The goalkeeping spotlight is on William Yarbrough this month.
Yarbrough (or Yarby, as I'm pushing for) is a 25 year old Mexican-American that you may have heard of by now as a couple of articles have come out over the past years. Club León FC wisely brought Yarby into starting spot slowly. (Looking at you, Philadelphia.) He's extremely quick and athletic but, like any such goalkeeper, being passive and holding the ball is the biggest hurdle to clear. But all things seen so far, he looks like a stellar goalkeeper at twenty-five.
So far he hasn't made any definitive calls on what nation he wants to play for despite appearing on the bench for the U23 Mexican youth team in 2012. Like most dual citizens, I think he'll go where the playing time is.
The USL Pro season kicked off this past weekend and a number of top hundo-gks are on roster with lower level teams. Most of you know of MLS's allegiance with USL Pro and NASL squads. Keep an eye on these goalkeepers:
- Joe Willis - DC United to Richmond Kickers
- DC seems committed to Willis in the past. I think is a move to keep Willis fresh and getting games under his belt if Hamid were to ever leave.
- David Bingham - San Jose Earthquakes to San Antonio Scorpions
- Earthquake Starter Jon Busch is getting elderly at thirty-seven and surely running low on his contract, which he renewed in January 2012. Don't be surprised if Bingham is starting for the Goonies in 2015.
- Luis Soffner - New England Revolution to Rochester Rhinos
- I'm not sure what New England plans with Soffner. Best case scenario, they're bringing him along slowly and I'm completely alright with that. However the Rhinos have three twenty-four year old goalkeepers on their roster, including Soffner.
- Brad Stuver - Columbus Crew to Dayton Dutch Lions
- Stuver was on the bench for the opener against the Red Bulls reserves but starter Matt Williams looked out of shape. Stuver might make a mid-season push as the number one starter.
Other goalkeeping notes:
- Dallas Jaye and Doug Herrick travelled with Guam to play Aruba in a two leg series. I'm pretty sure Herrick started and sounds like he picked up a red in the second game. Jaye plays at the University of South Florida and Doug Herrick is with the Charlotte Eagles.
- Brian Perk seems to have jumped Brian Rowe in the pecking order at LA. At least for now. Penedo's contract ends in December so we'll see what LAG does for 2015.
- MacMath is playing much better this year than last and is fending off Andre Blake supporters for now.
- Some NCAA products crack the bottom tiers. Patrick Wall (Notre Dame), Alex Bono (Syracuse), and Spencer Richey (Washington) are all entering their fifth year, I'm pretty sure. Keep an eye on them, if that's your thing.
- Joe Nasco seems to be tending to his newborn child or else he'd be starting over John Berner in Colorado. Typical starter, Clint Irwin, is rehabbing a mild injury, from the sound of it.
Top 100 American Goalkeepers
** - on loan
1. Tim Howard (Everton FC) - 77.7 (35.1)
2. Brad Guzan (Aston Villa) - 77.6 (29.6)
3. Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur) - 75.9 (42.9)
4. Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) - 71.9 (34.8)
5. Steve Clark (Columbus Crew) - 70.7 (28)
6. Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls) - 69.7 (29.9)
7. William Yarbrough (Leon) - 69.6 (25.1)
7. Troy Perkins (Montreal Impact) - 69.6 (32.8)
9. Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA) - 69.4 (31.8)
10. Clint Irwin (Colorado Rapids) - 69.1 (25)
11. Joseph Bendik (Toronto FC) - 69 (25)
12. Andy Gruenebaum (Sporting Kansas City) - 69 (32.3)
13. Matt Pickens (Tampa Bay Rowdies) - 68.9 (32)
13. Jon Busch (San Jose Earthquakes) - 68.9 (37.7)
15. Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo) - 68.9 (28.9)
16. Chris Seitz (FC Dallas) - 68.7 (27.1)
17. Tyler Deric (Houston Dynamo) - 68.7 (25.7)
18. Bobby Shuttleworth (New England Revolution) - 68.7 (26.9)
19. Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders) - 68.7 (28)
20. Brian Perk (Los Angeles Galaxy) - 68.1 (24.8)
21. Zac MacMath (Philadelphia Union) - 68 (22.7)
22. Brian Rowe (Los Angeles Galaxy) - 68 (25.4)
23. David Bingham (San Antonio Scorpions) - 67.9 (24.5) **
24. Eric Kronberg (Sporting Kansas City) - 67.9 (30.8)
25. Tim Melia (Chivas USA) - 67.8 (27.1)
26. Bill Hamid (DC United) - 67.8 (23.4)
27. Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire) - 67.8 (24.9)
28. Joe Willis (Richmond Kickers) - 67.7 (25.7) **
29. Marcus Hahnemann (Seattle Sounders) - 67.7 (41.8)
30. Diego Restrepo (Tampa Bay Rowdies) - 67.7 (26.2)
31. Andrew Weber (Portland Timbers) - 67.6 (30.7)
32. Brad Knighton (New England Revolution) - 67.5 (29.2)
33. Alec Kann (Chicago Fire) - 67.4 (23.7)
34. Quentin Westberg (US Luzenac) - 67.4 (28)
35. Andrew Dykstra (DC United) - 67.3 (28.3)
36. Matt Van Oekel (Minnesota Stars FC) - 67.2 (27.6)
37. Caleb Patterson-Sewell (Gil Vicente FC) - 67.2 (26.9)
38. Joe Nasco (Colorado Rapids) - 67.2 (29.8)
39. Jeff Attinella (Real Salt Lake) - 67.2 (25.6)
40. Ryan Meara (New York Red Bulls) - 67.1 (23.4)
41. Chris Konopka (Toronto FC) - 67 (29)
41. Joe Cannon (Free Agent) - 67 (39.3)
41. David Yelldell (Bayern Leverkusen) - 67 (33.3)
41. Kyle Reynish (Chicago Fire) - 67 (30.4)
45. Evan Bush (Montreal Impact) - 67 (28.1)
46. Alex Horwath (Ljungskile SK) - 66.6 (27.1)
47. Akira Fitzgerald (Carolina Railhawks) - 66.6 (26.8)
48. Matt Pyzdrowski (Angelholms FF) - 66.6 (27.7)
49. Kevin Piedrahita (Itagui FC) - 66.5 (22.8)
50. Ryan Taylor (Richmond Kickers) - 66.2 (23.8)
51. Nick Noble (Harrisburg City Islanders) - 66 (29.6)
52. Josh Ford (Seattle Sounders) - 66 (26.4)
53. Brian Holt (Philadelphia Union) - 65.9 (25.4)
54. Sheldon Parkinson (Phoenix FC) - 65.9 (23.7)
55. Josh Saunders (Free Agent) - 65.9 (33.1)
55. Chase Harrison (Free Agent) - 65.9 (30)
57. Jimmy Maurer (New York Cosmos) - 65.8 (26.5)
58. Matt Lampson (Columbus Crew) - 65.8 (24.6)
59. Patrick McLain (OC Blues FC) - 65.8 (25.7)
60. Austin Guerrero (Estudiantes de Altamira) - 65.7 (25.1)
61. Charles Sanders (Waterford United FC) - 65.6 (24.4)
62. Phil Tuttle (Wilmington Hammerheads) - 65.6 (26.5)
63. Mitch Hildebrandt (Minnesota Stars FC) - 65.6 (25.4)
64. Lance Parker (FC Edmonton) - 65.4 (28.7)
65. Michael Abalos (Free Agent) - 65.3 (24.4)
66. John Berner (Colorado Rapids) - 65.2 (23.2)
67. Hunter Gilstrap (Pittsburgh Riverhounds) - 65.1 (31)
68. Jeremy Vuolo (San Antonio Scorpions) - 65 (26.6)
69. Josh Wicks (AFC United) - 65 (30.4)
70. Sean Kelley (Free Agent) - 65 (26)
71. Andrew Fontein (Free Agent) - 65 (24.1)
72. Brandon Miller (Rochester Rhinos) - 65 (24.3)
73. Bryan Meredith (San Jose Earthquakes) - 65 (24.7)
74. Brock Duckworth (Charlotte Eagles) - 65 (25)
75. Paul Rachubka (Oldham Athletic) - 64.9 (32.9)
76. Steward Ceus (Free Agent) - 64.8 (27.1)
77. Luis Soffner (Rochester Rhinos) - 64.8 (24.3) **
78. Nick Shackelford (Los Angeles Galaxy II) - 64.7 (23.5)
79. David Martin (Free Agent) - 64.7 (26.2)
80. Gregory Blum (Pittsburgh Riverhounds) - 64.7 (25)
81. Carl Woszczynski (Orlando City SC) - 64.6 (26)
81. Evan Newton (Free Agent) - 64.6 (26)
83. Patrick Wall (Notre Dame) - 64.6 (22.6)
84. Steve Gonzalez (Free Agent) - 64.5 (33.3)
84. Tom Al Madon (Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv) - 64.5 (29.4)
86. Nathan Sprenkel (Indy Eleven) - 64.5 (24)
87. Matthew Williams (Dayton Dutch Lions FC) - 64.4 (26.4)
88. David Meves (Portland Timbers) - 64.4 (24.8)
89. Cody Laurendi (Los Angeles Galaxy II) - 64.2 (25.7)
89. Patrick Lane (Karlstad BK) - 64.2 (25.7)
91. Aaron Perez (Free Agent) - 64.1 (27.7)
92. Matt Glaeser (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) - 64.1 (29)
93. Corey Whisenhunt (Free Agent) - 64 (25.9)
94. Alex Bono (Syracuse) - 64 (23)
94. Brad Stuver (Dayton Dutch Lions FC) - 64 (23) **
94. Humberto Soriano (Phoenix FC) - 64 (23)
97. Lionel Brown (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) - 64 (26.6)
98. Pat Hannigan (Free Agent) - 64 (31.5)
99. Spencer Richey (Washington) - 64 (21.9)
100. Carlos Rojas (CD Cruzl Azul) - 63.9 (24.1)
Cover photo belongs to Mexsport.