Alisson vs Ederson: Who will be Brazil’s starting goalkeeper this World Cup? Brazil already have one of the best international squads in the World with depth in every category. They also have the world’s two best goalkeepers in the world in Liverpool’s Alisson and Manchester City’s Ederson. However, Tite can only go with one goalkeeper.
Ederson has been an essential part of Manchester City’s dominate run in the Premiere League under Pep Guardiola. Since joining City in 2017, he has won four EPL titles and won the Premiere League Golden Glove three times. He averages about 22 clean sheets a season and 18 in the Premiere League. This season Ederson has conceded nine goals on 12 saves with eight clearances and four clean sheets so far. Ederson currently leads the league in the most clean sheets as well. He also only conceded one goal with two clean sheets in three Champions League games thus far. This included a very dominate performance against Borussia Dortmund last month.
Ederson will be making the trip to the World Cup, but will he be Brazil’s starting goalkeeper? He had five starts during World Cup qualifiers and recorded four clean sheets with just one goal conceded. He had four starts during the 2021 Copa America but has not started on the squad since February. Tite has favored Alisson over Ederson in the months leading up to the World Cup. This concludes who he has his mind set on as starting goalkeeper.
Alisson has been just as important to Liverpool under head coach Jurgen Klopp. He joined Liverpool in 2018 and has won the Premiere League, the Champions League, and the Premiere League Golden Glove twice. Both Alisson and Ederson won the Golden Glove last season when they both ended the season with 20 clean sheets. He averages about 20 clean sheets a season and 16 in the Premiere League. This season he has conceded nine goals on 16 saves with four clearances and just two clean sheets so far.
In the Champions League he currently has conceded five goals with five saves and a clean sheet in three games played. He struggled during the match against Napoli which saw him concede four goals, a rare bad day in the office for him. Regardless, Alisson is still one of the world’s best goalkeepers and is favored by Tite to be Brazil’s starting goalkeeper in the World Cup. He was Brazil’s goalkeeper during the 2018 World Cup where he recorded three clean sheets and allowed just three goals in five games. Alisson also started in eight World Cup qualifying games and recorded a clean sheet in six of those eight appearances.
Since March of this year Alisson has taken over complete control of the Brazil’s starting goalkeeper duty. But why is Tite favoring Alisson over Ederson? Both goalkeepers have equal numbers in almost all categories. Ederson has a better clean sheet rate and is better with the ball in his feet while Alisson has a better penalty save conversion and save total.
Because Ederson had to withdraw from the Brazil squad in March due to an illness, Tite decided to continue with Alisson in the starting role. Both goalkeepers are the best in the World, but only one can be a starter. Look to see Tite go with Alisson during their first group stage game against Serbia on Nov 24.
Regardless of who is chosen, Brazil will have no issues with having either goalkeeper starting as they are the only nation in this World Cup who will have two World Class goalkeepers on their roster.
