost thank-less job, youre expected to dive at
peoples feet when studs are flying in. Youre expected to catch a
ball perfectly even though its slippery due to the rain. Youre
expected to maintain full concentration even though youre idling
most of the time.
Worst of all, youre expected to play the perfect game because you
can pull off many acrobatic saves, yet, at the same time, one
simple mistake can considerably lower your performance rating in
the match.
Thats how if feels being a goalkeeper.
National custodian Lionel Lewis needs your
cheers, not unnecessary, unconstructive criticism.
National team coach Radojko Avramovic will have no problems
identifying with Lionel Lewis anguish after he let in two soft
goals against Malaysia over the two legs in the Asean Football
Championship tournament semi-finals.
Avramovic, after all, was a former Notts County goalkeeper.
In the first leg, a speculative cross by Muhammad Hardi Jaafar
somehow sailed over the strapping figure of Lewis into goal.
In the return leg at the National Stadium, Eddy Helmis 57th minute
effort managed to bounce off Lewis and the ball trickled its way
past the goal line.
The Singaporean fans were shocked when Malaysia took the lead at
the National Stadium. How could the normally unflappable and
reliable Lewis let in a soft goal?
An acid test of character for anyone would be the persons ability
to bounce back from any setback. Thankfully for the Singaporean
fans, this was one test which Lewis wasnt about to fail.
Mohd Khyrils poor spot-kick may be deemed by many to be a
save-able effort but it still needed Lewis timely intervention to
prevent the ball from going in.
Still, such is the goalkeepers life that many spectators in the
stadium expected Lewis to make such a penalty save easily.
Let me put things in perspective. To do it in front of 55,000
people, after conceding a soft goal in normal regulation time, and
having the patience to dive the correct way that definitely takes
a bit of doing.
Heres a word of advice for all those Lewis detractors - lets cut
the guy some slack and give him our 100% support as he faces
Thailand in the finals. He, along with the rest of his team mates,
needs our vocal support this Wednesday.
I have no qualms setting high expectations for our national players
but they are humans after all and as the cliché goes, humans do
make mistakes.
Especially goalkeepers.
