5 World-Class Goalkeepers Who Won't Be First Choice This Season
It's a rising trend in world football to see top clubs orchestrating a competition for playing time among their goalkeepers, a position previously occupied by one outright first option and his understudies.
More powerful clubs can afford to sanction such systems in a bid to get the best out of their stoppers but even then it's common to see a dominant force among the ranks.
Some managers are extremely fortunate in the quality players they're permitted to bench as a result of such battles, with the most talented but sidelined figures discussed in more detail ahead.
1. Petr Cech
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The most prevalent example for a list of this sort is also its most obvious candidate, with the head-to-head between Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois having gained lengthy coverage in recent months.
After three successive season-long loans at Atletico Madrid, Courtois now looks to have finally stolen the No. 1 jersey at Stamford Bridge for good, and an incredibly coveted asset has been forced to ride the bench thus far in the 2014-15 campaign.
The Chelsea veteran of more than a decade has been demoted somewhat, effectively traded in for the sleeker, newer model of what he once was, although that's without doing an injustice to Cech's current powers.
Jose Mourinho may well chop and change between the two as he sees fit this term, but for now at least, Cech, the man with more than 325 Premier League appearances, four FA Cups and a Champions League crown to his name, will settle for second place.
2. Pepe Reina
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One may not be off the mark to suggest Pepe Reina's pedigree as a world-class talent has gone down somewhat after a troublesome couple of years, but a summer switch to Bayern Munich shows Pep Guardiola still has faith.
Last season's loan from Liverpool to Napoli didn't showcase the Spaniard's talents at their finest, admittedly, but Reina was still a force to be reckoned with in Serie A, and enough to keep the emerging Rafael out in any case.
Reina will be completely aware of the challenge that faces him in Bavaria. Manuel Neuer is largely regarded as the world's finest goalkeeper right now and doesn't seem likely to budge anytime soon, but what a back-up he has to fall back on.
Reina's best Liverpool form had him falling in similar conversations at times, and his peak form for the Reds is something he'll be hoping to re-engineer in Bavaria.
3. Guillermo Ochoa
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A run to the round of 16 during this summer's 2014 World Cup by Mexico made for ridiculously fun viewing at times, and half that entertainment came thanks to the seemingly impossible heroics of Guillermo Ochoa.
During that tournament, there were more stellar stops from the El Tri No. 1 than mere coincidence could produce, confirming to the world that the talent before them was truly of a world-class quality.
It wasn't long before Ajaccio realised what a mistake they'd made in allowing the 29-year-old to leave for free, with Malaga eventually winning the battle for his signature.
In Andalusia, however, the Mexican will have Carlos Kameni to contend with, and Ochoa is yet to make his La Liga bow, the Anchovies' incumbent retaining his place at No. 1.
4. Keylor Navas
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Another goalkeeping maestro whose performances at the 2014 World Cup were enough to earn him a new sense of renown, Keylor Navas has seen a post-tournament boost in his surroundings.
However, like Ochoa, an upgrade in club stature also means an increase in competition, and with Iker Casillas once again reigning triumphant at the Bernabeu, Carlo Ancelotti has a dilemma on his hands.
Costa Rica's progress at the World Cup was due to a myriad of factors. The nation more than simply parked the bus and instead welcomed throngs of pressure, most of which their 'keeper was equal to.
Navas' superb shot-stopping was the attribute that stood out most in that competition, and it wasn't long before Real looked to Levante in order to tempt his talents their way.
5. Marc-Andre ter Stegen
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Taking all factors into account, Marc-Andre ter Stegen probably has the best chance of any goalkeeper on this list in subverting the current structure at his club and going on to claim the first-choice role eventually.
For now, though, it seems as though Claudio Bravo has the favoured spot in Luis Enrique's heart, both stoppers having arrived as Barcelona newcomers over the summer, each with a clean slate and equal reputation—in Catalonia, at least.
That being said, Ter Stegen left Borussia Monchengladbach as one of Europe's most revered up-and-comers in his position, a player with the potential to fill the void in the German national team left when Neuer eventually retires.
Still just 22 years of age, the former Foal has another decade or so to go until he's at his playing peak but showed in his Bundesliga ascendancy the power to be a threat right now.
Early life at Barca would suggest Enrique plans to use the youngster for cup competitions while Bravo occupies the league jersey, a distribution of power he has a good chance of changing.
