Goalkeeper Playmaker, Playmaker Goalkeeper
The game of football is played 11 vs 11, whether a team is in possession of the ball or not. 11 players work collectively to protect their goal when they don’t have the ball. So, there is no reason it would be any different when attacking the opposition’s goal.
Just how advantageous is it then, to have a goalkeeper that has the necessary qualities to help construct the game from the back, that can keep possession safely even when under pressure, that recognizes opportunities to attack the space in front, inviting pressure to free space for a teammate, that can play penetrating passes to break the opposition’s first line of press? Just how advantageous is it to have a playmaker like Tennyson Diaz-Campbell “Tenny” in goal for our first team? In this blogpost, we will look to answer these questions in a little more detail.
Tennyons’s experience as an outfield player during his younger years has been a tremendous asset in bringing to life the exciting style of football that we want to play at the club. His performance against Te Atatu AFC in the 8th Round of the NRF League One competition was a fine example of the expected skill set required for a club GK when in possession of the ball.
Figure 1: Overall Heatmap
Figure 1 shows a map of Tenny’s overall interactions with the ball, when in possession as well as intercepting opposition passes and blocking shots. Needless to say, he is not shy to step out of his 18-yard box and get actively involved in the game.
Figure 2: In Possession Heatmap
Figure 2: In Possession Heatmap
When in possession, as shown in Figure 2 above, Tenny provides reliable support to his backline if they are unable to find solutions forward. His teammates know they can trust him to start again to invite opposition pressure, or switch the play to find a free teammate, whichever the game demands.
Since it is essential that the whole team travels as one unit up and down the pitch, Tenny will always be positioned at a reasonable distance from his centre backs, helping the 10 outfield players to pin the opposition more aggressively. If not pressed by the opposition, he also has the confidence to attack the space in front of him with the ball at his feet to then find a free teammate positioned in behind opposition lines of pressure. Examples of this distribution can be seen in Figure 3 and Figure 4 below.
Figure 3: Overall Pass Map
Figure 3: Overall Pass Map
Figure 4: Attacking Space with the Ball
His relatively high positioning out-of-possession, as shown in Figure 5 below, combined with his ability to read the game and good sense of anticipation, means that he is better able to collect most long balls played over the top by the opposition, substantially reducing threats from direct plays and counter attacks.
Figure 5: Out of Possession Heat Map
In summary, having goalkeepers at the club who double as playmakers is extremely advantageous both in and out of possession. Not only it is a valuable tactical asset, especially for a club like ours that looks to construct our game from the back, it also makes for an entertaining and exciting watch.
Finally, because plots and data are simply meaningless without context, enjoy a compilation of Tenny’s best moments during this NRF League One fixture vs Te Atatu AFC by following the links below.
Hudl link:
Article added: Sunday 30 July 2023
