Sunday 29 May 2011

Highlights from win over Springvale White Eagles

This time a win. Hooray.

But just because we won, doesn't mean that Eddie Krncevic gets to do the press conference at the end. Can you even call it a press conference when's there's only one person asking the questions? Should I be making more use of my media pass to gain access to these things and making a nuisance of myself?

Pay attention also to when Jesse Krncevic gets cleaned up by the opposition goalkeeper. The commentator makes the assertion that the keeper was lucky not be sent off, which I would have to disagree with, based mostly on an anecdote shared back in the day by former South assistant and goalkeeping coach Phil Peladrinos, aka Pirate Phil.

On that occasion, Pirate Phil was talking about his career as a youth keeper back in the day at Panathinaikos. The first choice keeper in the seniors was a tall bloke, who also tried to coach and instruct the others keepers. Which was all well and good, but as Phil noted, there are different rules for short and tall keepers.

So the second choice keeper, who was apparently closer to Pirate Phil's height, told him words to the effect of, 'look, what he's (the senior keeper) telling you is good, but you're short like me. So what you've got to do is when the striker goes up to challenge for a header, when you punch the ball you should stick out your knees and your elbows, make sure the striker thinks twice next time about challenging for a ball against you'.

In some respects it's not the most sporting advice, and it might anger those who think goalkeepers get too much protection these days - you know you used to be allowed to barge the keeper into his own while he had possession? - but equally there'll be those who will claim that the keeper had every right to go for the ball in the manner that he did, and that it's a man's game after all.

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