5) David de Gea
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This seems like a harsh inclusion considering that he had a great game against Italy and kept Spain in the game till extra time. But, it’s his performance against Croatia which was a huge letdown and because of which Spain ended up as group C runners-up drawing Italy and bowing out of the competition.
If you make any list of world’s best goalkeepers, then De Gea would always be somewhere near the top. He has been United’s best player for two seasons running and arguably PL’s best keeper but he has shown a near post vulnerability which is unexpected from a keeper at that level.
Against, Croatia, he looked vulnerable from the beginning when he passed the ball to Ivan Rakitic who ended up hitting the woodwork. After the lucky escape, he was beaten at the near post where he couldn’t have done much but that huge gap from an incoming cross at the near post wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by Del Bosque.
Even though, the match seemed to be heading for a draw when Croatia had a half chance with Perisic on the counter. He was pushed wide and the only way he could have beaten De Gea was going across the goal and nobody expected him to score. But he did and surprisingly at De Gea’s covered near post. Spain ended up losing the game and we all know what came next.
The Spanish goalkeeper has shown similar vulnerability when he was beaten by Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho this season in the Europa League tie at a crunch time. A keeper of his class with the kind of saves he makes shouldn’t be beaten this often at such fundamental levels.
Probably, this is something to look at for the United management as well as Spain as De Gea was picked above Casillas and is considered his long term replacement.
