Luis Arconada - 258.55 Performance Pts
Born: 26/06/1954 San Sebastian, Spain
Position: Goalkeeper Height: 1.79m Weight: 78kg
Prior to
the 1982 World Cup on home soil, Arconada had established himself as the
undisputed first choice 'keeper for Spain and was captain of the national side.
He also went into the tournament as a La Liga champion with Real Sociedad,
having helped them claim their second successive title. However, for the group
stage game against Northern Ireland it was Arconada’s failure to deal with
Hamilton's cross which allowed Gerry Armstrong to score and paved the way for
Northern Ireland to secure a famous victory. Spain was a disappointment as
hosts in 1982, but were more successful in their next major tournament, the
1984 European Championships, reaching the final against France. In the final,
captain Arconada allowed a Platini free kick to squirm under his body, which
gave France the lead, and they went on to beat Spain 2-0. He was loyal to his
only club side - Real Sociedad. He was ever-present in both title campaigns in
1981 and 1982 (the only 2 league titles in the club's history) and appeared
over 400 times between the sticks for them before his 1989 retirement. Despite
those two high-profile errors, he is regarded as one of Spain's finest ever goalkeepers
and collected 68 caps in total.
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