This week it’s not just the Premier League that’s going to be getting some love on the site. LaLiga is one of my favorite leagues in the world. The brand of football that is played in the Spanish game may not be as attractive to the casual fan. Especially if you’re watching a Levante vs Granada match. No offense to either of those teams. I actually think that Granada could surprise a lot of international teams if they ever met on the pitch. When it comes to goalkeepers specifically and the LaLiga saves of the week section if we continue to have weeks like this it’s going to be tough to keep the list a top 5. There were a ton of interesting saves this week. As was the case with the Premier League an old veteran of the wars came out on top with the save of the week.
Since this is a brand-new section I feel it’s a good idea to explain the criteria that’s being used to judge the saves. If there are two very similar saves in a week I’m probably not going to include both of them. Unless we get a week when the two best saves of the week are eerily similar. The site is primarily built around teaching goalkeeping. Therefore, I know there are going to be saves that the casual fan won’t think twice about. As a goalkeeper I feel goalkeeper technique is really underappreciated at times. Therefore, it’s a goal of mine to create a space to admire it here. With that said, let’s get started with the top LaLiga saves of the week on Matchday 13.
5. Thibaut Courtois vs Rayo Vallecano
This is a save that is probably not going to make the top 5 LaLiga saves of the week ever again this year. I just mentioned that there were a lot of top saves this week, so would I pick this one? Better yet, why wouldn’t it make the top 5 again? This is a save that Courtois does with ease, and he does these types of saves every single week. Obviously his height allows him to make these types of saves look a lot easier than they are to other keepers. What is really interesting though is how calm he is after what just happened. Toni Kroos arguably makes a better save than Courtois on this play. Still he gets up and he’s not overwhelmed by the moment.
Plenty of keepers would want to get up, push their line forward and come off their line really fast. If he would’ve done that he wouldn’t have been able to make this save. He casually stands up, and he’s even a bit deep into the goal. That allows him to make the jump and stretch that long arm of his. Making a game saving, save look as routine as can be. Many tall goalkeepers want to play aggressively off the line. Allison had this backfire last week at Liverpool. You don’t always have to play way off the line even if you’re a tall keeper.
4. Unai Simon vs Cadiz
What makes this a great save by Unai Simon is the fact that he’s essentially doing a lot of things wrong and the lead up to the block. However, he’s still able to stretch out and make the save. One of the things that you never want to do as a goalkeeper particularly with a ball like this coming in from somewhat of a frontal position is to start back peddling. When you do, it makes it a lot harder to be able to take the step to the side that you want to dive to and go. We even see it here with Unai Simon he’s back peddling, and he has to dive from where he’s at.
There are two things that could’ve taken Unai out of the play here. Luckily for him they didn’t happen, and he came out with a good save. Number one, if the ball comes in closer to the post he’s cooked. Without his feet under him to dive he’s probably not going to be able to stretch out that far in time. Also, if the ball would’ve come in closer to the ground he would’ve been in trouble. Getting your body down for a low incoming shot without your feet under you is very tough. If you’re in good shape, and you’re a little tall you can overcome some of these issues with a quick reaction time as Unai was able to do here.
3. Stole Dimitrievski vs Real Madrid
Remember those really technically sound saves that I was talking about that a lot of people won’t appreciate? This save by Rayo Vallecano’s Stole Dimitrievski is exactly what I was referring to. When you look at the save in the regular pace of the play you’re going to see that his arms kind of go up awkwardly, and it looks like there’s a little bit more luck than skill going into the save. If you’re thinking that you’re completely wrong. Sorry to be so direct about this. What allows him to make the save and then actually would’ve allowed him to make a return towards the goal if he needed to, is the fact that he keeps his feet under him.
Most goalkeepers would go to their knees on this play quickly and be at the mercy of the attacker. In crouching down, but keeping his legs under him not going directly to his knees he can react to virtually any shot. For me what that says is one he’s incredibly fit physically, and number two he works on this type of play and understands the importance of keeping your feet under you to stay in play. Yeah, the arms don’t look as aesthetic as they maybe could. At close range like that it really doesn’t matter you have to make the save and that’s what he did!
2. Luís Maximiano vs Espanyol
This was one of my favorite saves of the week, no duh right its number two on the list for a reason. However, I’ve seen a lot of goalkeepers both in Spain and in England now that I’m looking at them through a microscope continue to struggle with corners and high balls. The biggest problem is usually positioning. There’s a similar save in England with Ben Foster where his positioning allows him to make an amazing save at a near post shot. In this case the reaction by Luis Maximiano is much prettier. He makes it look really easy. There are people out there that are going to say that the ball bounced right up to his position, so he just had to follow through.
I would concede that the header wasn’t the hardest of Raul de Tomas’ career. The one that did go in the back of the net, that one would rank higher. What many people who have never been in goal though, don’t take into account is the fact that these balls that bounce off the ground are usually not coming in all that cleanly. The ball is typically going to be spinning in an awkward way. You have to make sure that you put enough force on the ball to make sure that you’re able to parry it away. This all happens in a split second as you’re stretching out to make a save to a ball that was hit right in front of your face.
LaLiga Saves of The Week Match Day 13 : Top Save of The Week
Diego Lopez vs Granada
The 40-year-old Lopez went off against Granada and is certainly a big reason why “Los Periquitos” won the match. It’s not a coincidence that older goalkeepers who are still playing at a top level are able to keep themselves in the right position. Unai Simon’s save for example was awesome. However, it’s not likely that he’d be able to replicate something like that at Diego Lopez’s age. It’s not just because he’s old, and he’s still making saves that he got the top spot this week. For one, he made a ton of saves in the match. So much so that I had a little trouble picking just one on the video.
If I had to pick one I think I would go with the first save. This is textbook goalkeeping at its finest. Especially when you have to reach certain balls that in all fairness should maybe find the back of the net. Knowing how to take the necessary steps in your goal and launching yourself at the right moment is the key. Yes, having impressive length strength that allows you to fly around from post to post is great. Positioning is more effective. It’s the main reason why Lopez is still playing into his 40s. It’s also the reason why Espanyol was able to hold on and win the match.
LaLiga Saves of the Week Matchday 13 Conclusion
There’s no doubt that Diego Lopez was the goalkeeper of the week in LaLiga saves of the week this week. This whole year is probably going to be an awkward one. We have Marc Andre Ter Stegen in the error list this week for example. No Jan Oblak on the saves list either. I bring this up because those are two of the goalkeepers that went on my top goalkeepers list. Ultimately though, the idea is to be as unbiased as can be with these. Hopefully some of the saves and errors that go on the other articles serve as an example of what to do or not do. Ultimately the bigger picture here is to make sure that you improve your game little by little!
