England goalkeeper shines in World Cup
as the pride of a nation. The global reputation of English goalkeepers has taken a battering in recent years but Pickford is reshaping opinions with his standout performances in England’s surprising run to the World Cup semi finals in Russia.
Four days after being England’s penalty-shootout star against Colombia in the Round of 16, Pickford, 24, produced three brilliant, onehanded saves in a 2-0 victory against Sweden to ensure his team ultimately enjoyed smooth progress to a final four match against Croatia.
The only previous England goalkeepers to appear on such a stage were Gordon Banks — the World Cup winner from 1966 — and Peter Shilton, a veteran of 125 international caps who was 40 when he played in the 1990 World Cup semifinal loss to West Germany. They are England’s two greatest goalkeepers. The way Pickford’s career is progressing, he could be joining thatelite group.
Pickford is the most expensive British goalkeeper in history, after joining Premier League team Everton from Sunderland last year for a fee thatcould rise to $38.3 million.
He is breaking the mold. Away from his agility and shot-stopping, no previous English goalkeeper has showed such composure and technical ability with his feet, a trait that England manager Gareth Southgate sees as vital forhis team’s approach.
Against Sweden, some of the clipped passes Pickford made to his wingbacks, Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young, were as good as any of England’s ball-playing midfielders could produce.
Whatever happens in the semifinalsor potentially the final,Pickford will return to England as one of the team’s star performers in Russia. The abiding memory likely will be an acrobatic save against Colombia that saw him tip Mateus Uribe’s dipping longrange effort onto the crossbar atfull stretch.
It might even rival Banks’ storied save from Brazil great Pelein the 1970 World Cup.
Yet, more recently, English goalkeepers have been better known for making high-profile mistakes, too. There was Robert Green allowing a seemingly harmless shot from U.S. forward Clint Dempsey through his grasp and into the net in a World Cup groupstagegame in 2010.
Joe Hart was at fault for the winning goal when tiny Iceland beat England, 2-1, in the Round of 16 at Euro 2016. In 2007, Scott Carson’s mistake, when he spilled a longrange effort into his own net in a decisive qualifying match, contributed to England failing to reach Euro 2008. England’s goalkeeper at the start of the 21st century, David James, was sometimes cruelly labeled “Calamity James” because of his frequent mistakes.