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Buffon and Casillas lead the golden generation of goalkeepers

By Marcel Dumas

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 27: Goalkeepers Gianluigi Buffon (R) of Italy and Iker Casillas of Spain shake hands after the UEFA EURO 2016 round of 16 match between Italy and Spain at Stade de France on June 27, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 27: Goalkeepers Gianluigi Buffon (R) of Italy and Iker Casillas of Spain shake hands after the UEFA EURO 2016 round of 16 match between Italy and Spain at Stade de France on June 27, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) /
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Goalkeepers are some of the most revered and despised figures in the sport of soccer. A single mistake and your team can lose. On the other hand, incredible saves in key moments can make you a legend.

The history of the beautiful game has been graced by great goalkeepers in every generation. Lev Yashin, Gordon Banks, Dino Zoff and others have treated fans to incredible displays over the years. Since the new millennium though, fans have arguably been treated to the greatest generation of netminders to ever take the pitch.

Over the last fifteen years, we have witnessed the greatness of Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas and others. While their careers are still going strong it is worth taking a look at what these men have brought to the game.

Gianluigi Buffon (Parma, Juventus, Italian National Team)

Buffon came onto the scene as a seventeen year old for Italian club Parma in 1995. By the start of the 1996 season, he had made the net his. He would go onto to appear in 168 games for Parma until moving to Juventus in 2001 as the most expensive goalkeeper transfer ever. Since that time he has made over 470 appearances and cemented his place as a legend.

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Known as a tremendous shot stopper, Buffon uses his height and reach to his advantage. He combines his height with excellent agility to make the hardest saves look routine. Buffon’s command of the box keeps his defenses organized and well aware of lurking dangers.

These skills and attributes have created the type of resume which puts Buffon in the conversation of best goalkeepers ever. Over the years, the Italian has:

  • Been to five World Cups (winning it in 2006)
  • Capped 167 times by Italy (most ever for Italian National Team)
  • Most shutouts Italian National Team (68)
  • Most shutouts Serie A (273)
  • Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year (10 times)
  • Most consecutive clean sheets in Serie A (10 games)
  • 7x Serie A champion
Buffon has made a career of making the hard saves look easy
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (1) dives for the ball during the Serie A football match n.9 MILAN – JUVENTUS on 22/10/2016 at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Matteo Bottanelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /

Considering these are only a small part of a long list, it is easy to see why Buffon is so revered.

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Porto, Spanish National Team)

Casillas exploded onto the scene as a teenager for Real Madrid. His initial call up to the first team was in 1997 at the age of sixteen. Just a few days after his nineteenth birthday, Casillas became the youngest starting goalkeeper to win a Champions League title. Casillas would stay in Madrid through the 2015 season finishing with 510 appearances and three Champions League titles before moving to Porto.

Iker used great positioning and tremendous athleticism to make his name as one of the games best. What he lacked in height (listed at 6 ft 1 inch) compared to other goalkeepers, he made up for with his explosiveness. Casillas was able to catapult himself to the far reaches of the goal better to make a multitude of incredible saves.

Like Buffon, Casillas has put himself in the conversation of all time greatest goalkeepers. His performances for club and country have been marked by great moments and his leadership. Some of his accomplishments include:

  • World Cup winner 2010 (four total appearances)
  • UEFA European Championship winner 2008 and 2012
  • Five La Liga trophies
  • Three Champions League trophies
  • 167 caps for Spain

His remarkable career is still going strong at Porto and shows no signs of slowing down.

The Others:

Buffon and Casillas are widely considered the class of their generation, but there are other goalkeepers who stack up against the all time greats.

Petr Cech (Chelsea, Arsenal, Czech Republic)

Petr Cech has been a stalwart in goal for Chelsea, Arsenal and the Czech Republic. He made his name over a decade at Chelsea appearing in 486 games and leading them to four Premier League titles and four FA Cups.

At 6 foot 5 inches, Cech gives shooters very little to aim for when he is on his angles. He combines his size with great positioning to limit opportunities. Despite his size, Cech is very athletic and repeatedly shown his ability to quickly smother low shots.

Many rate Cech as a top ten all time goalkeeper. The lack of international accomplishments is perhaps the biggest factor holding back his climb towards the top. If he is able to lead Arsenal to a Premier League of Champions League title, his stock among the greats may rise even further.

Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04, Bayern Munich, German National Team)

Manuel Neuer is on the edge of being considered part of this generation. Approaching his 31st birthday (March) he straddles the line between Casillas et al, and the next generation. Despite being the youngest of the four mentioned, he has put together an incredible resume.

His career began with Schalke where he made 204 appearances prior to his move to Bayern Munich. His time in Munich has seen him evolve into arguably the top keeper in today’s game.

Neuer combines excellent size (listed at 6ft 4in) with great athleticism. He combines some of the best attributes of Buffon, Casillas and Cech into one. The additional skill that sets him apart is his speed and ability on the ball. His speed allows him to play a “sweeper keeper” coming quickly out of the net to stifle the opposition. It is a style that sometimes conjures up memories of Colombia’s Rene Higuita.

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The Bayern number one has already lifted a World Cup for Germany. With the current strength of the German squad, a second is a definite possibility in 2018. He has led Bayern to four Bundesliga titles and a Champions League trophy. If his career path continues to move along its current arc, he will finish with a career that will compare favorably against many of the games greats.

Conclusion

This generation of goalkeepers contains two (Buffon, Casillas) unquestionable all time greats. It has the potential to produce two more (Cech, Neuer) when their careers are finished. Whether we get the opportunity to witness this type of talent at the same time in the goalkeeping position ever again remains to be seen. We should enjoy it while we still can as this Golden Generation of goalkeepers can only last for so long.

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