Episode 9 with Jyri Nieminen

The Football Pod

Today’s guest is Jyri Nieminen, the goalkeeper coach of the New York Red Bull of MLS. Despite being only 33, Jyri has already gathered a wealth of experience as a goalkeeper in his native Finland before coaching in Qatar, South Africa and a stint with the San Jose Earthquakes. We caught up with him during a busy MLS week, yet he still took time to give us amazing insights into his own personal journey from starting GK coaching at 14 to his current role at one of the top leagues in the world. Our conversation continued with the (perceived) difficulties of GK assessment, both in public and in professional circles. In addition, Jyri described his meticulous approach to training goalkeepers and talked about how and why it differs from other methods. The conversation also touches on how the role of a goalkeeper has evolved from being a romanticised "outsider" to an integral part of a team, an origo of sorts. We discussed some key training concepts such as training short range scenarios and build-up situations, as well as its practical applications. Furthermore, Jyri touches on the subject of using data analytics in goalkeeping, before we close out the conversation with some EURO 2021 takeaways. Don’t miss this chat with one of the smartest, most prepared goalkeeper coaches in the world!