Casillas is role model for Spain

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-25  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

IT was fitting that goalkeeper Iker Casillas should be the hero of Spain's quarterfinal win over Italy at Euro 2008.

Not only is the 27-year-old Real Madrid player the captain of the national side, but he is also the embodiment of the new humility that pervades the squad and which has helped make it far more resilient than many of its predecessors.

Casillas broke into the Real first team as an 18-year-old in the pre-Galactico era. Though he has seen Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham all come and go at the Bernabeu he has kept his feet on the ground.

In fact the Madrid-born keeper, who is renowned for his approachable and down-to-earth manner, has frequently outshone his more illustrious teammates.

Baptized "San Iker" for his near-miraculous interventions that helped Real win the 2002 Champions League and the 2003 league title, he has consistently been ranked as one of the top keepers on the continent over the last eight years.

A brilliant shot-stopper with cat-like reflexes, he is almost unbeatable in one-on-one situations and has successfully ironed out most of his previous weakness on the high ball. That rarity in modern football - a one-club man - he is determined to see out his playing days at Real and despite the difficulties of having a keeper as captain he was the obvious choice to lead the national side after Raul faded out from the side.

In Spain he is viewed as the best goalkeeper in the world and he added weight to that argument with his performance on Sunday night.

Not only did he produce two superb full-stretch saves to stop two spot kicks but he also used his lightning reflexes to block a point-blank shot from Mauro Camoranesi that could have won the game for Italy in normal time.

Such is his prowess between the posts that Spain appeared content to let the game peter out into penalties as it chased its first semifinal appearance at a major event for 24 years.

"I knew he would save at least one penalty," coach Luis Aragones claimed.

"I was confident we would win it."

The Spain coach also paid tribute to Casillas' influence on the rest of the players. "Iker is a 10 in everything... as a keeper, as a captain, and for the way he behaves. And look at how much of his playing career he has still got ahead of him... He is a phenomenon."

Casillas has had relatively little work to do for Spain at Euro 2008 but in tomorrow's semifinal against an exciting, attack-minded Russia he is likely to get plenty of opportunities to showcase his skills.