I know this is a bit late but I've just been watching Wednesday's Match of the Day - Man Utd v Watford Mata scored a great goal from a free kick and Shearer said that Gomez should have saved it. Gomez lined the wall up from the post on his right and there was part of his left hand side which he was watching the free kick and would have to save a straight shot. Mata curled the ball over the wall and it went just inside Gomez's right hand post and Gomez didn't have a chance. Shearer kept saying "he shouldn't get beaten - it was his side". Gomez's "side" was his left not his right!
Eh? Gomez was positioned about a third of the way along the goal from his right hand post, giving Mata 2/3 of the goal to aim at. Mata then curled it in just inside the nearest post to Gomez, who was presumably just about to launch himself towards the 2/3 of the goal 'protected' by the Watford wall that Mata had to aim at. Shearer was right.
Gomez was positioned about a third of the way along the goal from his right hand post but that was to encourage Mata to shoot to his left. The wall was lined up from his right hand post and a goalkeeper should usually stand to cover his left hand post. Mata curled the ball over the wall into the top corner of the part of the goal that should be protected by the wall rather than the part of the goal that should be protected by Gomez. Goalkeepers always accept that if the shot is perfect they can't save the ball where Mata put it and elect to make sure they cover the part that is easiest to score in - the part that the wall wasn't covering. Where Gomez did get it wrong was to take a step to his left as Mata shot which didn't help saving a shot to his right. There's a few things wrong with all this: 1 Shearer saying Gomez's right hand side was "his side" - it's clearly the left hand side if the wall is lined up to protect the right hand side 2 Gomez was standing too far to the right 3 Gomez took a step to the left to anticipate a shot there as Mata hit the ball
The wall is protecting the 2/3 of the goal to Gomez left, leaving Gomez to guard the remaining third. That film makes it look like they are protecting Gomez because of the camera angle. They aren't. Gomez guards one third, the wall shields the other two thirds, expecting Mata to whip it up over the wall so that Gomez flies across the line to save it. Bur Mata outwits Gomez by drilling it into the top corner where he least expects it. That's why Shearer rightly blames Gomez.
If you look at the free kick from the angle behind Mata you will see that the wall is protecting the goal to the right of Gomez. That's what fools Gomez - the fact that Mata ignores the easier shot.
