WEMBLEY STADIUM — It’s time we started talking about Jordan Pickford. The first man in history to keep four clean sheets in the opening four games of a European Championship.
And boy, has he earned it. In a defence-minded set-up by Gareth Southgate, Pickford has not been inundated with saves, but he has made crucial stops at crucial times, and has been the unsung figure in England’s exceptional, critic-defying run to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals.
Thirty-two minutes into a tight, nervy last-16 knockout tie with Germany and Pickford makes a save that changes the game. Kai Havertz slips the ball through England’s supposedly compact three-man defence and into the path of Timo Werner.
Werner, of course, has not had the best of seasons, but he has scored one-on-ones with keepers from that sort of angle so many times in his career he could probably do it in his sleep. Werner went low – the right choice – but Pickford came, and spread himself, like an octopus pouncing from the corals to catch some prey.
Football is game of fine margins and though the ball went through his legs, it caught his heel, and stayed out. And England stayed level: still in it, still able to play calmly, not forced to chase a lead. That goal goes in and – obviously nobody can say for sure – but England have crumbled from a goal down on countless occasions before and it is not a given – unlikely even – that they go on to win the game, only their second ever European Championship knockout game, to reach the quarter-finals.
It was around the half-hour mark that Pickford makes the key save against Scotland, with the score goalless.
He plunges down to his right to deny Stephen O’Donnell’s corner-bound volley, with a strong enough hand to push the ball out of danger.
There was the decent hit by the Czech Republic’s Tomas Holes again around 30 minutes – what is it with Pickford and the half-hour? It is struck from 25 yards but struck hard and true and requires a diving save and strong arms to push it clear. England were already ahead in that one, so it did not prevent them from going behind, but it preserved their lead, and afforded more comfortable passage to the top of Group D, to set up the tie with Germany.
Back to that game, and there was Thomas Müller running through on England’s goal after Raheem Sterling lost possession poorly, a chance for the legendary German striker to level the tie – to perhaps begin the predictable crumble – and there was Pickford, out quickly, spreading himself again – does he have only four limbs, or eight? It’s hard to tell – forcing the forward to aim for an impossibly small target, forcing the shot to be dragged wide.
Before then, at 0-0, there was the dramatic leap to push Havertz’s half-volley over the bar, three minutes into the second half. To the untrained eye the ball looked to be flying over, but replays showed it to be soaring into the roof of the net, and Pickford makes between 500 and 700 saves per week during a major tournament with England, and his eye is well trained.
And while he may be setting international clean sheet records with his saves, Pickford’s contribution with his feet has been equally as important to England’s unbeaten run.
It has to be said in recent years for England it has felt as though Pickford is never far from an error that leads to conceding. Southgate has persisted, relentlessly, with passing out from the back and it has made you tear your hair out at times.
In this tournament, he has been a pair of feet as safe as his gloved hands: ready and waiting to receive the ball under any kind of pressure. From John Stones, the ever-present centre-back. From Tyrone Mings, the colossus in England’s opening two games. From Harry Maguire, since he returned to full fitness.
From any one of the revolving door of full-backs whose name Southgate seemingly pulls out of a hat to start each game: Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, Kieran Trippier, Reece James.
Has Pickford put a foot wrong? Played a stray pass? Passed straight to an opposition player? If he has, it is hard to recall.
Everton are good but they are the tier below the Premier League’s elite and in a team full of players at the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, he is not afraid to give them an earful. And it is not easy to exert that authority after having not had the best of seasons.
Carlo Ancelotti liked to rotate his keepers and Pickford was injured in the crucial months leading up to the tournament.
In England’s opening game against Croatia, he kept kicking long and Stones, a recent Premier League winner and Champions League finalist, made it clear that Pickford should pass it short more. A little row ensued.
Pickford kept kicking it long anyway. And that’s another reason to like him so much.
More from i on Euro 2020
- England aren’t ‘rubbish’ and Southgate isn’t a ‘fraud’ – we just need a bit of patience
- What the Premier League could learn from Euro 2020’s controversy-free referees
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3hjFOXz
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