The article was originally posted in 2017 and has since been updated. To see the previous rankings, you can view them here.
Since 1996, MLS fans has seen a number of successful goalkeepers come through their league. From World Cup starters to up-and-coming USMNT prospects, MLS has a rich history of displaying a high standard between the posts.
When considering the MLS’s best, this list focuses on a goalkeeper’s level of play, total appearances, and what part of their career the goalkeeper played in MLS. If a goalkeeper’s bulk of their games played is outside their prime, it could place them lower than others with less starts. Simply ranking goalkeepers by the most appearances isn’t a good barometer of the best, although it is one piece of the puzzle. To offset this, the level of play compared to their competition is taken into account, which values their ability versus the rest of the league’s goalkeepers.
Rimando - Jeff Swinger/USA TODAY Sports
Reis - Jason Gulledge
Howard - Getty Images
1. Nick Rimando (514 Games, 2000-2019)
2. Kevin Hartman (416 Games, 1997-2012)
3. Joe Cannon (342 Games, 1999-2013)
4. Jon Busch (309 Games, 2002-2015)
5. Tony Meola (250 Games, 1996-2006)
6. Matt Reis (293 Games, 1998-2013)
7. Stefan Frei (303 Games, 2009-present)
8. Luis Robles (253 Games, 2012-2020)
9. Scott Garlick (237 Games, 1997-2006)
10. Troy Perkins (217 Games, 2005-2007, 2010-2015)
One to Remember: Stefan Frei. After notching 93 starts for Toronto across all competitions, Frei’s career would take a significant detour as he only was featured once in league play from 2012-13. Relegated to a backup after suffering a broken fibula in training and eventually losing out to Joe Bendik for the starting position, Frei would be shipped to Seattle for a first round pick. Toronto would eventually flip the draft pick for FC Dallas midfielder, Jackson, who would become a mostly regular starter for two years. It wouldn’t be the last Toronto would see of Frei, however, as the former UC Berkeley product would face off against his old team in three MLS Cups (2016, 2017, 2019), winning the first and rubber match in spectacular fashion.
11. Zach Thornton (282 Games, 1996-2011)
12. Tim Howard (185 Games, 1998-2003, 2016-2019)
13. Brad Guzan (183 Games, 2005-2008, 2017-Present)
14. Sean Johnson (292 Games, 2010-Present)
15. Pat Onstad (223 Games, 2003-2011)
16. Tim Melia (175 Games, 2012-present)
17. Dan Kennedy (163 Games, 2008-2016)
18. Bill Hamid (248 Games, 2010-present)
19. Steve Clark (160 Games, 2014-present)
20. Will Hesmer (133 Games, 2006-2011)
One to Remember: Tim Melia. It’s hard not to be a fan of Melia’s underdog story. A D2 product who bounced around the league for most of his career, Melia signed with five teams in seven years, not including large stints as an MLS Pool Goalkeeper. Unable to find his footing, he signed with Sporting Kansas City in 2015 as a backup behind Chilean goalkeeper Luis Marin. After a disappointing start just eight games into the season, Marin would return back home for family issues, leaving a pathway for a goalkeeper that had been passed on by every other team in the league. Described “not really as a starter” by the Kansas City Star, Melia would earn 147 starts from 2015-19 as well as win the 2017 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award.
21. Matt Pickens (156 Games, 2005-2013)
22. David Ousted (173 Games, 2013-2019)
23. Evan Bush (184 Games, 2012-present)
24. Tally Hall (153 Games, 2010-2015)
25. Bobby Shuttleworth (202 Games, 2010-present)
26. David Bingham (182 Games, 2011-present)
27. Donovan Ricketts (188 Games, 2009-2015)
28. Andre Blake (145 Games, 2014-Present)
29. Mark Dodd (92 Games, 1996-1999)
30. Jimmy Nielsen (128 Games, 2010-2013)
One to Remember: Matt Pickens. For most fans, it’s easy to forget Matt Pickens was a top goalkeeper in MLS at one point, receiving multiple call-ups for the national team in his prime years. The Missouri State alum has a winding road throughout his professional track, including signing with QPR in February of 2008 and trailing for half a dozen clubs that following summer after an untimely shoulder injury derailed his time in England. Pickens would ultimately rebound nicely, leading the Rapids in a successful MLS Cup run in 2010, topping off the victory with a clutch save in overtime. Pickens would earn 114 starts with the Rapids before losing his starting spot to Clint Irwin due to a broken arm. Once again the untimely injury derailed Pickens’ momentum. Left without a clear track to move forward, Pickens would follow Bob Bradley to Norway, trailing with Stabaek, before the Rapids would offload his large contract in the waiver draft (Irwin was making almost $200,000 less than Pickens at the time). Having several years left in the tank, the “Fear the Beard” campaign would follow the scrappy goalkeeper wherever he traveled. Pickens finished his career in the USL with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Nashville SC, earning 107 and 56 appearances with both teams respectively, before retiring after the 2019 season at age 37.
31. Joe Bendik (178 Games, 2012-present)
32. Tom Presthus (106 Games, 1997-2003)
33. Mike Ammann (125 Games, 1996-2001)
34. Kasey Keller (93 Games, 2009-2011)
35. Joe Willis (136 Games, 2011-present)
36. Matt Turner (69 Games, 2016-present)
37. Tyler Deric (90 Games, 2010-2019)
38. David Kramer (106 Games, 1996-2002)
39. Marcus Hahnemann (70 Games, 1997-1999, 2013)
40. Clint Irwin (136 Games, 2013-present)
One to Remember: Marcus Hahnemann. Hahnemann’s time in MLS was short but his winding route was certainly one that highlights what the goalkeeping landscape looked like in MLS’s early days. In the late 90s, America was bursting with talent and Hahnemann was a part of the country’s top goalkeepers. Through college, Hahnemann was a standout at Seattle Pacific University. Hahnemann racked up a 64-9-5 record in four years, earned All-American honors three times, and a national championship in 1993. After graduation, Hahnemann's success continued in the A-League with two championship runs in 1995 and 1996. Hahnemann signed with the Rapids in 1997 and immediately led them to the MLS Cup Final, losing 2-1 to DC United. Although the Rapids struggled defensively in 1998 (69 goals in 32 matches), Hahnemann was named the Rapids’ top defensive player for the season. The Rapids rebounded in 1999 and helped the team start the season 10-3 before an £80,000 transfer fee led Hahnemann to Fulham. Although his accomplishments in MLS are limited, Hahnemann finished his career with nine caps for the USMNT, a stint in the English Premier League, and a place in Reading’s history books as one of the club’s greatest goalkeepers.
41. Mark Dougherty (123 Games, 1996-2001)
42. Matt Jordan (117 games, 1998-2004)
43. Andy Gruenebaum (91 Games, 2006-2014)
44. Jorge Campos (52 Games, 1996-1998)
45. Zac MacMath (148 Games, 2011-present)
46. Zack Steffen (76 Games, 2016-2019)
47. Bo Oshoniyi (109 Games, 1996-2006)
48. Brian Rowe (105 Games, 2013-present)
49. Bouna Coundoul (99 Games, 2005-2011)
50. Brad Friedel (38 Games, 1996-1997)
One to Remember: I wrote 1500 words on why Zac MacMath’s career is important for learning lessons in goalkeeper development over on RSL Soap Box.