Monday, 23 December 2024
Monday, 23 December 2024
Pele, Maradona to Messi, Ronaldo. Football often has been a goalscorers game. In comparison, the custodian of the net, the goalkeeper, always remain tragic heroes, seldom spoken about. But a rare exception has been Manuel Neuer, the nearly unbeatable sweeper- goalkeeper of the German national team and Bayern Munich, who revolutionised the concept of a goalkeeper.
Countless football fans were in for a surprise on Wednesday when Neuer announced his retirement from international football.
How often has the world seen a goalkeeper who daringly charged outside the penalty box for 50-50 situations with the striker and cleared out the ball with success almost everytime? Millions of football fans wondered.
“Today marks the end of my career with the German National football team,” Neuer wrote on Instagram.
With the retirement of Neuer and Toni Kroos, who retired on July 7, all the golden boys of the German national team which won the FIFA World Cup 2014, are now back in the benches.
The enduring sweeper keeper, who is arguably the world’s best goalkeeper earned 124 caps for the national team. He managed clean sheets in 50 of these matches. His final appearance came in the quarterfinal loss to Spain at the Euro 2024.
In his illustrious career, he has won everything there is to win, be it Bundesliga, the Champions League, and the FIFA World Cup in 2014.
Germany’s National Soccer Federation (DFB) said in a post on X that Neuer was one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
German football has had a string of world-class goalkeepers from Sepp Maier and Bodo Illgner to Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann. Neuer was just 24 when he succeeded Lehmann as his nation's number one - at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. That made him Germany's third-youngest-ever World Cup 'keeper after Illgner.
Here’s a breakdown of his best performances and achievements throughout the 15 year long career as goalkeeper as well as the captain of the German national football team.
Neuer’s best game from his debut tournament
Germany vs England - 2010 FIFA World Cup
Germany managed to defeat England 4-1, but the game was much closer than the scoreline suggests. Without Manuel Neuer’s efforts in goal, the result could have gone in favor of the Three Lions. Neuer had the breakout performance of his international career in the Round of 16 match. Neuer delivered a pinpoint goal kick over the England defense to forward Miroslav Klose for the game's opening goal. Neuer became the first goalkeeper to register a World Cup assist since 1966.
He also held England to just one goal, making some of the best saves of the tournament, with a brilliant save of Steven Gerrards’ strike with his outstretched left hand.
The penalty heroics of the Euros
Germany vs Italy 1-1 (6-5 pens) - Euro 2016
As the defending World Cup champions, Germany entered Euro 2016. But they would not have passed the quarter-finals if not for Neuer's heroics. He kept the scoreline level throughout extra time before being the hero in the penalty shootout.
German football stars Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil, and Bastian Schweinsteiger all failed to convert from the spot. But Neuer saved Leonardo Bonucci's penalty and then Matteo Darmian's shot. Thanks to Neuer, the German national team made it to the semi-finals.Man
The Golden Glove on the biggest stage
Germany vs Argentina - FIFA World Cup final 2014
In the biggest game of his international career, Neuer kept a clean sheet against Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final. Despite efforts from Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria La Albiceleste could not go past the German keeper.
Neuer was awarded the Golden Glove for his efforts in Germany's winning campaign, and was nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
His best ever International game
Germany vs Algeria - FIFA World Cup 2014
Neuer's best game in a German shirt came against Algeria in the Round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup. Neuer exhibited what it meant to be a term "sweeper-keeper". He could be seen leaving his line (and the box) to tackle forwards, clear dangerous balls throughout the match to keep the match scoreless until extra time.
Algeria dominated in the 90 minutes of the match, and without Neuer, it would have been the biggest upset of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Records and stats of the sweeper keeper
From 2013 - 2016, the Gelsenkirchen-native was named World’s Best Goalkeeper by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) four years in a row. He claimed the honour for a fifth time in 2020.
In 2021, he became the first ever Germany goalkeeper to reach 100 caps for the country.
Neuer claimed the record for most appearances by a goalkeeper at a UEFA Euro finals in summer 2024 (18), before extending it to 20 during the tournament hosts' run into the quarter finals. His record appearance of 19 matches in the FIFA World Cup showed his fitness prowess and excellence in both his hands and feet.
Manuel Neuer never waited on his goalpost for the action. He led the team from his post, redefining the concept of a goalkeeper.
Joachim Löw, the former manager of the German national team had claimed that Manuel could very well play in the midfield, while in 2014 Germany’s legendary goalkeeper Oliver Kahn described him as the “best goalkeeper in the world right now”.
