Jul 1, 2014; Salvador, BRAZIL; Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (1) stops the shot on goal by United States forward Clint Dempsey (8) in overtime during the round of sixteen match in the 2014 World Cup at Arena Fonte Nova. Belgium defeated USA 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
In news that can’t necessarily be deemed, “surprising,” it appears that Thibaut Courtois has beaten out Petr Čech and will start in goal for Chelsea FC as they kickoff their Premier League campaign today against Burnley.
While many pundits point to Courtois as the best keeper in the world, yes even better than Manuel Neuer, not seeing Čech starting for the Blues will be shocking to us all. Čech has been nothing short of phenomenal for Chelsea since joining the squad in 2004, winning every competition possible and being the backbone of a legendary defense.
In a year where Chelsea has had to say goodbye to legends like Super Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, seeing Cech not between the pipes personally makes me sad. As a goalkeeper, seeing him play for a decade has been a true joy. He played the position with such skill and humility that his accomplishments almost get overlooked. He will always be a Chelsea Legend.
But, in what could be viewed as a bit of history repeating itself, when Čech first joined Chelsea he beat out former Player of the Year Carlo Cudicini and never looked back. So now enters Courtois.
Courtois joins a roster where the expectations could not be higher. Trophies, yes plural, are not only expected with this current squad, but are outright demanded. That said, Courtois played excellently in both La Liga and the World Cup under similar pressure and should be in a position to excel.
We will all miss Petr Čech and what he did for our club but with Thibaut Courtois between the pipes, Chelsea is in very capable hands.