Australian keepers in hot pursuit of prize spot

 

IT WAS always going to be the biggest selection poser of the World Cup, and on the eve of the tournament it is clear Australia's choice of goalkeeper will go down to the wire.

The final warm-up match (Thursday morning, Sydney time) against lowly Liechtenstein in Ulm is unlikely to provide much of a test of whoever is between the posts, but what counts is who exactly will be between the posts. Will it be Mark Schwarzer or Zeljko Kalac? The goalkeeper against Liechtenstein will almost certainly be the keeper for the World Cup. Coach Guus Hiddink has said as much.

Before he decides, Hiddink will "go to the DVD". The merits of video analysis may be debatable, but in this case it will be machine, not man, which will be the judge.

Despite Schwarzer's heroics against the Dutch - one save with his feet from Mark van Bommel defied belief - Hiddink refused to endorse the Middlesbrough custodian after the game in Rotterdam. He wanted, he said, to take the "emotion" out of the debate.

And so Kalac's efforts against Greece in the friendly in Melbourne will be scrutinised. So, too, will Schwarzer's against the Dutch. Hiddink, his assistants Graham Arnold and Johan Neeskens, and possibly goalkeeping coach Tony Franken, will all be part of the judging team.

Comparisons will be made, and then the man the players call "the boss" will decide.

So what, exactly, will Hiddink see on the DVD? If the head and not the heart will rule, what precisely is the difference between the two fierce rivals?

Armed with input from coaching sources in Australia, we have narrowed the art of goalkeeping to four main categories. On this basis, not surprisingly, it's almost too close to call:

COURAGE: It doesn't matter what else a keeper does, if he hesitates when he comes out to close down opposing players, chances are the rest of his work will be undone. Neither keeper can be faulted for bravery, although Schwarzer's recent broken cheekbone may have put doubts in his head. On one occasion against the Dutch, and in conceding the second goal against Sevilla when he played in the UEFA Cup final, there were signs of uncertainty. Kalac, who ploughs through anything in his way, has a slim advantage.

REFLEXES: Schwarzer gets the nod here, although not by much. Slightly shorter than Kalac, he is quicker to get down to shots close to his body, and slightly quicker to get back to his feet after making a save. Quick reactions also help him make saves with his feet, as he did to such effect against the Dutch. But Kalac does have one bonus: he tends to hold balls better than Schwarzer, who has a habit of parrying shots - not always away to safety.

TIMING: This is largely related to positioning and both are equal in reading the play. But Kalac has a clear advantage in runs off his line, either for through balls or, more importantly, for crosses and corners, where his extra height is handy. Kalac is far more commanding inside his six-yard box while Schwarzer too often stays rooted to his line, arguably his greatest fault. But timing is also about match practice, and Kalac's lack of it at AC Milan means his timing is slightly off.

DISTRIBUTION: With their hands, both keepers are outstanding while their punt kicking is long and accurate. But of two keepers who grew up before the back-pass rule was introduced, Kalac has adapted better to this crucial new dimension. Schwarzer has been known to panic but has improved in recent years, while Kalac is rarely flustered, preferring to play the short ball to a defender rather than pump it up the park.

SUMMARY: It's a tough call, but that's why Hiddink gets big bucks. If both men were playing regularly for their clubs, it's likely Hiddink would choose Kalac. But Kalac looked rusty against Greece although unlucky he didn't get enough work to sharpen himself up. Schwarzer, by contrast, had plenty to do against the Dutch and rose to the occasion.

Competition has brought the best out of both keepers, but the outcome will probably favour Schwarzer, who is more match-fit.