Sending on a goalkeeper to be the hero in a penalty shootout is one of the riskiest strategies a manager can muster, but for Australia shot-stopper Andrew Redmayne, the plan worked to perfection.
The 33-year-old Sydney FC keeper was the star of the show as the Australian backup made the decisive save that would send the Socceroos to their fifth FIFA World Cup and send social media into absolute meltdown.
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From throwing the Peruvian goalkeeper’s cheat sheet water bottle behind the goal and out of reach to his incredible dance moves to put off opposing spot-takers, Redmayne’s performance in the penalty shootout was chaotic, mayhem, and an absolute joy to watch.
Indeed, Redmayne’s display was one for the ages and will rightly be talked about for years as one of the all-time great penalty shootout performances, but the Australian is far from the only keeper to pull off such a feat after coming on as a substitute.
Pietro Spinosa – Castel di Sangro vs. Ascoli
Hailed as ‘The Miracle of Castel di Sangro’ by the Italian press, Pietro Spinosa etched his way into Calcio folklore after his heroics in the 1996 Serie C1 season after the then-34-year-old goalkeeper saved the crucial penalty to send a club based in a town of just 5,000 people to Serie B.
To make the story even more incredible, Spinosa had not played a single minute of football all season before he was brought on for the final minute of the Serie C1 play-off final, where his heroics took Castel di Sangro to the second-tier of Italian football for the first time in their history.
Dele Aiyenugba – Enyimba FC vs. Etoile Sahel
Coming on to win your side promotion is one thing, but being substituted to win your side a continental title is another, and that’s exactly what Dele Aiyenugba did for Nigerian side Enyimba FC in the 2004 African Champions League against Tunisian club Etoile Sahel.
Replacing none other than Vincent Enyeama, arguably Nigeria’s greatest ever goalkeeper and a LOSC Lille legend, Aiyenugba stepped up into the sticks and produced a masterful display as the shot-stopper helped Enyimba retain the African Champions League title with a match-winning save against Ben Frej.
Tim Krul – Netherlands vs. Costa Rica
Redmayne’s heroics in the penalty shootout for Australia had fans on social media talking about one man and one performance only, Tim Krul and his iconic display for the Netherlands in the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals against Costa Rica.
The match that convinced Manchester United fans that Louis van Gaal was a tactical mastermind, Krul’s 120th-minute substitution had a huge psychological effect on the Costa Ricans as the former Newcastle star made two penalty saves to book Holland’s place in the semi-finals against Argentina.
Kepa Arrizabalaga – Chelsea vs. Villarreal
At £71m, Kepa Arrizabalaga might be the biggest Premier League flop in the history of the division. Yet if there’s one thing the Spanish goalkeeper excels at, it’s penalty shootouts, with the shot-stopper’s finest moment coming in the UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal.
Thomas Tuchel brought on Kepa to replace Edouard Mendy as the Spanish keeper made two saves in the shootout as Chelsea won the Super Cup, with the 27-year-old making the match-winning dive to win the Blues their final piece of European silverware.
Andrew Redmayne – Australia vs. Peru
The man of the hour and a new national hero for the country of Australia, Redmayne’s antics this week in Qatar will go down in international culture as a truly iconic performance for the Socceroos.
Whilst the A-League star might not start for Australia in the World Cup later this year, Redmayne’s contribution to getting the Oceania powerhouses to the tournament cannot be understated, and the veteran keeper will now be a part of the nation’s footballing history for eternity.
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