Doing it the Ryan way
edge of the box Cryuff Turn that left Gift Bello, Raphael Muduviwa and Winston Mhango almost bumping heads. “Haaa why mhani? (Why let that happen?)” screamed Mapeza from his “THE development of new tactics by coaches has seen a sudden rise in the value of goalkeepers…keepers have become not only the last line of defence but also the first line of attack. This is a welcome development, may it continue,” commented legendary former Warriors goalkeeper Japhet “Short Cat” Mparutsa in a recent Facebook post.
Mparutsa was adding his views to the debate triggered by the rise of goalies who are more that shot stoppers.
Liverpool’s Alison and Manchester City’s Ederson typify the new breed of goalkeepers who are so comfortable with the ball so much that they can actually initiate swift attacks.
Locally, Harare City goalkeeper Ryan Harrison is one of the few keepers who can play the ball.
Standing at 1.9m tall, the 32-yearold technical area, where he was unsettled as ever, after watching Muchenje’s wizardry bamboozling his men.
Harrison hinted that their victory was premised on keeping their shape and in Muchenje the home side had a compass, an inform player who could be used as a compass by his Harrison captured Zimbabwe’s attention when he became the first white goalkeeper to play for a top flight side since the Premiership’s inception in 1992, when he debuted against Black Rhinos on April 21.
His easiness on the ball, aggressive shouts and management of the back four are some of the qualities that have won the the British coach a number of admirers.
“Modern day football requires a keeper who is able to start play, organise the defenders and pass perfectly with either feet,” a super confident Harrison told The Sunday Mail Sport.
“As a little kid, I liked to be a keeper but I also wanted to play, so I would leave the goal and join the in-field players… like a keeper sweeper.
“Going through the academies in England and my professional stint at Swansea City, I perfected the technique teammates.
As he grew up in Mbare, they the likes of Edward Sadomba, Munyaradzi Diya, Gilbert Mushangazhike and Calvin Nyazema stuck the nickname Supplier on Muchenje.
But along the way, several coaches tried to turn the midfielder from
- -
as I would stay behind hitting a couple of balls with different angles,” added Harrison, a journeyman keeper who has also seen duty with Santos, Bidvest Wits, Chippa United and Golden Arrows in South Africa.
Harrison missed Harare City’s 1-0 win over champions FC Platinum last Wednesday due to injury but his father Mark, who is credited for introducing an exciting brand of football this season, says Ryan’s technical ability is the reason why he brought his son to Zimbabwe.
“Part of the modern game requires a keeper who is able to restart the game, one who is comfortable with the ball in his feet, supporting the back four and an artist into an artisan and those successive cloning processes saw the lad replacing some glitz with grit.
However, last Wednesday Muchenje played like the ball who dazzled many at Mbare’s Number 5 grounds and just like it was then, the opposition had no answers to his questions.
Meanwhile, the question that must have been on the minds of those who watched this mid-week classic is what would happen if FC Platinum were a wee bit faster when attacking.
It was only after falling behind in the 48th minute and the introduction of Farai Mupasiri that the defending champions put on the after burners.
But having said that or written that as is the case here one has to admit that it is somewhat unfair to question an approach that delivered the league title last year, an approach that has put Pure Platinum Play in a good position to retain the championship this term. Mapeza would probably challenge those who question his ways to show him a better modus operandi.
What is not in question though is the fact that our league is blessed to have Harare City and FC Platinum.
Long may they pass the ball and remind the rest of the boring lot that it is indeed possible to play “sexy football” — as Dutch legend Ruud Gullit once described a free flowing game — and still be effective.
Cheers to the pass masters!
- -
providing an outlet for the defenders to change play. “Gone are the days when goalkeepers were viewed only as shot stoppers, or were judged only by their ability to cut crosses. We are in a new era and we are trying to introduce it at Harare City. “That’s one of the reasons I brought in Ryan, I know he is good with his feet. To be fair, him and Max (Nyamupangedengu) have been working very well, last season we were kicking the ball too much of the time,” said the City coach.