Who is the world's best goalkeeper?

[Masterchiki]

buffon i agree

[Berean Todd]

^^Thats my point, i think he IS at their level already. His lack of playing in CL, playing in a harder WC qualifying stage, etc. is why they dont consider him on THAT level.

I think he is on their level, but will forever be looked over until he maybe does move to a big team, but i mean he started off at MAN U.

And he made mistakes at Man U that saw him shipped off to Everton. If you think that he is on the level with Buffon/J.Ceasar/Cassillas then you are an idiot. Hell he's not even on level with the second tier guys like Cech, Given, Reina, etc, etc. He has NOT proven himself at this point to be consistently at that level. Can he get there? Sure. He's still quite young for a GK. He could be one of the best one day. But he is NOT there yet.

That's not a slight, it doesn't mean he isn't outstanding. It means he's not THAT outstanding yet. And he's not. It's not a matter of underatting him, it's a matter of him NOT being that level yet. He is OVERated by a minority of massively biased USMNT fans, that is it.

[popocapello]

http://thefootballmanagers.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/the-poll-is-over-rooney-is-the-winner-70-a-new-poll-now/

[Sinestro]

Thats the standard...You have to play in a prestigious team to be considered among the best.

[Bolivianfuego]

Idiot? Hahahahahahahaha.

Look i dont consider myself a goalie expert, i stick more to field players, but i agree with you in that he has more potential to unlock, and consistency to come with it also.... but i can almost garuntee if he was at a bigger NT, with more 'power' he'd be more considered for TOP jobs, at bigger clubs. And his time at Man U was when he was barely in his early 20s! Come on! Put any kid at a big team that young, in the hardest Position IMO on the field, and he will screw up. He IMO is mroe solid NOW than he was back then.


And really, keep your composure buddy, losing your cool on the internet just shows how sad of a person you really are.

[Mourinho's Mentor]

Buffon / Cassillas / Cech / Reina

[Pyros]

Idiot? Hahahahahahahaha.

Look i dont consider myself a goalie expert, i stick more to field players, but i agree with you in that he has more potential to unlock, and consistency to come with it also.... but i can almost garuntee if he was at a bigger NT, with more 'power' he'd be more considered for TOP jobs, at bigger clubs. And his time at Man U was when he was barely in his early 20s! Come on! Put any kid at a big team that young, in the hardest Position IMO on the field, and he will screw up. He IMO is mroe solid NOW than he was back then.


And really, keep your composure buddy, losing your cool on the internet just shows how sad of a person you really are.


Casillas started playing for Real Madrid when he was in his 20s too. And he didn't screw up.

[-Fifth CharM-]

Idiot? Hahahahahahahaha.

Look i dont consider myself a goalie expert, i stick more to field players, but i agree with you in that he has more potential to unlock, and consistency to come with it also.... but i can almost garuntee if he was at a bigger NT, with more 'power' he'd be more considered for TOP jobs, at bigger clubs. And his time at Man U was when he was barely in his early 20s! Come on! Put any kid at a big team that young, in the hardest Position IMO on the field, and he will screw up. He IMO is mroe solid NOW than he was back then.


Really?

Iker Casillas was first called-up by the first team in 1997 to face Rosenborg in Champions League 1997–98 when was just only 16 years old made is debut the season[1998–99] after for Real Madrid's the senior side, replacing Bodo Illgner, and was in Real's starting lineup the next season. In 2000, he became the youngest-ever goalkeeper to ever play in a Champions League final when Real Madrid defeated Valencia 3-0 just four days after his 19th birthday.

Casillas was the first choice goalkeeper of a Champions League winning side by the age of 19 and by age 20, had a second champions league trophy to his name. He also recieved his first call up to the senior Spanish International team at the age of at 19 years(14 days).

So the excuse that Tim Howard did not make it at Manchester United because he was relatively or too young does not hold up. Iker Casillas managed to make it just fine in a bigger club.

[Bolivianfuego]

^^^Well he is the exception to the case, but for most keepers they do not peak until later in their career. How far, it all depends on the person. But keepers are sometimes known to keep playing deep in their 30s, sometimes early 40s.

For me it is a position, like wine, where the player only gets better with age. They can read the game better, they can read forwards better, anticipate better, even though their reflexes might slow down as they get older, experience owns in that position.

So Casillas isnt the explain all case, he is if anything an exception to the rule. Look at his predecessor, Canizares. He played deep into his 30s (38-39), and didnt start playing for his club real madrid as a starter til his mid 20s. He was still pretty good up until his retirement i think in 08'.

[Berean Todd]

^^^Well he is the exception to the case, but for most keepers they do not peak until later in their career. How far, it all depends on the person. But keepers are sometimes known to keep playing deep in their 30s, sometimes early 40s.

For me it is a position, like wine, where the player only gets better with age. They can read the game better, they can read forwards better, anticipate better, even though their reflexes might slow down as they get older, experience owns in that position.

So Casillas isnt the explain all case, he is if anything an exception to the rule. Look at his predecessor, Canizares. He played deep into his 30s (38-39), and didnt start playing for his club real madrid as a starter til his mid 20s. He was still pretty good up until his retirement i think in 08'.

Buffon was Parma's number one in Serie A at age 17, and transferred for a massive sum to Juve at 23 where he has shone ever since. Shay Given was Newcastle's number 1 by the age of 21. van der Sar was Ajax's number 1 by 23 back when they were still good, and led them to the CL (then European Cup) champions at 24. Cech was Chelsea's number 1 at 22. Kahn was Bayern's number 1 at 25.

I can keep going on like this all day. Yes, keepers have a long shelf life and often get even better with age. But you are looking through some serious US-rose-tinted glasses if you think that Howard belongs amongst the 5 best keepers in the world. He is a great keeper, but he is probably not even one of the 5 best in the EPL yet.

[Bolivianfuego]

23-25 is not 'YOUNG', maybe in teh MLS (tim howard)... but not worldwide where kids work their way up the reserve systems of their respected clubs and practice with MEN who earn paychecks not like NCAA where kids are 'rookies' at 22-23.

At 20 you are seeing at 2-3 years as a pro already, so keep that in mind.

But yes, Casillas was a freak excpetion, keepers get good at mid 20s like i said before, and can hold their form for years, but they don't PEAK til later on like their late 20s early 30s.

[Berean Todd]

You are going back and fourth with what you say! You excuse Howard for failing at Man U for being young, but when I show examples of other success stories at that age it's suddenly NOT young for you.

You say Casillas is a freak incident yet I show you van der Sar lifting the EC at a young age and multple other number 1's at big clubs in their early 20's who didn't get kicked out to a smaller club.

What is it when someone says something then does the opposite? When they waffle position? Oh yeah ... it's a hypocrite!

No one is saying that Howard is not a great goalkeeper. But he is not top 5 in the world, he is NOT top 5 in the EPL. He should not be mentioned in this thread. Does he have the potential to get here? Yes. But there are a lot of players with potential who never pan out. Howard belongs nowhere near this thread YET. Take off your red-white-and-blue-tinted-glasses.

[Bolivianfuego]

Haha Howard yes, was about their same age at development at Man U, but IMO now is starting to really flourish as a great goalkeeper.

The others also came frmo better backgrounds, whos better at making a future GK back in the late 90s, Parma, Real Madrid, or North Jersey Imperials and NY/NJ Metrostars? My point is Timmy was Raw talent when he got to Man U. He had great skills and reflexes, but needed it to be polished, Man U might have been to big of a jump for him. At 30 now, i think he is at his prime.

My point is, at his 23 when with Man U. he really wasnt as skilled or 'Cultured' like the others mentioned already. They got to train with the best players as reserve players growing up, compared to Timmy with the Metrostars and the NJ Imperials(what team is this??).

Thats all i was saying.


Also i jumped in this thread becasue i thought i'd mention him, as the thread title is 'who is the world's best goalkeeper?' Not 'Who is the top 5 best goalkeepers in the world?'

I never said he was the best, but i thought he deserved maybe more credit than he gets seeing how he doesnt get as much exposure as 'the best' that have been listed do, because of their nationalities and the contient they play in NT wise.

[TKORL]

Really?

Iker Casillas was first called-up by the first team in 1997 to face Rosenborg in Champions League 1997–98 when was just only 16 years old made is debut the season[1998–99] after for Real Madrid's the senior side, replacing Bodo Illgner, and was in Real's starting lineup the next season. In 2000, he became the youngest-ever goalkeeper to ever play in a Champions League final when Real Madrid defeated Valencia 3-0 just four days after his 19th birthday.

Casillas was the first choice goalkeeper of a Champions League winning side by the age of 19 and by age 20, had a second champions league trophy to his name. He also recieved his first call up to the senior Spanish International team at the age of at 19 years(14 days).

So the excuse that Tim Howard did not make it at Manchester United because he was relatively or too young does not hold up. Iker Casillas managed to make it just fine in a bigger club.
That's not true, Tim Howard was very young at that time, so the argument is fair.

The reason that we can't use Iker as a counterexample is because well, Iker Casillas is a freak.

Unless of course, you mean that 17 is not too young an age to expect someone to make his NT and win the WC because Pele did it at the same age?

[demogorgon]

Julio Ceasar is nr. 1. This guy is simply amazing, both for his club and his country. Nr. 2 is Buffon and nr.3 Casillas although lately he's not on top of his game.

[jpick]

cesar is fantastic, i must say, buffon has had a nice start to the season. a couple of key saves yesterday for juve, denying totti against roma on the 1v1, a superman save against bulgaria, and then basically giving a keeping masterclass against georgia. Hopefully injuries don't derail this season for him as they have a few of the past.

[schwuppe]

Buffon and Casillas.

To close to call between those two.

[weihangquanquan]

van der Sar

[neilp]

I'd say Van Der Sar, but that's simply since I've seen so many games he has played and knowing what a great goalkeeper he is.
I think both Casillas and Buffon are great, but I can't give a complete opinion since I hardly watch the Seria A and dont watch all of RM's games.

Statistics on club level:

Van der Sar and Casillas have both won the Champions League twice, whilst Buffon has never lifted the trophy.
Buffon has won the Serie A twice in 8 seasons and played one season in the Serie B.

Casillas has won La Liga on 4 occassions in a total of 10 seasons ( currently his 11th )

Van Der Sar has won the Premier League 3 times in 4 seasons (currently his 5th one), during his period with Ajax he won the Dutch league 4 times in 7 seasons.

Although it is always down to the team effort in the end, there is always the saying that without a good GK in form a team will not become champion that season.

All three keepers are better in certain aspects than the others, but I'd say van der Sar is the best all-round keeper in the end.
He has amazing footballing skills combined with his superb reflexes, height, position placing, coaching and ability to read the game amongst others.

With the most trophies in his pocket, my general view of him and having proved to be a consistent strong factor at multiple clubs and leagues, he has my vote.

[Harry Boulton]

For me personally it has to be Buffon or Cassillas. These two are head and shoulders above the rest in my opinion.

Behind them, I'd say, are Reina, Van Der Sar, Cech, Julio Cesar and, on his day, Friedel.

I'mnot overly familiar with a lot of other keepers. What's Valdez like at Barcelona? I'm under the mipression that, were it not for Cassillas, he'd have maybe got a cap or two by now?

Who ever suggested Tim Howarddecent eye for a keeper, but in comparison to those name he's not there yet. Not even close, some might say.