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With less than a month before the World Cup kicks off in Russia, Liverpool goalkeeper, Loris Karius, suffered a horrifying and embarrassing night during the Champions League finals held in Kiev. It was absolutely a goalie's nightmare to make a blunder of himself and allow his opponents to score with ease. All the goalkeepers in the World Cup will surely be exceptionally careful not to put themselves in the same spotlight as Karius.
Fortunately or unfortunately for Karius, the German keeper was not called up by Joachim Low for the competition and he will be able to avoid unnecessary scrutiny on his performances before next season begins. Other keepers such as David de Gea, Manuel Neuer, and Keylor Navas will have to put on their best performance for their country and own reputation.
In the previous two editions of the FIFA World Cup, Iker Casillas and Manuel Neuer won the Golden Glove Award. The latter remains Germany's first choice keeper despite not playing for the majority of the season due to an injury. Meanwhile, Casillas has been left out of the Spain football squad but his successor, de Gea, is an equally tough man to get past. Here is a look at five goalkeepers who are early contenders for the World Cup award.
#5 Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
Courtois remains Belgium's first choice goalkeeper despite competition from Simon Mignolet from Liverpool. The 26-year-old became the youngest keeper to represent Belgium back in 2011 and has made 55 appearances for his nation.
In the previous World Cup held in Brazil, the Chelsea player started all games for his nation until their journey ended in the quarterfinals round. The Belgium squad has strengthened over the years and they may possibly advance even further this time around.
Standing at 1.99m, Courtois is easily one of the tallest keepers in the competition. Thanks to his height, he is extremely good in the air and able to deal with set-pieces calmy. His quick reflexes and great concentration allow him to get to the ground easily and be alert to his surroundings at all time. The Belgian is expected to be named in the starting lineup for every match.
#4 Alisson Becker (Brazil)
His compatriot, Ederson, had a wonderful debut season with Manchester City and even clinched the Premier League trophy. However, that has not stopped the Brazil team from deciding that Alisson will be the country's first choice representative in the competition. In his second season at Roma, Alisson has become particularly influential and dominant between the posts.
According to Squawka, the 34 appearances made in Serie A, Alisson kept 15 clean sheets and conceded an average of 0.79 goals per match. In the process, he has made 3.49 saves per goal and boasts a distribution accuracy of 83%. His claim success stands at a high of 90% which makes him one of the most reliable keepers in the world.
Playing in Russia will be a time for Alisson to make a name for himself. He has already attracted lots of attention from Premier League clubs, with Liverpool extremely keen to sign him. After his impressive season with Roma, everyone will be watching him perform on a world stage and he will hopefully be a joy to watch.
#3 Manuel Neuer (Germany)
Neuer has only played four matches the entire season and kept three clean sheets altogether Other German keepers, for instance, Bernd Leno and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are right at the doorstep awaiting their chances. The national team coach remained adamant of Neuer's capabilities. The Bayern Munich player is likely to be in the starting line-up should he be fit enough to play.
Fans may be calling for the Barcelona keeper to be named in the starting line-up after he led the country to the Confederations Cup trophy last year. However, given Neuer's experience, Low is pleased to name the 31-year-old as the first choice keeper. At the same time, Neuer had also won the Golden Gloves in 2014 when Germany was the World Cup Champions under Low.
It is no surprise that Low has plenty of trusts in Neuer and he will be one of the keepers that the world will keep a close eye on.
#2 Wojciech Szczesny (Poland)
Szczesny has been an understudy to Buffon in his first season at Juventus. However, the old Italian goalkeeper will leave the Old Lady at the end of the season and Szczesny will certainly get more game time next season. He is set to make his World Cup debut later in June after Poland's absence from the last two editions of the World Cup.
Former Arsenal team-mate Lukas Fabianski is the more experienced of the duo and he was even included in the 2006 World Cup squad as a backup keeper. However, the Swansea City goalkeeper is set to be on the bench with Szczesny establishing himself as the more likely candidate in the starting lineup.
At 28 years of age, the Polish goalkeeper is at the peak of his career. In his long career with Arsenal, Szczesny had been at fault for a couple of goalkeeper blunders and smoking scandals in the dressing room. After his loan moves, the keeper has matured and worked on his strengths. He is now adept at saving penalties and shot stopping. Szczesny will be a keeper to lookout for.
#1 David de Gea (Spain)
de Gea is probably regarded as the most likely candidate to win the Golden Glove Award. He secured this season's Premier League Golden Glove by keeping 18 clean sheets. The 27-year-old made it into Spain's final 23-man squad in the 2014 World Cup. However, with Iker Casillas and Pepe Reina preferred, de Gea played no role in the World Cup. Now, he is set to make his World Cup debut with the world already knowing of his capabilities.
The Manchester United keeper is extremely strong in his reflex saves and is capable of saving long range shots too. In Premier League this season, he made an average of 3.58 saves per goal and a claim success of 86%, which is one of the highest in England.
Examining his international performances, de Gea has played 27 times and kept 14 clean sheets. This World Cup will be a great opportunity for him to be recognized as the world's best keeper and lead Spain to a great journey in the competition.
