[Albion] How did the goalie not save Mitoma's header ....?

[Live by the sea]

Maybe it has been discussed somewhere but I haven't seen it.

Whatever angle I look at yesterday's goal, it looks as if the goalie should have saved it reasonably comfortably. It looks a bit as if he was taken by surprise by Mitoma's position and had to dive backwards quite a distance to get to the ball. But even so, it wasn't a powerful header and he didn't have far to travel. Maybe his weight was also on the wrong foot when the header was made...

Any goalies out there who can explain...?

With a much larger space to aim for on the right hand side of goal , I expect the goalkeeper expected the header to go to his right . The fact it went to the left in a much smaller space I think surprised him and he couldn’t quite react quite enough . Thankfully !

 

[5Ways Gull]

Despite this being his second headed goal of the season…

Only 2 though. Definite weakness

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Thought the keeper did well to get a glove on it

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

As others have said, he started off moving in the opposite direction and was back pedaling to try to get to it. If he'd changed direction a fraction of a second earlier he might well have tipped it on to the post.

I'll also add that I don't think he saw it until the last minute. His view was partially blocked by all the traffic in the box.

I wouldn't blame the keeper for that.

There was certainly no one blocking his view, he'd have been able to see the header clearly when Mitoma made contact. He jumps almost straight away but the split second weight transfer to his other foot meant he couldn't get the leap back across goal he wanted.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Of course, heading has been identified as the one weak spot of Mitoma’s game - delighted for him.

Not correct (apparently). The fascinating analysis in the Mitoma thread suggests he is strong with his head, though "the eye test" suggests otherwise.

 

[Doonhamer7]

I thought their keeper was very good yesterday - it was obvious their defenders trust him fully.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Of course, heading has been identified as the one weak spot of Mitoma’s game - delighted for him.

Agreed. He missed a sitter at Southampton, far easier than the one he scored yesterday

 

[Easy 10]

Despite what the old Solly and Craig Noone would have you believe, a goalmouth is an absolutely bloody HUGE area to cover. Its massive, and it shocks me how rubbish professional footballers are at hitting it.

Mitoma guided his header skilfully into the side of the goal the keeper probably wasn't expecting. He did very well to get a glove to it IMO.

 

[Oh_aye]

I thought it was a keepers mistake when I saw it live but the header gets better and better every time I see it.

 

[portlock seagull]

Every week pundits micro analysis of mistakes and should have’s makes me laugh. Without mistakes creating goal chances football would be pretty dull. Is that what you want? Cos that’s what’ll appen!

 

[Flagship]

It wasn't a keeper error. It was amazing that Mitoma actually got any power or direction on the ball as it appeared too high for him. He hung in the air for a split second and that was enough. I would imagine that the keeper was expecting the ball to flick off Mitoma's head towards the other corner. My first impression was that Mitoma must have a funny shaped head - a dodecahedron maybe.

 

[severnside gull]

It was a considerably better header than Welbeck in the first half

 

[dazzer6666]

Don’t think he was expecting Mitoma to get to it, let alone get a header on target…..…so was positioning himself for something more towards the back post. Look how high Mitoma jumps and how he adjusts to get the header on target. No way Neto was expecting the ball to end up where it did.

 

[Taybha]

No way Neto was expecting the ball to end up where it did.

Him and 30 thousand others

 

[smillie's garden]

I thought their keeper was very good yesterday - it was obvious their defenders trust him fully.

Agree, apart from the obvious howler that DU failed to exploit.

 

[Wardy's twin]

My first theory (and maybe I am doing him a bit of a disservice) is he scored because he is not good at heading and that he just got enough on it to loop it out of keepers way whereas a 'good header of the ball (i.e. strong) would have put that over. Having watched it a few times now and I think it was just a beautiful glancing header from an absolute genius.

 

[Winker]

Anybody found the goal with Jap commentary yet?

Or a version re-interpreted through the medium of cats?

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I thought their keeper was very good yesterday - it was obvious their defenders trust him fully.

I thought he was excellent as well.

I don't think the header was unsaveable but would have been an astonishing bit of goalkeeping to keep that out.

 

[BNthree]

As others have said the keepers weight is on the wrong leg to dive that direction so takes him just a tiny moment too long to shift weight and dive.

 

[Flagship]

My first theory (and maybe I am doing him a bit of a disservice) is he scored because he is not good at heading and that he just got enough on it to loop it out of keepers way whereas a 'good header of the ball (i.e. strong) would have put that over. Having watched it a few times now and I think it was just a beautiful glancing header from an absolute genius.

A glancing header would have gone to the keeper's left.