Iker Casillas Proves His Point on Penalties: Is He the Best of Them All?

They make an odd couple, the young, athletic Iker Casillas and Luis Aragones, who can only be described these days as geriatric (sorry, but it’s true).

But still, there they were on Spanish television as Sr. Zapatero, the Prime Minister of Spain, publicly congratulated them both on their victory against Italy, as well as good luck against upcoming opponents, Russia.

The game that preceded the comical but pleasant interview was one that involved two heavy-hitters of world football: Italy—perennial favorite and current reigning world champion, and Spain—perennial failure and trophy-less since 1964.

The quality on show was superb, even taking into account Italy’s depleted side (missing Andrea Pirlo and Gattuso through suspension) and turned out to be a real showcase of tactical football. The defensive shapes of both teams were excellent.

Italy closed down every passing lane from Vienna all the way back to Rome, while Spain contained Italy to the only attacking course of action available, which was looping the ball forward to a hopeless Luca Toni, showing nothing of the goal-glutton that we had watched tear German nets to bits only months before.

But it’s the talent that sat between the sticks for both sides that ended up being the difference in the result.

The match-up pitted two keepers against each other who have spent the past year being part and parcel of every “which keeper is the best in the world” argument you and your mates have had sitting around the pub, living room, or wherever you discuss football.

Those who watch La Liga swear that Iker Casillas is inhuman and capable of stopping a bullet with a pair of castanets, while Gianluigi Buffon has been rumored to be able to make a ball change direction with only the power of his mind (the latter of which I’m not so sure is false as David Silva had three shots in the match that missed the frame by inches, the last of which was so close it’s hard to believe Buffon doesn’t have some hoo-doo working for him).

The two keepers have played before of course, most recently with Juventus showing Real Madrid the door on two separate occasions in the Champions League not that far back. But this was in the Euros, and if only they would go to penalty kicks...

But before we get to that, the game-saving stop Iker made to deny Mauro Camoranesi is a perfect example of who Casillas is as a goalkeeper: he is the product of chaos theory, where out of the strangest and weird decisions that he is apt to make, he then turns around and makes a save that leaves your jaw hanging somewhere down around your clavicle.

Yes, he is unreliable on crosses, comes out of the box a little quick, and sometimes makes the odd save look a bit more difficult than it is. But when you need a ball to not go in the net, there is nobody on the planet that you can honestly say will stop it from happening more often than Iker Casillas.

In this passed La Liga season, Iker won the Zamora trophy, basically the “most valuable goalie” award in Spain.

The fact that he won it with Madrid, the run-away champs of the year two years going is not too surprising, but it’s the way that he did it that needs to be recognized.

Real Madrid were the most shot-on team in La Liga, their net being peppered more times than any other team. That being said, they conceded the fewest amount of goals in the league for the season as well.

Combine those two statistics with the fact that Casillas had the most saves on record and the fewest allowed goals of any other regular keeper in the league, and you’ve got a goalie who is either using two giant tennis rackets while nobody’s looking, or is truly an undeniable championship-winning element of the team. And then there are the penalties.

As a Madrid fan my entire life, I’ve watched Iker stop countless penalties and make spectacular saves that defy description. So when I saw the Spain game go to penalties, I have to say, I was less worried for the Spaniards than I would be if any other keeper was sitting between the sticks.

Yes, Buffon is an excellent number one. But if you watch a player week in and week out for years, place trust in him, watch him save your beloved team’s neck time and time again, day in and day out, it’s a faith that you have that cannot be broken.

There’s a reason that they call him “San Iker” (Saint Iker).

So when I saw him deny Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Di Natale, I have to say, I wasn’t surprised. It is indeed like having faith in a saint, and yesterday it all came together.

Spain beat Italy for many reasons, but the biggest one is the goalie who often gets overlooked when the Buffon’s and the Cech’s get thrown into the debate of who would wear the number one shirt on your fantasy team.

And after Casillas came out on top in the shootout, and Cech’s poor season, give me San Iker any day.