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Goal.com 50: Victor Valdes (46)
The Barcelona goalkeeper is the first of the Spanish and European champions to make it onto our countdown following a superb season with the Catalan club
Jul 29, 2011 4:00:00 AM
By Ben Hayward
Welcome to the Goal.com 50! In this special series, Goal.com editors worldwide vote for the top 50 players of 2010-11. We count down to the announcement of the winner on August 21 with profiles of each and every player who made it into the top 50.
That Victor Valdes is not considered one of Barcelona's key players from last season only serves to show just how good the Catalan giants have become. If you can't remember too much from the 29-year-old in Barca's La Liga and Champions League double-winning campaign, however, it is probably because he largely did not have that much to do.
But so highly is he valued by Barcelona fans that the Catalan supporters were left wondering whether Valdes would have saved Cristiano Ronaldo's header in the final of the Copa del Rey, a goal which ultimately denied Pep Guardiola's side a second treble in three seasons. Valdes was left out that night in Valencia as Guardiola rewarded second-choice keeper Jose Pinto, who had been picked throughout the competition.
In the league, Valdes was imperious, with his only notable error coming on the night Barca clinched the title, a bad mix-up with Gerard Pique which allowed Felipe Caicedo to give lowly Levante a shock lead before Seydou Keita levelled and secured a third straight title.
In total, Valdes made 32 league appearances, keeping a hugely impressive 17 clean sheets, conceding just 17 goals in the process - making him
the league's meanest goalkeeper as he picked up the Zamora award for the fourth time. So although Pique, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, David Villa and, when he was fit, Carles Puyol, formed the spine of Barca's success ahead of the keeper in 2010-11, Valdes was there in moments of need, making a superb save from Damia in his side's unconvincing 2-0 win over Osasuna and a tremendous intervention to deny Nilmar in the club's hard-fought 1-0 victory at Villarreal earlier on in the campaign.
In Europe, Valdes' one big blunder came in the Champions League last-16 tie against Arsenal at The Emirates, when the keeper allowed himself to be beaten at his near post by Robin van Persie's stinging drive from a tight angle. Many put the goal down to the Dutchman's brilliance, but Valdes, always a perfectionist, will have been furious at being beaten in such a way.
There was a happy ending, though, as Barca overcame the Gunners in the second-leg and later returned to London for a Champions League final meeting against Manchester United at Wembley. And with Puyol unfit to play from the outset, Valdes was the only Barca player to have started all three of his side's European showpieces in the last five years (Xavi and Iniesta were on the bench in 2006, while Messi was sidelined through injury). The custodian became a three-time Champions League winner, something even Real Madrid's Iker Casillas cannot boast.
That Victor Valdes is not considered one of Barcelona's key players from last season only serves to show just how good the Catalan giants have become. If you can't remember too much from the 29-year-old in Barca's La Liga and Champions League double-winning campaign, however, it is probably because he largely did not have that much to do.
But so highly is he valued by Barcelona fans that the Catalan supporters were left wondering whether Valdes would have saved Cristiano Ronaldo's header in the final of the Copa del Rey, a goal which ultimately denied Pep Guardiola's side a second treble in three seasons. Valdes was left out that night in Valencia as Guardiola rewarded second-choice keeper Jose Pinto, who had been picked throughout the competition.
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"Victor is an absolutely superb goalkeeper. He has been a symbol of security in goal for Barcelona for the last six or seven years." - Xavi |
In the league, Valdes was imperious, with his only notable error coming on the night Barca clinched the title, a bad mix-up with Gerard Pique which allowed Felipe Caicedo to give lowly Levante a shock lead before Seydou Keita levelled and secured a third straight title.
In total, Valdes made 32 league appearances, keeping a hugely impressive 17 clean sheets, conceding just 17 goals in the process - making him
| MOMENT OF THE SEASON |
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| CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL: BARCELONA 1-1 REAL MADRID |
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| It wasn't a save, but Valdes' pinpoint side-footed curling pass to Dani Alves set the full-back on his way, leading to Pedro scoring Barca's goal in the 1-1 second-leg draw at home to Madrid, which sealed passage to the final and a third Champions League success in six years. |
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In Europe, Valdes' one big blunder came in the Champions League last-16 tie against Arsenal at The Emirates, when the keeper allowed himself to be beaten at his near post by Robin van Persie's stinging drive from a tight angle. Many put the goal down to the Dutchman's brilliance, but Valdes, always a perfectionist, will have been furious at being beaten in such a way.
There was a happy ending, though, as Barca overcame the Gunners in the second-leg and later returned to London for a Champions League final meeting against Manchester United at Wembley. And with Puyol unfit to play from the outset, Valdes was the only Barca player to have started all three of his side's European showpieces in the last five years (Xavi and Iniesta were on the bench in 2006, while Messi was sidelined through injury). The custodian became a three-time Champions League winner, something even Real Madrid's Iker Casillas cannot boast.
| "So highly is Valdes valued by Barcelona fans, that the Catalan supporters were left wondering whether he would have saved Cristiano Ronaldo's header in the final of the Copa del Rey." |
But Valdes is much more than just a goalkeeper. The Barca No. 1 statistically spends more time outside his area than in it, making himself available to distribute the ball and start off his side's attacks from the deepest of positions. It's essentially a sweeper role and it takes a lot of pressure off his defensive colleagues.
"The boss has always told me I should take part in the team's play," he said recently. "There are times when I have to play as a libero - that's my role. Guardiola has helped me interpret football." And in turn, Valdes has helped Guardiola build Barca's brilliance on the most solid of bases.
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