Goalkeeping: An Iconic Obsession

Soccer is a world renowned sport played by everyone, almost anywhere. Formal modern soccer, with order rather than the game’s initial chaos atmosphere, has been around for the last century and a half (Brief). The game has a simple principle: the team to score more goals in two 45 minute halves wins. Further, the game is composed of two teams of eleven each. Ten are field players and one is a goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the one who can use his hands and is the last line of defense to the goal. The ten field players are to use there feet to score goals and defend.

Soccer, and more specifically goalkeeping, can be described as an American Obsession. Of the two ‘brands’ of players, the goalkeepers are of my personal obsession. Being a goalkeeper myself, I feel that passion for the role and dream of that miraculous save. American’s have the freedom to pursue their own dreams and goals whatever it may be; as I choose to pursue goalkeeping. Everyone in America has the opportunity to find their special trade and that’s why it’s an iconic obsession. “Americans are great athletes and US goalkeepers have had more success around the world than any other position. I think the ‘lone ranger’ or ‘hero’ persona that emanates from the keeper position could lend itself to an obsession in our culture,” says long time veteran goalkeeper Otto Orf. Goalkeeping represents a particular American belief of freedom to pursue what you want through its opportunities, aesthetic characteristics, and ‘hero’ persona.