<p>It wasn’t that long ago that US goalkeepers were a common sight in the Premier League, playing first-team soccer week after week. Goalkeeper Brad Friedel made 450 Premier League appearances across several clubs including Liverpool, Tottenham, and Aston Villa. Tim Howard made 399 appearances in the Premier League, which included his time at Manchester United and Everton. Other goalkeepers played their part too including Kasey Keller (201 appearances), Brad Guzan (154), Marcus Hahnemann (115), among others.</p>



<p>So why all of a sudden is there such a scarcity of American goalkeepers playing in the best league in the world? Blame it on their feet.</p>



<p>Modern goalkeepers are a different breed than Friedel, Howard, Guzan and company. They have to be as skilled with the ball at their feet as the defenders lined up ahead of them. Many teams play from the back, which requires quick precision to keep the ball moving from player to player, including the goalkeeper. When done well, the goalkeeper becomes an integral part of the game, playing inch-perfect passes on the ground to lead his team forward.</p>



<p>Unfortunately, the current breed of US goalkeepers are failing in that department. So much so that opposition teams have capitalized on the poor ball control by American goalkeepers to turn that spit-second indecision into goalscoring opportunities.</p>



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<h2>US goalkeepers need to improve</h2>



<p>The list of goalkeepers who have poor ball-control skills reads like a who’s who of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/usmnt-tv-schedule/">USMNT</a> goalkeepers. Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, Ethan Horvath and Drake Callender have all made mistakes for their club teams. Horvath is no longer starting matches for Cardiff City, and after watching <a href="https://x.com/worldsoccertalk/status/1824824645079773250/history" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this example</a>, it’s not hard to understand why. Turner is an excellent shot stopper, but <a href="https://x.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1721900101788905522/video/1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">he’s no sweeper keeper</a>, which is one of the main reasons why he was moved out of Arsenal and eventually dropped by Nottingham Forest before moving to Crystal Palace where he’s been on the bench.</p>



<p>The same applies to Steffen, who Pep Guardiola pushed out to Middlesbrough not long after <a href="https://x.com/EmiratesFACup/status/1515342658134151175" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this mistake</a> so he could bring in Stefan Ortega as the backup for Emerson. Likewise, Drake Callender has come under a lot of criticism from Inter Miami fans last season for several mistakes, <a href="https://x.com/FOXSoccer/status/1778257375704543376" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">including this one</a>.</p>



<p>Playing at the highest level and having first-rate ball control skills isn’t easy. But in this modern game, it’s a noticable difference that separates the average goalkeepers from the best.</p>



<p>To be fair, you don’t often see the type of ball control skill mistakes that are made when you’re watching games in CONCACAF or MLS. That’s no slight on those two, but the game is played at a much faster pace in England. Hence the reason why it’s more likely to see those mistakes being made there.</p>



<p>For Turner, in particular, opposition teams in the Premier League caught on quickly to his poor ball control skills. So much so that you could see opponents pressing Turner in their attempt to make him spill the ball. When a team has a weakness that’s exposed like that, especially in the Premier League, coaches have to make the tough decisions which is why Turner, Horvath and Steffen have all been replaced at their respective clubs.</p>



<p>That’s to take nothing away from their shot stopper abilities, but in the modern game, top-level coaches expect goalkeepers to be well rounded in all areas.</p>



<h2>Why are there so few US goalkeepers who are good with their feet?</h2>



<p>So why then are US goalkeepers not as good with their feet as other top goalkeepers?</p>



<p>There are a few reasons why. In the past, there have been a lot of really good American goalkeepers because they were raised playing American sports, all of which require good hand skills. Other than soccer, I can’t think of any American sports that require expert skills with your feet.</p>



<p>With CONCACAF and MLS games playing a slower style of soccer, US goalkeepers don’t get as much practice making split-second decisions in fast-paced games. Yes, it can be coached but real game situations are the best way to improve.</p>



<p>Thankfully, hope is on the horizon. Barcelona recently signed Diego Kochen to a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2028. Among his many skills, 18-year-old Kochen is reportedly very skilled as a sweeper keeper. Since he’s gone through Barcelona’s La Masia academy, that isn’t surprising. </p>



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<p>He could be one for the future to lead the next generation of US goalkeepers in the top European leagues. Meanwhile, there’s always the chance that MLS goalkeepers such as Matt Freese, Patrick Schulte and others could adapt to a faster game. Overall though, Kochen seems like the best bet given his time at Barcelona.</p>



<p><em>Photo credit: George Frey&nbsp;/&nbsp;Stringer / GettyImages</em></p>

Why are there so few US goalkeepers who are good with their feet?

Why are there so few US goalkeepers who are good with their feet? We focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the current generation.

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<p>There are a handful of USMNT goalkeepers that now feature for major clubs, particularly in England.</p>
<p>For example, Ethan Horvath helped Nottingham Forest clinch promotion to the Premier League this past season. Then, Matt Turner now plays for Arsenal in a side filled with young talent. Zack Steffen featured in cup finals for Manchester City in what is perhaps the best overall side in Europe.</p>
<p>Plus, Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina looks set to join a Premier League ‘big six’ side at Chelsea, should a deal go through.</p>
<p>The one issue is that none of these goalkeepers start, or will start, at their clubs in the upcoming season. Worse off, this is a <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">World Cup</a> year, and there are instances of goalkeepers lacking playing time struggling on the grandest stage.</p>
<p>So, here is the situation. The <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/nations/usmnt-tv-schedule/">United States</a> has its most talented squad in history. With players making a push to break through at some of the biggest clubs in the world, there are drawbacks internationally. Each goalkeeper will be in the same boat in regards to conditioning and form, in the sense that it will be slim to no in-game experience, which is crucial to goalkeepers.</p>
<p>Here is how that shapes up for the United States now five months out from the World Cup in Qatar.</p>
<h5>The importance of playing time</h5>
<p>In the months leading up to the 2014 World Cup, Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas sat behind Diego Lopez at Real Madrid. The Spanish international helped Real win the UEFA Champions League in 2014, but consistent play time eluded him.</p>
<p>When Spain played the Netherlands in the 2014 opener for both sides, Iker Casillas was dreadful. A handful of mistakes leading directly to goals punished Spain to an eventual defeat, 5-1. In the next game, Iker Casillas failed to properly deal with an Alexis Sánchez free kick, and Charles Aránguiz scored Chile’s second. The back-to-back defeats eliminated Spain just four years after Casillas was the hero in the World Cup Final.</p>
<p>Four years prior, Casillas dominated the play between the sticks at the Santiago Bernabeu. He was the undisputed starter, and thus consistently faced top opposition. He played a major role in Spain giving up just two goals in the entire tournament. Casillas held a shutout in each of Spain’s four knockout phase games.</p>
<p>It would be hard to compare those Spain teams to the current batch of the United States. That Spain team won back-to-back European Championships with a World Cup in between. The USMNT celebrates one of its best years in history with just a Gold Cup and CONCACAF Nations League.</p>
<p>However, the sentiment holds true. Play time is key for a goalie. Particularly with Turner and Steffen’s tendency to handle the ball, touch goes away</p>
<h3>USMNT Goalkeepers in a dilemma</h3>
<p>First off, note that the situation for each of these goalies over the coming months of the club season are remarkably similar. Zack Steffen is currently the backup to Ederson at Manchester City. He plays in cup ties, including the semifinal of the FA Cup where he made mistakes that led to goals. That, in itself, signals the importance of play time.</p>
<p>Ethan Horvath appeared in Nottingham Forest’s Championship Playoff. Yet, that was as a substitute replacing starting goalkeeper. In his slim 10 starts in all competitions from this past season, Horvath actually performed well. Three clean sheets highlight an overall record of five wins, three losses and a pair of draws. Moreover, two of those losses came against Premier League opposition, including a narrow 1-0 loss against Liverpool where Horvath stopped six shots on target.</p>
<h5>Transfers</h5>
<p>Matt Turner and Gabriel Slonina will back up Aaron Ramsdale and Edouard Mendy, respectively. Turner is entering his prime at the age of 27. Yet, he likely takes a backseat to Aaron Ramsdale, who performed well in his first year at the Emirates. Slonina, on the other hand, is still just 18. Playing time is important for development, but he has the opportunity to learn from someone like Edouard Mendy and potentially become Chelsea’s main man in a few years time.</p>
<p>Finally, Sean Johnson is a name that hovered around over the last decade. Now 33 years old, Johnson is the oldest of Gregg Berhalter’s options. Simultaneously, he played second fiddle to the likes of Tim Howard, Brad Guzan or even Nick Rimando the last time the United States qualified for the World Cup. However, in the June 2022 camp, <a href="https:\/\/www.ussoccer.com/stories/2022/05/sean-johnson-added-to-us-mens-national-team-roster-for-june-training-camp">Johnson replaced Steffen</a> when Steffen left for personal reasons. He pitched a shutout in a friendly against Uruguay. He also earned MVP honors as NYCFC lifted its first MLS Cup a season ago.</p>
<p>Vote in the poll below, knowing the current outlook on the USMNT goalkeeper situation, for who should be the shot-stopper in Qatar.</p>
<p>[poll id=”6″]</p>
<p><em>PHOTO: John Dorton/ISI Photos/Getty Images&nbsp;</em></p>


There are a number of USMNT goalkeepers at top European sides. However, none will be the first choice during a World Cup year.

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