José Julio Espina Agullo / ARTICLE • • • • • •
European Handball Federation (EHF) Master Coach Técnico Deportivo Superior en Balonmano Rfebm Master en Dirección y Gestión Deportiva Licenciado en Derecho Doctor en Ciencias del Deporte por la Universidad de Alicante Presidente de la Asociación de Entrenadores de Balonmano
Summary: The aim of this paper is to establish the pacerns of connecNon between goalkeeper staNsNcs (i.e. saves and goals) in European, World and Men's Olympic Championship finals with the results obtained by their teams in those finals. To what extent, ulNmately, is the performance of goalkeepers relevant to success/failure in those finals. The results will give us data applicable to high performance, as the matches analysed (32 in total), represent a sufficiently qualitaNve and quanNtaNve sample for those to have a very high absolute reliability. Introduc-on: The axiom that establishes the importance of the goalkeeper's game, and the relaNonship of his performance with the results of his team, is well known, not only in handball, but in any team sport in which this figure exists.
ARTICLE
In the case of this sport, the performance of the goalkeeper and his impact on the game takes on special relevance, given the high number of intervenNons in each match. Insofar as I am analysing matches at the highest level, the results take on a special significance because European, World or Olympic Ntles are at stake. I am now going to detail, with staNsNcal data, the quanNficaNon of this importance, recognised by all. recognised by all. And even more so, if there is a direct relaNonship between the goalkeeper's success and his team's victory. For this purpose, and having at our disposal the images of all the men's finals of the Olympic Games since 1984 (i.e. 8 matches), of the World Championships since 1982 (i.e. 14 matches) and of the European Championships since 1994 (i.e. 10 matches), it seems clear that we have a more than sufficient base of objecNve data to affirm, albeit with absolute modesty, that the conclusions obtained will have very solid foundaNons. It seemed important to me, therefore, to give numerical support to a reality that had already been studied in some leagues or championships, such as the study carried out by Pascual X. on the influence of goalkeeping efficiency on performance between the 2001-2002 and 20062007 seasons of the ASOBAL League. 11
JOSE JULIO ESPINA
