A wise man once wrote that “if Real get anything out of this season, Navas will be handed the keys to the city.” That man was Rob Train of ESPN FC, and those words came yesterday after yet another outstanding performance by Real Madrid’s Tico goalkeeping phenom Keylor Navas.
If there’s ever been a powerful and potent example of “Florentino dimisión” (AKA, Pérez is a dumbass – remember this and this?) in action, it’s Navas between the posts right now. Dude has been playing out of his damn mind. Thank god for faulty fax machines.
Yesterday, our guy was at it again, proving his legend status in his squad’s 4-0 win over a depleted Sevilla side. Not only did he make a few sensational stops against Sergio Escudero, he made a sublime penalty save during vital first-half minutes with the scoreline an uncomfortable 1-0 in his favor. Kevin Gameiro stepped up to the spot in the 26th – eager to slot it home – but one does not simply score a PK against Don Keylor. Check for yourself below:
Check these stats: of 15 penalty attempts against him, Keylor has stopped five, avoided three off target, and let in a mere seven.
Goal’s Alberto Pinero argues that the addition of Luis Llopis to the Madrid staff – the man who made the jump from Castilla with Zidane in January and worked with Keylor at Levante – has done wonders for the Tico, allowing him to get back to winning ways doing the things he does best at top form: reflexes, reactions, and speed.
“My goal is to train, work hard, and push myself,” Navas told Marca. “I continue with the same enthusiasm as when I first started, with a strong desire to keep fighting.”