A GOALKEEPER is someone who understands the meaning of solitude. He stands beneath that netted goalpost like the queen in chess: he is at the far line. This is where the opponents direct their attack. He can move freely, but he can never move far. He crosses the midfield line only once in a match. Basically, his role is fixed.

He has nobody at his side. In every team there are some backfield players, but the goalkeeper is never flanked, eve