Tottenham: Guglielmo Vicario shows why Ange Postecoglou loves him after what he did on Sunday
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario once again showed why Ange Postecoglou loves him in his debut for Italy on Sunday (24 March).
The 27-year-old kept a clean sheet after starting in between the sticks as the Italians claimed a 2-0 victory over Ecuador in New Jersey, with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Nicolo Barella getting on the scoresheet.
The Spurs stopper backed up Luciano Spalletti’s decision to hand him his first cap on the back of his impressive form since making the move to North London from Empoli last summer.
Although Vicario wasn’t tested extensively, he dealt with any potential issues that came his way at the Red Bull Arena.
With Ecuador hitting the target with just one of their 10 attempts on goal, the keeper was forced into action on just one occasion.
But that could be a sign of how well he marshalled his defence, something Spalletti will no doubt have enjoyed seeing after giving him the nod ahead of PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Italian was handed a 7.1 SofaScore rating for his performance against the South Americans, having made one punch and come out on top in both of his aerial duels for a 100 per cent success rate.
He was largely competent on the ball, registering an 81 per cent pass accuracy with his 43 touches of the ball.
That tally was probably lower than his usual completed passes rate as the Italians opted for a more direct style of play than he’s become used to at Tottenham.
Although it may still not be enough to jump ahead of Donnarumma for the upcoming European Championships, he can be pleased with his night’s work after throwing his hat into the ring with a clean sheet.
It’s something the keeper will no doubt be looking to do more of with Spurs in the final few weeks of the season, having so far recorded just seven shut-outs in 30 appearances.
That is largely down to the expansive style of play Postecoglou opts to play, which leaves gaps at the back for the opposition to exploit.
The Australian has been impressed by his number one, however, after previously claiming his performances in North London have been “outstanding”.
Vicario will be looking to continue making an impression over the next few weeks to help Spurs qualify for the Champions League places and improve his chances of starting for Italy this summer.
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