Let`s better ask these revealing questions… Why isn`t Van der Sar, a Premier League vicechampion, in Holland`s party for the finals, other three guys being preferred? Why isn`t Almunia, third in the table with Arsenal, with his Spanish colleagues in South Africa? Why the best placed goalkeeper in 2009-2010 Premier League around at the finals, Heurelho Gomes, Harry`s choice at 4th in the table Spurs, is just a deputy in Brazil`s team? Why Pepe Reina, the much applauded Liverpool goalkeeper and seventh in the table last may, is just number 23 in European champions` squad!? And why only the eighth placed Everton offers a first choice at this World Cup finals, in the pair of hands of that practice target for Emile and Shaun-Wright, Mr. Tim Howard!?
It is just shortsighted, simplistic and crass to pinpoint England´s repeated failure to defeat U.S.A. in the World Cup finals on Robert Green and his blunder in South Africa. On a wider picture, it´s worth mentioning among other examples that an U.S. goalie who finished sixth in Premier League and played twice at Wembley, in february and april, in the Carling Cup final and F.A. Cup semifinal, haven´t made it in Bob Bradley`s squad for the finals.
Brad Friedel, Aston Villa`s goalkeeper, was omitted from selection, in a consistent line of foreign top of the table in Premier League goalies who are watching the finals on TV, while England is relying on a relegated 40 year old something, a deputy who came in to the frame in the qualifiers but who just avoided relegation with his own club and with a 20 year old. England`s problem is an overall lack of valuable goalkeepers, with a wealth of international experience under their belt. Green`s error is just a proof of their inability to cope with pressure in such circumstances. In a catalogue of mistakes, Robinson in Zagreb, Carson at Wembley and now this one, the overwhelming feeling is that Capello haven`t had too much room for option, that some trustworthy pair of hands are too few and far between…
Why U.S.A. was able to pick three choices in front of the sixth placed in Premier League, with Howard, Guzan from Villa and Hahnemann from Championship side Reading going to South Africa but not Brad Friedel, while mighty England agonized over taking Hart rather than Robinson at the finals!? Capello had a very poor field of selection at his disposal yet is worth mentioning that experienced Robinson has kept 13 clean sheets last season with Blackburn Rovers. May be only on this basis and on James` catalogue of errors over the years, at club and national level, the italian should have kept it simpler.
Otherwise, Green is not to be made a scapegoat as he is just an average Premier League goalkeeper pushed in front and victimized for wearing a larger hat than his West Ham one. May be get them naturalised, all the lot of absentees, the Petr Cechs, the Shay Givens of this top of the table league from European Union. This while Paul Hart will get four more years of experience…
