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A very imposing figure with his 6 ft 3 in frame, Nestor Fernando Muslera Micol, is the first choice custodian on goal by Le Celeste, the Uruguay national squad. Born on June 16, 1986, in Montevideo, the 24-year-old goalkeeper has been a steady force for the team as shown by his heroics during the penalty shootout against Ghana in the quarterfinal match where the two crucial saves he made brought them to the semis against the Netherlands.
He began showing tremendous skills at a very young age. His physical attributes coupled with his right mental condition made him constantly alert and decisive without compromising his composure for the whole 90 minutes of matches. An ever reliable athlete with his command of the penalty area, he served his country prominently as a young dependable goalkeeper on the Under 17 and Under 20 teams in the early years of the new millennium.
He was 18 years old when he made his professional debut with the Montevideo Wanderers in 2004, the club where he honed his skills as a member of its youth ranks. He stayed with the club until 2006 when he was taken on loan by giants Nacional because of his impressive performances. Despite playing only for a brief period with Nacional, he began attracting the attention of some big European clubs such as Juventus, Benfica, Arsenal and Lazio. His performance during the 2007 Copa Libertadores boosted his stock so much that he was signed that same year by the Serie A club Lazio which moved him to one of Europe's biggest soccer leagues.
His early days in Lazio were not really notable because of some losses attributed to him. These costly errors made him lose his starting spot. However, with his uncanny natural ability and mental toughness, the Italian coaching staff gave him back his starting spot and he had never failed to impress up to the end of this season.
He had been with the senior national squad since the 2009 qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup but was an unused substitute for their matches against Paraguay and Chile. He earned his first cap on October 10, 2009 when his country won a 2-1 away game over Ecuador. After his impressive performance in that win, he was again chosen to start against Argentina and Costa Rica. He repeatedly displayed impressive performances that his coaches made him the first choice on goal for their country's 2010 World Cup campaign.
He showed that he belonged with the best in the world when he kept a clean sheet for their three matches in the group stages of the World Cup against France, Mexico and South Africa. He was equally impressive against South Korea in the Round of 16 which brought his team to a quarterfinal meeting with a strong Ghana squad. It was on this match that he really cemented his role in the national team by saving two crucial penalties in the penalty shootout. His heroics brought their euphoric team to a semifinal match against the Netherlands where they eventually lost 3 - 2.
Youth does indeed have its advantages. Fernando Muslera is a young athlete playing with and competing against the best in soccer's biggest stage. His youth did not deter him from keeping his nerves at bay but instead channeled it into energy and composure to come up with performances that will be in the minds of people worldwide for years to come.
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