PROFILE FOOTBALL STAR

Showing posts with label Soccer profile ( Goalkeepers ). Show all posts

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Petr Cech

Name: Petr Cech
Nationality: Czech
Date and Place of Birth: Born May 20, 1982 in Plzen, Czech Republic
Playing Position: Goalkeeper
Current Club:

Chelsea (English Premiership)
Club Career: 1999–2001 Blsany
2001–2002 AC Sparta Praha
2002–2004 Rennes
2004–present Chelsea
International Career: 2002–present - Czech Republic
About Petr Cech:

Petr Cech was born on 20th May 1982 in Czechoslovakia and has established himself as one of the most reliable goalkeepers in world football today. Fascinatingly, Cech actually began his career playing in a midfield position while only occasionally playing goalkeeper. However, after breaking his leg when only ten years old he decided to play as a goalkeeper permanently.

Petr Cech made his senior professional debut for FC Chmel Bisany in 1999 at the age of seventeen. However, his career really began to gain momentum following a transfer to AC Sparta Praha in 2001. Cech was able to secure a regular place in the first team making the goalkeeper position his own. Due to his impressive performances between the posts Cech joined Stade Rennais in 2002 and again established himself as the regular goalkeeper for the team.

In 2004 Cech secured a move to English Premiership side Chelsea and immediately had to fight for his inclusion in the first team as Chelsea already had a highly rated goalkeeper in Carlo Cudicini. Cech was able to earn his chance to impress and quickly became Chelsea's first choice keeper. In 2005 Cech set a new Premiership record for playing a total of 1025 minutes without letting in single goal. This achievement was recognised when Cech was presented with the Golden Gloves Award at the end of the 2004-05 season.

Cech suffered a serious head injury in October 2006 when he collided with Reading's Stephen Hunt during a match. Despite suffering a depressed fracture of the skull and almost losing his life Cech was back between the posts for Chelsea in January 2007. Cech's dedication to the Chelsea team was recognised and rewarded when Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho referred to him as “untouchable”.

Cech also plays for the Czech national team and was part of the squad who participated in the FIFA 2006 World Cup.

Gianluigi Buffon

Name: Gianluigi Buffon
Nationality: Italian
Date and Place of Birth: Born January 28, 1978 in Carrara, Italy
Playing Position: Goalkeeper
Current Club:

Juventus (Italian Serie A)
Club Career: 1995-2001 Parma
2001-Present Juventus
International Career: 1997 – Present - Italy
About Gigi Buffon:

Born into a family of athletes in Carrara, Italy in January 1978, Gianluigi Buffon always seemed destined to become a professional sportsman in his own right. Eschewing the athletic background of his parents, young Buffon followed in the footsteps of his grandfather's cousin, Lorenzo Buffon, a former Inter Milan and Italian international goalkeeper during the 1950s and 1960s.

Gigi Buffon worked his way through the youth ranks at Parma and was signed as a professional at the age of 17 in 1995, going on to make his Serie A debut for the club against AC Milan that year and winning the UEFA Cup with Parma in 1999.

Buffon went on to make 168 appearances for Parma while building a reputation as one of Europe's best young goalkeeping talents and it wasn't long until the major clubs starting looking his way. Juventus won the auction for Buffon's services in 2001 and paid Parma a world record fee of over £32m for the 23 year old shot stopper. Personal accolades such as UEFA's Most Valuable Player Award and Best Goalkeeper Awards have continued to add to Buffon's trophy cabinet alongside notable club and international successes as Scudetto champions with Juventus and in 2006 a World Cup victory with Italy.

The Calciopoli scandal which saw Juventus relegated to Serie B did not scare Buffon away from the club and he duly helped the club to the Serie B title in 2006/2007 as they battled their way back to Serie A in only one season.

Buffon's international career began as a 19 year old when he replaced the injured Gianluca Pagliuca in goal but it was to be a few years before he made the position his own. Buffon's greatest career triumph has to be the 2006 World Cup where he kept a 453-minute scoreless streak as he helped propel Italy to World Cup glory.

Edwin van der Sar

Name: Edwin van der Sar
Nationality: Dutch
Date and Place of Birth: Born October 29, 1970 in Voorhout, Netherlands
Playing Position: Goalkeeper
Current Club:

Manchester United (English Premier League)
Club Career: 1990-1999 Ajax
1999-2001 Juventus
2001-2005 Fulham
2005-present Manchester United
International Career: 1995-present Netherlands
About Edwin van der Sar:

Edwin van der Sar has established himself as one of the most reliable and talented goalkeepers currently playing in the English Premiership. Van der Sar initially began his career at Dutch club side Foreholte before moving to VV Noordwijk where his strong performances attracted the attention of Ajax, one of Holland’s biggest clubs. Van der Sar went through the youth ranks at Ajax and impressed earning a place in the first team.

At Ajax Van der Sar excelled lifting many trophies and his outstanding performances earned him to be named as best European Goalkeeper in 1993 and 1995. The Dutch man had firmly established himself as one of the strongest and skillful goalkeepers in Europe and he was soon snapped up by Italian supremos, Juventus. At Juventus, Van der Sar’s impressive form continued and he remained first choice goalkeeper until Gianluigi Buffon came along pushing him onto the substitutes bench.

Van der Sar was not content to languish on the bench at Juventus and thus transferred to English Premier League side Fulham FC in 2001. At Fulham Van der Sar impressed leading his team from the back and his still prominent talent was soon spotted by Manchester United who signed him in June 2005. Since this date Van der Sar has firmly established himself as Manchester United’s first choice keeper and is an integral member of the team. Despite his age Van der Sar is still considered as one of Europe’s most reliable goalkeepers and there are no signs of an impending retirement.

Van der Sar plays for the Dutch national side and currently is Holland’s most capped player. Van der Sar was a key member of the Dutch national squad that participated in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Nélson de Jesus Silva ( Dida )

Name: Nélson de Jesus Silva
Nationality: Brazilian
Date and Place of Birth: Born October 7, 1973 in Irará, Bahia, Brazil
Playing Position: Goalkeeper
Current Club:

AC Milan (Italian Serie A)
Club Career: 1992-1993 Vitoria
1994-1998 Cruzeiro
1998 FC Lugano
1999-2000 Corinthians
2000-present AC Milan
International Career: 1995-2006 Brazil
About Dida:

Nelson de Jesus Silva, more commonly known as “Dida”, is a Brazilian footballer who has succeeded in establishing himself as one of the most talented and successful goalkeepers in world football. Dida began his career at Cruzeiro de Arapiraca and impressed securing a move to Vitoria where his performances earned him a place in Brazil’s U21 national team as the first choice goalkeeper.

Dida moved to Cruzeiro in 1994 and enjoyed success at the club gaining valuable experience along the way playing in major competitions such as the Copa Libertadores. Dida was building up his reputation as an impressive shot stopper providing a reliable pair of hands for club and country alike. Dida’s outstanding performances led to interest from European clubs and in 1999 he joined Italian giants AC Milan.

At AC Milan Dida initially struggled to impose himself as a first team regular and he was loaned out to Corinthians in order to keep him match fit. At Corinthians he stamped his authority as an outstanding penalty stopper and a steady goalkeeper earning him to be called back to Milan for the start of the 2000-01 season. However, Dida was still second choice keeper to Abbiati and things got worse as he admitted to using a fraudulent European passport in an attempt to flout Italian regulations. As a result Dida was banned from playing in Serie A and for his country for one year and also received a seven month suspended prison sentence highlighting the lowest point in his career.

Dida remained in the wings until an Abbiati injury earned him an opportunity to play first team football and prove himself in Serie A. Dida immediately impressed especially with match winning performances in the Champions League, notably in the final when he led Milan to an outstanding victory against Juventus. His efforts earned him the 2003-04 Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year Award and he was widely recognised as one of the best goalkeepers in world football being compared to the likes of Buffon.

Dida is a member of the Brazil national squad and was one of Brazil’s best players in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Iker Casillas

Name: Iker Casillas
Nationality: Spanish
Date and Place of Birth: Born May 20, 1981 in Madrid, Spain
Playing Position: Goalkeeper
Current Club:

Real Madrid (Spanish La Liga)
Club Career: 1998–present Real Madrid
International Career: 2000–present - Spain
About Iker Casillas:

Iker Casillas Fernandez, born in Spain on 20th May 1981, has firmly established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Casillas showed an emerging talent between the posts from an early age and his potential was soon recognised as Real Madrid took him on as a youth. Casillas went through the youth ranks at Real Madrid and continued to impress with strong athletic performances.

Casillas’ strong development through Real Madrid’s youth system earned him a call up to the first team during the 1998-99 season. Casillas impressed playing at the highest level of club football and by the 1999-00 season he was an integral member of the first team at Real Madrid. Casillas has developed into one of the most important players at Madrid and his commanding leadership qualities have earned him to be well respected by his fellow team mates and the fans alike.

Casillas’ strong natural talent and amazing shot stopping abilities have led him to be widely considered as one of the best goalkeepers in world football and he has gained valuable experience competing in European competitions with Real Madrid.

Casillas plays for the Spanish national side and has remained the predominant first choice goalkeeper since first making his debut against Sweden. Casillas has been included as a member of the Spanish squad for Euro 2000, 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup and has been awarded the captain’s armband in recognition of his strong leadership abilities.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Top Goalkeepers

Plagued by serious head and facial injuries over the past couple of years, Chelsea's Petr Cech has shown amazing courage and determination to still be playing top level football, never mind putting in performances that have kept him at the forefront of world soccer's goalkeeping fraternity. A major component of Chelsea's success in recent seasons.

The world's most expensive goalkeeper and with very good reason, Juventus's Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon has more than paid off his transfer fee many times over and is widely recognised as one of European football's greatest ever goalkeepers. A World Cup win with Italy in 2006 was owed in no small part to the presence and talent of the man between the posts.

Many may have written Edwin Van Der Sar's career at the very top level off when he moved to Fulham after a relatively unsuccessful stint at Juventus especially after the success of his time at Ajax early in his career. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson knew a thoroughbred when he saw one though and Van Der Sar has re-established himself on the club scene as a highly talented and influential veteran at the successful Old Trafford club.

It may have taken some time for Dida to become AC Milan's first choice goalkeeper after his move from Brazilian football with Corinthians in 2000 but he has since done a lot to counter the old fallacy that Brazilian goalkeepers were somewhat less reliable than their European counterparts. An important cog in the successful AC Milan machine, Dida can look to two Champion's League winners medals as proof of his success in European football.

Real Madrid's undisputed number one for almost ten years since his debut as an 18 year old, Casillas’ strong natural talent and amazing shot stopping abilities have led him to be widely considered as one of the best goalkeepers in world football. His strong leadership credentials have seen him also captain the Spanish national side and represent his country at every major tournament since his international debut in 2000.

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