It wasn’t that way back that US goalkeepers have been a standard sight within the Premier League, taking part in first-team soccer week after week. Goalkeeper Brad Friedel made 450 Premier League appearances throughout a number of golf equipment together with Liverpool, Tottenham, and Aston Villa. Tim Howard made 399 appearances within the Premier League, which included his time at Manchester United and Everton. Different goalkeepers performed their half too together with Kasey Keller (201 appearances), Brad Guzan (154), Marcus Hahnemann (115), amongst others.
So why hastily is there such a shortage of American goalkeepers taking part in in the perfect league on the earth? Blame it on their toes.
Fashionable goalkeepers are a special breed than Friedel, Howard, Guzan and firm. They need to be as expert with the ball at their toes because the defenders lined forward of them. Many groups play from the again, which requires fast precision to maintain the ball transferring from participant to participant, together with the goalkeeper. When accomplished properly, the goalkeeper turns into an integral a part of the sport, taking part in inch-perfect passes on the bottom to guide his group ahead.
Sadly, the present breed of US goalkeepers are failing in that division. A lot in order that opposition groups have capitalized on the poor ball management by American goalkeepers to show that spit-second indecision into goalscoring alternatives.
US goalkeepers want to enhance
The checklist of goalkeepers who’ve poor ball-control expertise reads like a who’s who of USMNT goalkeepers. Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, Ethan Horvath and Drake Callender have all made errors for his or her membership groups. Horvath is now not beginning matches for Cardiff Metropolis, and after watching this instance, it’s not arduous to grasp why. Turner is a superb shot stopper, however he’s no sweeper keeper, which is among the predominant the reason why he was moved out of Arsenal and finally dropped by Nottingham Forest earlier than transferring to Crystal Palace the place he’s been on the bench.
The identical applies to Steffen, who Pep Guardiola pushed out to Middlesbrough not lengthy after this error so he may usher in Stefan Ortega because the backup for Emerson. Likewise, Drake Callender has come underneath a variety of criticism from Inter Miami followers final season for a number of errors, together with this one.
Enjoying on the highest degree and having first-rate ball management expertise isn’t straightforward. However on this trendy sport, it’s a noticable distinction that separates the common goalkeepers from the perfect.
To be truthful, you don’t typically see the kind of ball management talent errors which can be made whenever you’re watching video games in CONCACAF or MLS. That’s no slight on these two, however the sport is performed at a a lot quicker tempo in England. Therefore the explanation why it’s extra more likely to see these errors being made there.
For Turner, particularly, opposition groups within the Premier League caught on rapidly to his poor ball management expertise. A lot in order that you could possibly see opponents urgent Turner of their try and make him spill the ball. When a group has a weak point that’s uncovered like that, particularly within the Premier League, coaches need to make the robust choices which is why Turner, Horvath and Steffen have all been changed at their respective golf equipment.
That’s to take nothing away from their shot stopper skills, however within the trendy sport, top-level coaches count on goalkeepers to be properly rounded in all areas.
Why are there so few US goalkeepers who’re good with their toes?
So why then are US goalkeepers not nearly as good with their toes as different high goalkeepers?
There are a couple of the reason why. Prior to now, there have been a variety of actually good American goalkeepers as a result of they have been raised taking part in American sports activities, all of which require good hand expertise. Apart from soccer, I can’t consider any American sports activities that require skilled expertise together with your toes.
With CONCACAF and MLS video games taking part in a slower model of soccer, US goalkeepers don’t get as a lot observe making split-second choices in fast-paced video games. Sure, it may be coached however actual sport conditions are one of the best ways to enhance.
Fortunately, hope is on the horizon. Barcelona not too long ago signed Diego Kochen to a brand new deal that can maintain him on the membership till 2028. Amongst his many expertise, 18-year-old Kochen is reportedly very expert as a sweeper keeper. Since he’s gone by way of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, that isn’t shocking.
He may very well be one for the long run to guide the subsequent era of US goalkeepers within the high European leagues. In the meantime, there’s at all times the possibility that MLS goalkeepers comparable to Matt Freese, Patrick Schulte and others may adapt to a quicker sport. General although, Kochen looks as if the perfect guess given his time at Barcelona.
Photograph credit score: George Frey / Stringer / GettyImages
Loading…