quote:
Originally posted by Buffon:
Goalkeeping may as well determine every game rather than the play on the field. It takes alot of fast decision-making that takes alot of experience to do every thing right. Goalkeepers seem like the leaders of each team, they can swing the game which ever way at crucial moments just by giving the slightest touch to the ball.

Also keepers get their team's hopes up, like if your a field player and you see your keeper save an almost-certain goal, obviously that would make the game easier on you and get your spirits high. I agree like the posts before me, goalkeepers are great only when they give the game every thing they've got.

I would, though, say there are many good keepers this year, hard to choose from them which is the best. Stats don't always show who is better.
I agree in my last game the other we were up 3-0 but the other team scored off a difflection of a defender. I don't want to sound like i am boasting but i probably would have had it if it didnt happen. The momentum of the game shifted and they were shooting a lot more. Our moral and momentum and dropped. We had just committed a foul in the box and they got a PK. It was a lot of pressure just like most PK's, I blocked and then the other team committed a foul allowing us to clear it. After that PK save our momentum changed and we started playing much better. So i agree the way a keeper plays will lift the spirits of his team.