Ацтека цэнгэлдэх хүрээлэнд болсон Дэлхийн аварга шалгаруулах тэмцээний шөвгийн 16-ын тоглолтод Английн хаалгач Жордан Пикфорд багийнхаа ялалтад голлох үүрэг гүйцэтгэлээ.
Тоглолтын 54 дэх минутад Жарэлл Куанса улаан хуудас авснаар Англи хүн дутуу үлдсэн ч 3:2-ын харьцаатай тэргүүллээ хадгалж чадсан юм. Энэ үед Пикфорд өөрийн торгуулийн талбайд тун мэдрэмжтэй тоглож, Мексикийн 52 дамжуулалтын эсрэг таван удаа гараараа бөмбөг цохиж зайлуулсан нь Дэлхийн аварга шалгаруулах сүүлийн гурван тэмцээний дээд амжилт боллоо.
Тоглолтын дараа дасгалжуулагч Томас Тухел Пикфордын зоригтой тоглолтыг онцлон сайшааж, түүнийг бөмбөгийг хаалга руу орохоос сэргийлж, дахин давтагдах боломжийг олгоогүй хэмээн үнэлэв. Пикфордын хувьд тэмцээний эхэнд гарсан алдаануудаа засаж, өөртөө итгэлтэй байгаагаа ийнхүү баталлаа.
Хуучин багийн анд Жо Хартын үзэж буйгаар, Пикфорд бие бялдрын хувьд тийм ч сүрлэг харагддаггүй ч чухал мөчид багтаа итгэл төрүүлж чаддаг шилдэг хаалгач юм. Ийнхүү Английн хаалгач Норвегийн эсрэг болох шөвгийн наймын тоглолтын өмнө өөрийн байр сууриа улам бэхжүүлж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
It was not really about the saves. Or at least, those were only part of it.
As good as they were, particularly that early one down low to his left to deny Raul Jimenez, these are the kinds of moments we have come to expect from Jordan Pickford.
The Everton and England No 1 has always excelled as a shot-stopper. He has won the Premier League’s save of the season award twice, most recently for a jaw-dropping effort to keep out a fierce Sandro Tonali drive in February’s win at Newcastle United, and regularly sits at the top of the division’s goals-prevented table.
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Pickford has made countless important interventions for England too, but arguably none like this, amid the suffocating intensity of the Estadio Azteca against home side and tournament co-hosts Mexico in the World Cup’s last-16 on Sunday (early Monday in the UK).
His second-half display in particular was that of a leader.
With Thomas Tuchel’s side down to 10 men following Jarell Quansah’s red card on 54 minutes, desperately trying to hold onto a 3-2 lead and facing a barrage of crosses, the 32-year-old took matters into his own hands.
Pickford celebrates after the Mexico match (Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Pickford has never had a reputation for being the most commanding goalkeeper in the penalty area. As his critics have always been at pains to point out, he is on the smaller side for a top-level player at his position, standing at only 6ft 1in (185cm). And it is true there have been high-profile moments in the past where he has looked susceptible under the high ball.
But against Mexico, he commanded his box in a way we have not seen before.
He strayed off his line, claimed, punched and smothered. This was not necessarily by tactical design, but rather an experienced player responding to a specific situation and putting the onus on himself to help the team. The idea was to be proactive, ease the pressure on his defenders and stop potential problems at source.
Pickford has never made more than three punches in a Premier League game but managed five at the Azteca, the most by any goalkeeper at any of the past three World Cups.
Context, of course, is important.
At club level, Everton face around 18 crosses per game. On Monday, Mexico sent a whopping 52 into the England box, more than he’s faced in any league match. This was a unique challenge requiring a different style of goalkeeping to normal — and Pickford rose to the challenge.
As the graphic below shows, he claimed just two crosses outside his six-yard box during the most recent Premier League season, and did not leave his six-yard box once to successfully punch a cross. Pickford has tended to be at his best when more reactive, using his reflexes to make strong, instinctive saves. He’s looked less sure, admittedly, as crosses have rained down on his goal.
For Everton, he often stays rooted to his line and expects commanding defenders including James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite to head away crosses. Virgil van Dijk’s last-minute winner for Liverpool in April’s Merseyside derby came about, in part, due to his indecision, with Pickford caught between his goal line and the six-yard box.
Contrast that with the performance in Mexico City, and the locations of his interventions that night.
“Jordan, overall, did very, very well,” Tuchel said after the match. “Especially in the end, he was brave. He came out for the crosses. He really saved the balls that were saveable. He didn’t allow second chances and rebounds. Well done. I am very happy for him.”
There is no doubt that such a standout display came at a good time for Pickford.
Despite his sustained excellence and longevity as No 1 for his country, it does not take much for doubts over him to set in.
Some fans and commentators felt he should have done better with Martin Baturina’s goal in the 4-2 win against Croatia in England’s opening group game of this tournament, and he was also beaten at the near post by DR Congo’s Brian Cipenga in the round of 32 after anticipating a shot to the far corner.
These were not major errors, but they gave the impression Pickford was not on top of his game at the start of this World Cup. Critically, on both occasions, England’s defensive structure had also been exposed.
On Saturday in the quarter-final against Norway, Pickford is set to become England’s most-capped World Cup player and, tellingly, the best analysis of the Everton man has come from his friend and former international team-mate, Joe Hart, who has offered an insight into his technical quality and often misunderstood character.
“I can understand why people had questions about him, but he’s not actually that physically imposing,” the former Manchester City and England goalkeeper told The Rest is Football podcast. “He can be erratic in how he behaves. But he has performed ever since he came on at this level. He makes massive saves for his teams.
“People who don’t understand him see all of these antics, touching and rolling around on the floor. That’s what makes him great. He’s not pleasing on the eye, but my god he’s effective, and you can trust him, and in the big moments he wants to stand there and be that guy.
“That’s massive to have in a team. To be the England No 1 for so long, and to keep improving and stepping up in a big game, he deserves every bit of praise.”
In one sense, that Mexico tie was simply a case of Pickford reverting to type in a big game for his country.
But what bodes well for England, after his indifferent form, is that his confidence has not been shaken.
If anything, Sunday night showed he is still adding new strings to his bow and is as influential as ever.
