UNITED Club and country’s spot kick supremo
IN nearly six years at United, David de Gea has only managed to thwart four penalty takers during regulation time: Robin van Persie, Shakhtar Donetesk’s Roman Eremenko and Everton duo Leighton Baines and Romelu Lukaku.
An additional reason why Jose Mourinho has decided to retain Sergio Romero might be down to his spot kick prowess.
Romero’s denial of Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini on Wednesday night marked the 10th time Romero has saved a penalty outside of a shootout, as United secured a point at St Mary’s.
Overall, Romero has faced 34 penalties within 90-minute matches and been beaten on 24 occasions.
Scanning Romero’s successes, they tend to come at critical moments. Only three of the 10 matches ended in defeat for his side and eight were made with the scoreline level or at 1-0.
Romero’s most memorable contribution during Argentina’s 2014 World Cup campaign was in the semi-final shootout triumph over the Netherlands.
Dutch coach Louis van Gaal would have been aware of Romero’s nerveless keeping after signing him while AZ Alkmaar manager, and he watched the thenSampdoria goalie foiled Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder while Jasper Cillessen kept flimsily during Argentina’s 4-2 shootout triumph.
That was not the only decisive contribution Romero made for Argentina; he stopped Colombia defender Zuniga’s effort in the 2015 Copa America quarterfinal as Argentina prevailed 5-4.
The only previous penalty Romero has faced for United during a 90-minute match was in September’s EFL Cup third round win at Northampton, where Alex Revell sent him the wrong way. The one shootout he has experienced with United came during the farcical defeat to Middlesbrough in last season’s EFL Cup, when he failed to make a save.
De Gea saved more penalties in Atletico Madrid’s colours over two years than he has managed for United - excluding shootouts. He has claimed 11 scalps overall and conceded 29 penalties during his career for his clubs and country.
Southampton marked Romero’s 17th clean sheet in 27 United appearances and his confidence is so high at the moment he conducted post-match broadcast interviews in English.
Romero himself said his time playing with Gabbiadini at Sampdoria helped him make that stunning save.
“I played one year with Gabbiadini in Sampdoria,” he told MUTV. “I did a lot of training [with him], maybe I have a decision in my head when he takes the ball and I say he’s shooting to the right for sure and I go there.”