Bernd And Ifwat | #KaranganBolaSepak
Bernd And Ifwat | #KaranganBolaSepak by Isyhraff Marwan Ishak
It would cost me an infinite quantity of words and that too, won’t be enough for me to write everything about goalkeepers and being a custodian. What can I do? This goalkeeping thing is the only thing that I am capable to do, and I just simply love the fact about it. Even in social football, original goalkeepers don’t play themselves a goalie. They prefer to play up front, but that doesn’t work for me. Everywhere I go, it is a goalkeeper for me. As if it is a voluntary work rather than being forced. And of course I am aware of the pressure when you try to keep the ball out from entering your goal. It deeply hurts when every time a team concedes, spectators will question – as Petr Cech had said – “If a team concedes a goal, the first question is always of the goalkeeper,”. I mean, why this kind of question do even exist, when football involves eleven players on the pitch and not just goalkeeper alone?
I am here to write about two goalkeepers, if I may, that matured my thoughts on being the last line of defence. The first one being, Bernd Leno. On 4th of March ago, he turns 28. I would like to state his chronology prior to him joining Arsenal and his outstanding stats across two leagues; Bundesliga and Premier League. For readers’ information, I never fancied Bernd Leno. That one international goalkeeper who I admire the most is Jan Oblak. And I would really have welcomed the idea of him joining Arsenal (to note, this was before Leno came to the scene). Speculations burst everywhere that Arsenal are trying to bait Oblak but his price is simply too high for a low-budget team like the Gunners. There is news about approaching Yann Sommer too, then. But out of nowhere, on 19th of June 2018, I remember it was Ramadhan the fasting month, and it was around two or three in the early morning, when Arsenal announced the acquisition of Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen with an entertaining video clip of cubes and Leno holding the ball. I can’t say I wasn’t excited but yeah, who is this Bernd guy, though?
Then, as usual, I researched briefly about Bernd. He was a regular and may I say, nearly a legend already at Bayer Leverkusen. Even though he started his career in 2009 at VfB Stuttgart under Arsenal legend and Invincibles Jens Lehmann’s wing, he moved to Bayer 04 two years afterward, and shone there. Strings of impressive saves have become such a routine for him as he kept Bayer 04 at bay in several occasions. Even so, there are numerous times he made few mistakes, as being a keeper with the ability to control the ball and dribbling, comes with a massive task. If an outfield player lost the ball and failed to take-on, there are his teammates behind to back him up. But if a goalkeeper misjudged the ball, then there’s nothing else to put the blame onto. But still, he enjoyed his time well at BayArena and rose to prominence in favour of the Bayer Leverkusen’s supporters.
Upon entering N5, Bernd had to wait until the seventh game of the 18/19 Premier League to make his Arsenal debut, that too, when Petr Cech slipped to injury after thumping a goal kick. I saw the game live and was quite nervous actually because it was against Watford and everyone knows how fucked up Troy Deeney was. He was shit. Months before, during a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford, Arsenal lost 1-2 courtesy to Bernd’s mistake. That’s why I was feeling uncertain. That state of doubt suddenly vanished when Watford got a free kick at the left-hand side in the Arsenal territory. I didn’t remember who was the taker but the ball fell onto Deeney’s right foot and directed rightly toward the far side of the goal. It seemed like a certain goal but Leno’s left palm reached it and pushed behind for a corner. That’s when I realised this Bernd guy is going to be sensational stuff. Phenomenal!
In my time of supporting Arsenal since 2007, Arsenal were never blessed with a dependable goalkeeper. I remember every single one of them; Manuel Almunia, Lukasz Fabianski, Vito Mannone, Wojciech Szczesny, Emiliano Viviano. Almunia is now retired, Fabianski is now a favourite among Swansea and West Ham fans, Mannone got a good stint at the MLS with Minnesota United, meanwhile Szczesny has become the numero uno in the world, as he claimed that he benched Alisson at Roma and Buffon at Juventus. No one knows and really cares abot Viviano, though. So basically I have every right to be sceptical about this latest purchase of another promising goalkeeper by Arsenal. And I’m glad $22.5 million pound was worth it, if not more. Since then, Bernd has cemented his spot as the number one at the Emirates and as the first line of attack, obtaining six clean sheets last season (impressive if to be compared to those horrendous defence Arsenal owned) making a total of 105 saves despite playing only 31 games and a half. In this yet-to-be-finished season, Bernd has made 104 saves just in 28 games and kept seven clean sheets. That’s already more that last season’s count. These statistics simply depicts on how crucial is Bernd Leno’s presence at the Arsenal goal. Plus, the Gunners are now provided a number of competitive goalkeepers; Emiliano Martinez, Matt Macey, Dejan Iliev, Karl Jakob Hein so initially, the future of Arsenal’s goalies are in good hands.
But, Bernd Leno is not a prominent figure among his German comrades. Everyone knows how massive Manuel Neuer is and how egoistic and such dumb act from Bayern Munich to warn Germany that they won’t release their players for the national team just if Joachim Loew dropped Neuer from the no. 1 spot, and the feud between Neuer and ter Stegen continues and literally never found a full stop. Germany are also endowed with an amount of daunting goalkeepers; Kevin Trapp, Timo Horn, Alexander Nubel, Sven Ulreich but they never really cope with the reality of it. In 2017 Confederation Cup, Bernd played a game against Australia, where he squandered two times. Luckily, Germany won 3-2. Bernd’s fate with Die Mannschaft isn’t that good, as if the Malay idiom (Neuer sama ter Stegen bergaduh, Leno mati di tengah-tengah). While this famous duel never ends, it’s better for Leno to keep on focusing to his club career as he’s really on the right track of emerging as another Arsenal legend in the goalkeeping department, following his idol’s traces Jens Lehmann.
INTERVAL
The next goalkeeper that I would like to write about is, none other than, Mohd Ifwat Akmal Chek Kassim. Ifwat is a 24-year-old, playing for Kedah, uprooted from Kedah under-21 squad that played in the President Cup back in 2014. He rose through the ranks in 2016 when he helped Kedah to win the coveted Piala Malaysia in the heated final against Selangor, in which Rizal Ghazali drew first blood via a looping deflection only for Selangor to come back with an equaliser to drag the game into extra time and eventually, penalty shootouts. Ifwat donned the 31 shirt that night which saw Hafiz Kamal skied his spot-kick, Rizal Fahmi Rosid struck the post and Azmi Muslim’s penalty was saved by the young goalie. Ifwat also celebrated too early that night, which would come in handy if they lose but it is what it is. Kedah acquired their fifth Malaysia Cup triumph in 2016 and Ifwat won the Promising Athlete award in Kedah Sports Award 2016.
Trivial disclaimer: In spite of the fact that Ifwat was born in Kedah and represented Kedah in the league, I also grew my goalkeeping interest based on the myth that some of my friends were imposing me back then; they said my face and Ifwat is similar. Even when I enrolled in the university, my Kelantanese roommate once asked me, “Betul ke mung ni adik keeper Kedoh?”. I just smiled and hit back, “Aku anak sulung la woi.”. I don’t really know whether my resemblance of Ifwat’s face is inevitable or not but I embraced the myth with stretchered arms. When I went to stadium watching football, I don’t care about taking pictures with anyone, I just want a picture with Ifwat or any other great goalkeepers and that would’ve made my day.
In 2017, Kedah yet again won another cup; the Charity Cup but this game was irrelevant as Ifwat was on the bench that night and Hadi Hamid came up vital as he saved a penalty to help Kedah win the Shield at Larkin. Ifwat made 15 appearances in the league for Kedah during 2017 season and collected four clean sheets throughout the campaign which saw him awarded the best goalkeeper in FAM Football Awards 2017 courtesy to his spectacular form to aim three clean sheets in the FA Cup, functioning in Kedah’s victory against Pahang 3-2 in the final. Despite conceded a rather shameful goal concluding from a wicked deflection that squeezed in from Above by Jae-Won Heo, he saved five shots in the game, which for me was impressive. Basically, I think 2017 was his breakthrough year, as he also achieved a silver medal after Malaysia ended up their Southeast Asia Games 2017 being the first runner-up after losing against Thailand 0-1 despite his counterpart, Haziq Nadzli played major role between the sticks, playing most of the games except against Laos.
Ifwat made just 13 appearances in the 2018 season of Malaysia Super League, a season where Kedah were star-studded with bunch of quality keepers; Hadi Hamid, Ramadhan Hamid, recently promoted youth Asri Muhammad and Syazwan Jamil and Ifwat himself. A bit of lowlight in 2018 as Ifwat failed to collect a single clean sheet in the league, in which Ramadhan got three and even youngster Asri Muhammad got one. Luckily Ifwat gathered a clean sheet in the FA Cup which saw Kedah were out as early as the third round of the campaign, assassinated by Pahang who would go on to be the champion later. 2018 wasn’t a lively year for Ifwat and Kedah camp holistically.
But the same case didn’t occur in 2019. With the emergence of the new, imported, experienced coach from beyond Tambak Johor, who has brought Home United to glory before, Aidil Sharin Sahak brought a new glimpse of hope and a glimmer of miracle for the Red Eagles that season. Ifwat played most games among the goalkeepers this season, playing 18 games and acquiring six clean sheets (majority obtained early in the campaign). Ifwat was tied with Helmi Eliza Elias and Farizal Marlias as the joint-most clean sheets obtained in the league with six. Ifwat also claimed three clean sheets in the FA Cup, in the prestigious campaign which saw the upheaved final against Perak. Ifwat remarkably made 11 saves that night if I’m not mistaken, until Fadzrul Danel tucked in the winner in the extra time, as Ifwat was crowned as the man of the match and Kedah, their fifth FA Cup glory. Even so, things fell short during their Malaysia Cup 2019 journey, as even though Kedah climbed all the way through to the final only to be narcissistically humiliated by JDT 3-0. Ifwat saved his goal several times in the game but couldn’t done much to prevent his team from losing miserably. Maybe that’s why Ifwat couldn’t win the best goalkeeper award for the second time.
An extended closure to a lengthy essay. Datuk K. Rajagobal instilled hopefulness in his 2010 triumphant AFF Suzuki Cup squad and titled his entry, Hopeful. Another element that I think, is needed to be present in order to achieve something big, is of course, belief and faithfulness. Look, I am a goalkeeper, and as a goleiro, the first thing I need to achieve is, my teammates’ faith and belief. If they don’t believe me, if they never put on their faith to me, it would be hard for me to perform well. And every single time after I conceded, I’ll be the one who take all the blame. Football is a sports that is played by eleven or even more figures. Therefore, these figures have to supportive to each other, instead of being a nerve-wrecker. Keepers can’t be blamed for everything.
Being a keeper is the hardest skill to master, or to even muster the courage to be it. If you go to the field or court, rarely someone voluntarily raises his hand and offer himself to become a goalkeeper. Some would even run to death escaping from being a goalie. Because being a goalkeeper isn’t just about keeping the ball out from your net, but also keeping your teammates’ faith in you, keeping the hope alive, keeping your teammates away from stop believing you and the most important of all, keeping the moral support up high in the squad. Imagine if suddenly a keeper blundered, for example I got chipped from the middle of the pitch, like Hafizul Hakim got against Herald Goulon last year, the whole team’s moral would be down, they would be mentally shattered for conceding such goals. But that’s a life of being a keeper. Custodians are the most underappreciated person on the pitch, yet they are the most likely to get the blame when the team conceded. The frontliners of receiving uninvited guilt tripped from everyone watching.
Even Bernd Leno made mistakes, during his time in BayArena and unavoidably also in the Emirates, where he misjudged the ball that allowed Jorginho to tap home in the game that eventually favoured Chelsea’s way at the Emirates. But then he bounced back, keeping a clean sheet against Manchester United in a 2-0 win. Don’t talk about Ifwat, then. Even before he starts playing, people were prejudiced about his body shape and weight. Undeniably his stodgy physical is opposing from the true athleticism and of course it is not a good criterion of sportsmanship but why so much dirty talk? Ifwat shall remain Ifwat, no matter how chubby he is or how many mistakes he made until my friends started taunting me out of nowhere, for me, he’s still a great and dependable last line of defence and of course, the first line of attack.
Keepers can save 500 shots and squandered five times, yet people would still love to bring up the five times that keepers have blundered. It is such a nature, for people to love reminiscing flawed things.
Ifwat or even Bernd, this entry is your tribute. Thank you for relentlessly saving Kedah and Arsenal respectively for indefinite number of time, saving the team from drawing to get full three points, keeping the opposition at bay when the team are losing to keep a point, and most crucially thank you for igniting my passion of being a goalkeeper, thank you for being one of my inspirations for my hobby of being a goleiro. I never hope you to really read this, but I just want you to know that both of you have largely galvanised my dilapidated dreams. And to Ifwat, a jackpot for you. Do you think we really look alike?
Note from padangbolasepak.com: During the Restriction Movement Order 2020 Malaysia to combat Covid19 - Padangbolasepak.com encourages you from home to write essays about our beloved game of football. Can be anything. Why you fell in love with it? Your first game watching or playing? Friendships forged? Etc. Stars the limit.
500-1,000 / more words.
The objective is simple. Sharing the joy of football. Challenge you to write about the joy you may want to share. As well as keep you occupied and encourage to write. Provided that you have nothing else to do. Email us your essay with a photo attached at contact@padangbolasepak.com & we’ll post on the website as well on social media.
Thank you and take care brothers and sisters.