Spanish Inquisition: Iker Casillas vs Victor Valdes - Who Is The Better Goalkeeper?
For over a decade, there has been an undisputed number one in the city of Madrid. Since winning the UEFA Champions League in Paris at the tender age of 19, Iker Casillas has been the guardian, and the inspirational last line of defense for both Real Madrid and Spain.

In the ten years that have passed, he has rarely missed a step, and the majority of football fans will name 'San Iker' among the greatest goalkeepers in the world.

For much of his career, his credentials that led him to be so vehemently revered from all quarters have rarely been worthy of question. In the notoriously unforgiving, microcosmic environment in which Real Madrid operate, he has been the stalwart, the recurring character as Galacticos and club icons came and went. He is contracted at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2017, and only serious injury or a spectacular loss of form is ever likely to displace him.

At international level, too, he is irreplaceable. Since taking over from the unfortunate Santi Canizares as first choice for World Cup 2002, he has barely missed a match for La Furia Roja, assisting their development from tournament bridesmaids to the blushing Euro 2008 champions.

Spain are currently producing a prolific conveyor belt of talent, and the position that they are most affluent in is between the sticks. Pepe Reina has been almost flawless for Liverpool over the past two seasons, Diego Lopez has been inspired as Villarreal recover from the dreadful start to the campaign, while Andres Palop began the season in incredible form before his recent Champions League aberration.

Then simply, there is the case of Victor Valdes. In any other era, playing for any other club, the Barcelona glovesman would have been bestowed with numerous caps and international accolades. However, in the shadow of Casillas, Valdes remains uncapped and without recognition for La Roja.

It’s an astonishing statistic, even when disregarding the unbridled success he has achieved at club level with the Blaugrana; a pair of Champions Leagues in 2006 and 2009, and a trio of league titles reside in his medal collection, as well as Copa del Rey and Club World Cup honors.

When analyzing Valdes’ individual displays, it is difficult to dissuade from the opinion that not only should he be considered Casillas’ equal, but the preferred option for Vicente del Bosque for the 2010 World Cup.

Now, there is nothing to suggest that del Bosque has any intention of displacing Los Blancos’ number one, indeed the experienced coach has admitted he feels for Valdes’ plight and added that there may still be time to squeeze him into his squad for South Africa.

In a recent interview with publication Sport, del Bosque commented, “There is good competition and so far I have not found the need to call him [Valdes] because we have good goalkeepers.

"Valdes has an enviable track record. Barca won many titles last season. I encourage him to continue working and continue fighting as the doors are not closed to anyone."

The message to Valdes is clear, but ultimately an empty gesture, because what more can the Catalunyan portero prove? Over and above his medal collection, he has won the Zamora trophy (provided to the Primera Division shot-stopper who has the lowest goals-to-games ratio in a single season) on two separate occasions, and is on course to defend his crown. He has kept 27 clean sheets this season, 17 in La Liga, as his club drive towards successive league and European honours.

So, if del Bosque planned to take Valdes to the World Cup, he would have selected him by now, and in the unlikely scenario that he is considered, would Valdes be willing to be considered as third choice goalkeeper? Spain travel to the tournament with a settled squad, who have formed an excellent rapport and understanding, in which all of the ‘components’ are aware of their role. Both Reina and Lopez are happy to travel with the squad, knowing that their input will be secondary to that of Casillas. Is del Bosque perhaps concerned that the introduction of Valdes, who would have eyes on a starting role, could potentially upset what is currently a harmonious group of players?

Despite unparalleled success, however, there are some who do not believe Valdes to be as adept a goalkeeper as his statistics suggest, and that Barcelona’s accomplishments have arisen in spite of, rather than aided by, his continued presence in the Blaugrana side.

When dissecting his performances further, we find that Valdes is only ranked 15th in La Primera for successful saves made, behind Casillas who is ranked 10th, which may suggest that the central defensive pairing of Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol have provided sufficient protection that Valdes is rarely called into action. Commentators also point to his tendency to commit high-profile errors; fumbling Walcott’s tame shot into the net against Arsenal at the Emirates, and being embarrassed by Ivan de la Pena in last seasons’ Barcelona derby against Espanyol spring to mind as avoidable blunders.

But then Casillas has proved to be equally susceptible – just ask Alexandre Pato (in the 3-2 loss to AC Milan), or Thierry Henry (in last season’s 6-2 humbling), both of whom benefited from his propensity to rush out from his line unnecessarily.

Across both players' careers there has been differing perceptions. Since Casillas’ introduction into the first team, he has been heralded, lauded and commended for being the wonderful goalkeeper that he undoubtedly is. But this perception, whilst not being a misconception, does allow Casillas to escape with ‘uncharacteristic mistakes’, regardless of their frequency.

Valdes on the other hand, for whatever reasoning, was never truly accepted as being befitting of the role as Barcelona’s custodian. As a result, his errors suffered greater scrutiny and were used to base an argument to displace him. As the seasons pass, his reliability increases month by month, and given the vast sums of money the Blaugrana have splurged in the past two summers, if Pep Guardiola did not trust him then he would have been swiftly replaced. It seems that Valdes has had to work much harder to reach the same level of acclaim as his counterpart over in the Spanish capital.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are supremely fortunate to be able to call upon two committed, talented goalkeepers who are among the best of their generation. Their abilities are appreciated in all quarters, but while one has cemented his role as Spain’s supremo, the other has been left frozen out. Surely Valdes deserves a chance to prove himself equal to 'San Iker'?