18 memorable examples of eccentric goalkeeping: Bravo, Cech, Hart…
Goalkeepers are expected to do more than just save shots nowadays – and it has led to plenty of brilliant and hilarious moments.
Whether it be dribbling past onrushing attackers, being forced into headers outside of the box or even pulling off scorpion kicks, it’s always entertaining when a keeper leaves his goalmouth.
And here are just some of the many examples of the artform.
Claudio Bravo
Ederson clearly enjoyed this piece of improvisation from Bravo. And so did we.
David de Gea
But could Ederson or Alisson do this?
Probably, to be fair.
Joe Hart
He’s not just a pretty face, you know.
Rustu
After almost decapitating Kerion Dyer, Rustu throws in an audacious overhead kick for good measure. It goes horribly wrong, but it was lots of fun. Well, maybe not for Dyer.
Jose Contreras
Channelling his inner Ronaldinho.
Manuel Neuer
Show-off.
Felipe Alves
He can beat his man, he can tackle, he can go in goal. He’s probably better than Pelé, to be honest.
Rene Higuita
Shame about the end product.
Petr Cech
Stop it, Petr.
Gregory Coupet
It’s said Rivaldo was so stunned by Coupet’s initial save that he couldn’t convert the follow-up.
It looked like the Brazilian star was trying his hardest to us.
Adrian
In Mark Noble’s testimonial, Adrian decided to try and score himself. And it almost worked.
Joe Hart (again)
This one will always be remembered for Ibrahimovic’s unbelievable overhead kick from outside the box, but Hart’s decision to run out was always strange.
You see, this kind of thing doesn’t always end well for goalkeepers.
Zlatan hates Guardiola and once put 4 past Joe Hart. He'll fit in nicely. pic.twitter.com/mTjtecE4IW
— Sam Homewood (@SamHomewood) June 30, 2016
Manuel Neuer (again)
Neuer is not loved just for his breathtaking saves but for what he does with the ball at his feet, whether that be lunging into tackles, passing along the flanks, or delivering some devastating long balls.
But sometimes his progressive style doesn’t always pay off.
Here he is making a brutal mistake against North Korea. Ouch.
Mirko Pigliacelli
No, you’re not watching FIFA, this actually happened.
Hugo Lloris
In a crucial Champions League encounter between Tottenham Hotspur and PSV Eindhoven, Lloris runs out in an attempt to tackle an oncoming opposition player but mistimes the tackle and ends up getting sent off.
It cost Spurs, too, as Luuk De Jong equalised for the Dutch side late on, with Lloris left Bleu in the face.
What you just did Lloris😱#UCL #PSVTOT
— GoalsTV⚽️ (@goalstv77) October 24, 2018
Joe Hart (and again)
This was a big occasion, a Manchester Derby no less, so it’s no wonder why Hart wanted to get involved.
It very nearly cost the England number one, but he managed to peddle back and make this amazing save.
Yang Zhi
The Beijing Guoan goalkeeper saw his girlfriend in the stands and decided to do this.
Rene Higuita (again)
Just in case you haven’t seen this one before.
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