In this SailorFanTalk special, we have a guest writer, Leon! Those who know the fanbase well will know that Leon is one of the most ardent content creators who is a Sailors fan. You might also know that he plays social football to a pretty high standard, and has amassed quite a following on TikTok and IG for his lifestyle content which also features goalkeeping videos. It seemed natural for me to link up with him to get this article done where he gives us his unique goalkeeping insight into each of the 6 saves in this goalkeeping highlights reel.
Introduction over, let’s dive into the meaty stuff – take it away, Leon!
Criteria for Picking Save of the Season
To do justice to my 18 years of goalkeeping, and to keep up with my self-proclaimed role as Singapore’s #1 Tiktok Goalkeeper, I’ll have to break down and rate these saves according to the following criteria –
- Reaction Speed
- Footwork
- Diving
- Bravery
- Save Timing (timing and game-state when the save happened, and other factors which may put more mental pressure on the saver, or add to the importance of the save)
Watch the saves on TikTok or Instagram! I recommend you watch them once first, then come back to see my comments as I talk you through them.
Save 1 – Zharfan v Balestier (Penalty save v Ryoya Taniguchi)
Reaction speed: 10/10
Some might say it’s a guessing game when it comes to penalties. However, I’m a firm believer that penalties can be read.
Plant foot, hip direction – these things matter. Play it in 0.5x speed and you’ll realise that Zharfan waited for the plant foot of Ryoya to land before choosing a direction. Ryoya’s contact with the ball confirmed Zharfan’s commitment to the dive. Zharfan has a record of going the right way for penalties – I don’t have the exact stats but every single time he faces a penalty he seems to go the right way, even for the one conceded against Tampines (LCS win at OTH) (OTH is blue btw).
For him to read, react and commit all within that 0.15 seconds – is pure class. Insane reactions.
Footwork: 10/10
The change of weight, the plant foot, everything was straight out from a diving tutorial. Or a textbook.
If “How to Save a Penalty” was a video – this is it.
Diving: 10/10
I’m sorry, but I just have to give this save so much credit.
It’s a one-step power dive. Full extension. Two-handed, full stretch. Realise after Zharfan lands he is already beyond the posts. Zharfan isn’t the tallest of goalkeepers, but for him to reach such a well-placed shot from Ryoya is just insane. Apologies for giving so many 10/10s, but this save really is bloody outstanding.
Bravery: 5/10
Balls of steel from our custodian to stand his ground, and instead of guessing, goes with his guts to just bloody read Ryoya before going for the dive. This was still early on in the game – so for him to really stay calm and pull this off really is impressive. Nonetheless, as this point is about bravery, we have to consider that he didn’t have to put his body on the line, and there was no direct threat to him as it was a penalty. 5/10.
Save timing: 6/10
On the surface level, it’s a 5-2 win, so this save might not seem too significant. But it came right after our penalty didn’t find the back of the net – which was basically a huge middle finger to the opponents, and of course made the Crew go wild. 6/10.
[Editor’s note – one of our followers on IG pointed out that this was a crucial save because Ryoya and Maxime were neck and neck in the race for the Golden Boot at this point. Fair point that I thought I’d include in here.]
Total average score – 8.2/10
Save 2 – Zharfan v Young Lions (Double Save)
Reaction speed: 10/10
Bloody hell – I loved this one so much. Nur Adam sliding in already blocks Zharfan’s vision once. Brilliant fake from Harhys.
Then Lionel and Hariss come in to try and cover the angle, and they block Zharfan’s vision once more. Reacting quick enough to get his hands to it once is already commendable, but the second save is what makes it even more outrageous. It was a clear shooting opportunity. Zero blockage. Mano E Mano. And it was a hard shot as well. And yet he still manages to get his hands to the ball. 10/10. No contest.
Footwork: 8/10
Amazing kick-in of his left foot to drop his body fast enough to block the low shot. I would have him do the spin that Kepa/Cortouis usually does to get up even faster – but even though it wasn’t pretty, man palmed the ground and got up fast enough, then dived a little backwards to save the shot.
Granted, it was a very fast shot and reaction time meant Zharfan had to claw the ball away at the last second – it definitely could have been faster. I’m being critical about the nitty-gritty, and I hope you understand why. If I don’t, I’d be giving every single part of this review a 10/10 so.. 8/10.
Diving: 6/10
Contrary to what it might seem – I would say that the first save was more demanding diving-wise as compared to the second. Why?
The first ball was a dipping and bouncing ball – requiring a very precise drop of the body to get his hand in position. Incredible. The second save, while equally stunning, was a reaction save that demanded a backwards dive. It got the job done, yes, but it wasn’t pretty. But as above – I have to be extremely critical – these are all his BEST SAVES after all 😩
Bravery: 7/10
Great mentality to not give up after deflecting the ball right into another striker, and to force the second shot by staying his ground. Normally I’d have seen a keeper go out and try to Emi Martinez such a ball, but Martinez isn’t Zharfan. He doesn’t have the same guts to stand his ground and tell the striker – “y’know what, try, because I know I’m better than you.” Big boy Zharfan does. Solid 7/10.
Save timing: 5/10
Nothing too special about the timing of this save in this 4-0 of a steamroll, but crucial nonetheless as we almost conceded first against Young Lions just before halftime. No one wants to go into the break losing, and much less a club of LCS’s quality to a youth team.
Total average score – 7.2/10
Save 3 – Zharfan v Jeonbuk (1v1 save v Park Jae-Yong)
Reaction speed: 8/10
The very moment the through ball was released, Zharfan released himself off the line as well. Pure instincts, great vision and unrivalled reactions to close down the angle from a very good pass that set Park 1v1 against him.
Footwork: 9/10
Zharfan is just a joy to watch. Keeps low when the ball is outside the box, ready for the shot. Continues to keep his body weight low when he heads out for the ball. Comes out full Neuer style and does a textbook leg split. The footwork, speed, and technique needed for this really floored me. 9/10.
Diving: 6/10
No diving here, but just coming out to cover the angle. However, an element of diving is timing, and I have to give praise for the perfect timing of this save. Too soon, and Park Jae Yong could, and probably would roll the ball over and finish it into an empty net. Too late, and Zharfan wipes out the Korean faster than Eddy wiped out at the karaoke after this game. Flawless timing. 6/10 for that.
[Editor’s note – Excuse me, in my defence I was just too polite to turn down our generous hosts whenever they offered me a drink. This shall be Leon’s last article for SFT, hmph.]
Bravery: 6/10
Zharfan has to be nuts to risk his nuts – but he did it. Loved the passion in this save to go right at PJY’s feet. 6/10.
Save timing: 3/10
On one hand, we were struggling in this game against the Korean giants and any/every save has to be celebrated. On the other hand, we did lose the game 3-0, so regardless of whether this was a save or not, it wouldn’t have affected the scoreline much. But it was a Champions League game against a massive Asian giant – so I’ll give it a 3/10.
Total average score – 6.4/10
Save 4 – Zharfan v Hougang (Double Save)
Reaction speed: 7/10
Once again Zharfan comes off his line when he spots an error from the opponent. Lionel forces a run into a very tight angle, and with the number of defenders in the box, Zharfan protects his near post from a sneaky goal attempt. Not really reacting to the shot here but just making himself huge.
The high rating for this factor comes mainly from the reactions from the second save. Essentially 5 players blocking his vision and yet he reacts fast enough to get down and parry the ball away from a hungry poacher at the far post. Great instincts, 7/10.
Footwork: 8/10
Textbook split, constantly on his toes, before the kicking-in of his leg to drop down for the collapse save. It has to be said – Zharfan is extremely technically sound. 8/10.
Diving: 6/10
The second save demanded a very quick collapse save. Good speed, great parry, 6/10.
Bravery: 6/10
Calm from Zharfan again with the first save, slightly nervy on the second save, but still keeps it out of danger. 6/10.
Save timing: 4/10
5-0 steamroll of Hougang, but Hougang are always a side that gain momentum from their goals. 4/10 for keeping a clean sheet in this clash.
Total average score – 6.2/10
Save 5 – Zharfan v Bangkok Utd (Save from Mahmoud Eid at 0-0)
Reaction speed: 6/10
Props for reacting to the poor control from Eid, and coming out to make himself huge. Nothing super special, but great reactions to make a quick decision to come out. 6/10.
Footwork: 6/10
Something special here was a jumping split that Zharfan pulls off so easily and gracefully. Watching this in the replay got me nodding my head subconsciously – 6/10 for an interesting and effective save.
[Editor’s note – In an old interview, Zharfan once said that his favourite goalkeeper is Peter Schmeichel, and it really shows in this save, which is a carbon copy of Peter Schmeichel’s starfish save technique. Peter Schmeichel counts some big clubs in his CV, including Aston Villa, Manchester City and Sporting CP, so it means a lot when I think even he would be proud of this one.]
Diving: 6/10
No diving for this, but the timing of this movement was perfect once again. Immaculate timing to prevent any bouncing shots or pannas or lobs. 6/10.
Bravery: 10/10
If I gave this any less it would be a crime. I believe Zharfan really got hit in the family jewels here – and he did squirm a little after. His mentality is beyond comprehension – but there are some things we don’t need to understand. We just enjoy.
[Editor’s note – think 10 is a bit low. Should be 11 or 12, but OK we move]
Save timing: 8/10
It’s the Champions League and we’re playing away from home, so this upped the demand for this save to happen. This game really should have been 3 points for the Sailors – and for Zharfan to keep us in the game regardless of the scoreline and pull off such a save really brought a tear to my eye. 8/10.
Total average score – 7.2/10
Save 6 – Zharfan v Kitchee (Save from Corner Right Before Half-Time)
Reaction speed: 9/10
Once again, bodies blocking the view of the ball, and mind you this was a volley that took a slight deflection at the very end at the edge of the goal. To get down and react to the shot, and the deflection AND hold on to it on the goal line, is nothing short of superhuman. 9/10.
Footwork: 7/10
Notice how Zharfan stays a step away from goal, but tracks back instantly when he knows he can’t get to the ball. He then stays on his line, shifts just a little, before dropping down for the save. His positioning and situational awareness of this whole set piece really blows my mind. 7/10.
Diving: 7/10
A little awkward on the dive, but it had to be done as there was little to no vision of the ball. Went down with two strong hands, got his body behind the ball, so even when the ball was deflected, he was already there to prevent any errors. 7/10.
Bravery: 7/10
Zharfan actually is getting slightly harassed by a lone striker before returning to his line. Usually such strikers are there to be more of a mental and physical blockage, rather than actually trying to score. For Zharfan to keep his composure, read the game and predict the volley – that’s courage and experience. 7/10.
Save timing: 10/10
Off the line save just before halftime? In a champions league game? Away? While your team is leading? How much better does it get? 10/10 for timing for this one. Perfectly timed save, and a even better final score.
Total average score – 8.0/10
Overall favourite save
#1 Penalty save against Balestier. I’m sorry but the full extension dive, plus a perfect read of the player, flawless reaction time – all while we were still in the middle of the title race, all while I’ve only been a fan of LCS for a few months at that point, just made this save a top class save in my books. It definitely wasn’t a Champions League save, nor was it top corner, but to deny a well taken penalty is always something special.
Hope you enjoyed this read!
Watch the saves on TikTok or Instagram!
Written by Leon Lee
Edited by Eddy Hirono
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