Matt Pyzdrowski is a coach and former goalkeeper who performed in the USA and Sweden. He serves as a goalkeeping analyst for The Athletic.
With Turkey holding a 2-1 lead within the Ninety fifth minute and Austria frantically trying to find a late equaliser, Turkey’s goalkeeper Mert Gunok pulled off the save of the event when he miraculously denied Christoph Baumgartner from shut vary to earn his nation a a spot within the final eight at Euro 2024.
It was an unbelievable save paying homage to England keeper Gordon Banks’ iconic cease from Pele within the 1970 World Cup and I’m not exaggerating once I say this is without doubt one of the greatest saves I’ve ever seen.
The best way he went again throughout aim and saved the bouncing ball off a soaking floor, in such an enormous second, was sensational.
Mert Günok’s unbelievable Ninety fifth-minute save 🤯😱#EUROLastMinute | @Hublot pic.twitter.com/N2AImAbc7A
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 2, 2024
There’s a degree of instinctual consciousness in Gunok’s save that may solely have been constructed from hours of labor being put in on a constant foundation. The actions and interplay made by Gunok as he throws himself towards the ball can solely be completed owing to the numerous hours he’s put in on the coaching pitch; the results of placing himself into the fitting place at precisely the fitting time again and again. The save didn’t occur accidentally.
With the ball looping excessive up within the air, Gunok first turned his physique, after which took three fast shuffle-steps throughout his aim, all whereas holding his head and eyes centered on the ball above him. This was essential as a result of, in a cut up second, it helped him choose the flight and trajectory of the ball whereas concurrently anticipating its remaining vacation spot. Had he hesitated even for only a second, it will have been a aim.
It didn’t take lengthy for Gunok to grasp that the looping ball wasn’t one he would be capable of declare outright within the air and he shortly scanned the realm in entrance of him and noticed Baumgartner on their own on the again submit. With the ball nonetheless within the air above him, Gunok determined to shift his eyes away from it and onto Baumgartner’s anticipated level of affect.
It could sound unusual {that a} keeper would take his eyes off the ball, but it surely’s an enormous cause Gunok was capable of pull off this save.
By anticipating the purpose of affect, he allowed himself to see the ball for the whole thing of its flight, maintain his toes in near-continuous contact with the bottom and time his method completely, serving to him to get set at precisely the fitting time to affect the play. Had he stored his eyes on the ball and tried to react to the shot after affect, it’s unlikely he would have been capable of attain out to the ball in time, even along with his very good reflexes.
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The data in entrance of him (the velocity of the cross, the bouncing ball, and Baumgartner’s physique form) instructed him that the ball’s most definitely vacation spot was again the best way it got here. Resulting from his restricted response time, Gunok resorted to utilizing a smaller step (fairly than a extra conventional step ahead) as a result of he not had the time or distance to make a bigger step to his proper. As a substitute, he needed to tuck his proper foot beneath him, predominantly pushing off along with his outdoors (left) foot in direction of the ball.
Because the ball headed towards aim, Gunok tucked his proper leg beneath him and explosively threw himself to his proper with all his may, utilizing each single inch of his body, and pushed the ball large of the submit. His capability to briefly collect his toes beneath him on the remaining second helped him get his footwork organised at a vital second and anticipate the ball again throughout his aim to make a wide ranging save.
Making issues much more troublesome for Gunok on this second was the best way the ball bounced on its technique to aim. When a ball bounces in entrance of you, you’re not coping with a ball that has a predictable path towards aim, however one that would change course and range in its peak after the bounce. It’s in these moments a goalkeeper sometimes must make two actions, which is an enormous cause it’s so troublesome to make a save on a bouncing shot just like Baumgartner’s. The goalkeeper must first transfer downwards to react to the low shot after which spring upwards because the ball bounces off the grass — all whereas concurrently transferring their physique laterally and ahead to get behind and minimize off the shot.
Getting your timing proper and a strong barrier behind the ball might be powerful sufficient when you’ve got a very good learn on the play. It’s infinitely harder when it adjustments course on its technique to aim. It’s in these moments when the goalkeeper’s focus and timing are of the utmost significance.
It’s onerous to articulate how troublesome it’s to push off your again leg with as a lot energy and as shortly as Gunok did right here to make the save. He merely had no enterprise attending to the ball. Gunok’s enthusiastic response after making the save and the nonverbal reactions of the Austria gamers after they failed to attain say greater than any phrases might in regards to the magnificence of his save.
Saves are lots like targets in that the implications, and stage upon which they’re made, decide their greatness. If Gunok’s save towards Austria was made in any variety of video games it doesn’t turn into etched in historical past. The truth that his cease occurred on the dying and will have been the distinction between Turkey advancing to the ultimate eight or crashing out of the event in additional time, solely makes his cease towards Baumgartner that rather more particular.
(John MacDougall/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)