cover photo from Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images
If you were to ask either the USWNT or USMNT fanbase about who the starting goalkeeper should be for the upcoming World Cup, brace yourself for the variety of answers you’ll receive. Gone are the days when Hope Solo and Tim Howard were unanimous picks, half because of the plethora of encouraging prospects and half because of underwhelming performances from the top. And while it may take longer to integrate new faces into a national team camp - Aubrey Kingsbury didn’t receive her first cap until 30, despite winning two Goalkeeper of the Year awards from the best league in the world - eventually our national teams will look to supplant the current starter with a younger goalkeeper.
Diving into the top U24 goalkeepers gives us an idea of what the rising talent pool looks like, as well as surveys where American goalkeepers are being developed. The following rankings are centered on a combination of current form and projected ability to succeed at the next level.
There are a few notable omissions, such as Real Salt Lake’s Gavin Beavers and Barcelona’s Spanish-American goalkeeper Diego Kochen. I have gone back and forth on this over the years but, as of right now, these lists only include goalkeepers who are at least 18 (as of May 2022) and have not turned 24 yet. Although starting for a professional side at such a young age is unquestionably an impressive accomplishment, ultimately I’ve never felt comfortable grouping 17-year-old goalkeepers with 23-year-olds. There is too much development left ahead of them at 17 years old and rarely does hype at 17 translate into elite success down the line. Not to mention, a 17-year-old’s pathway to starting for the senior national team is close to a decade away.
USWNT Prospects
1. Mandy McGlynn, 23 - Piteå IF (Sweden.1)
2. Shelby Hogan, 23 - Portland Thorns FC
3. Angelina Anderson, 21 - California
4. Hillary Beall, 23 - Racing Louisville
5. Bridgette Skiba, 22 - Chicago Red Stars
6. Mia Justus, 19 - Florida State
7. Macy Enneking, 21 - Iowa
8. Ruthie Jones, 21 - Duke
9. Heather Hinz, 20 - South Carolina
10. Claudia Dickey, 22 - OL Reign
11. Laurel Ivory, 22 - OL Reign
12. Nadia Cooper, 19 - Washington State
13. Hensley Hancuff, 21 - Gotham FC
14. Jordan Silkowitz, 22 - Iowa State
15. Katherine Asman, 21 - Penn State
16. Cayla White, 21 - Virginia
17. Marisa Bova, 22 - North Carolina Courage
18. Mackenzie Wood, 22 - Notre Dame
19. Emily Puricelli, 20 - Saint Louis
20. Kaylie Collins, 23 - Orlando Pride
21. Leah Freeman, 20 - Oregon
22. Anna Smith, 22 - USC
23. Katelin Talbert, 23 - Benfica (Portugal.1)
24. Tatum Sutherland, 21 - SMU
Bill says: While the Power 5-to-NWSL is still the main pathway for young prospects, it’s encouraging to see more and more unconventional routes being included in goalkeeper development. The midwest is showing well, with Iowa (Enneking), Iowa State (Silkowitz), Purdue (Bova), and St. Louis (Puricelli) producing strong NWSL draft candidates. On the professional side, McGlynn and Talbert left for Europe at the start of the year, both looking for playing time at a decent level of play. Currently, we have strong play from older goalkeepers in Denmark, France, Iceland, and Norway, helping open more doors for future goalkeepers down the line. Additionally, the start of the USL Super League in 2023 could provide another pathway to the NWSL, if things go according to plan.
Despite the positive movements, there’s still not much consensus on the top prospects for the USWNT, nor what college has earned the title of “Goalkeeper U”. Although changes could happen in the future, the continued crowdsourcing of goalkeeper development has been adequate in producing talent for the senior team thus far, even if the workload is only loosely coordinated from a higher structure.
USMNT Prospects
1. Ethan Wady, 20 - Chelsea U23s
2. Gabriel Slonina, 18 - Chicago Fire
3. Chris Brady, 18 - Chicago Fire
4. Carlos dos Santos, 21 - Inter Miami
5. Brooks Thompson, 20 - Philadelphia Union II
6. Jeff Dewsnup, 18 - Real Salt Lake
7. Antonio Carrera, 18 - FC Dallas
8. John Pulskamp, 21 - Sporting Kansas City
9. Hector Holguin, 21 - Santos Laguna (Mexico.1)
10. Rocco Rios Novo, 19 - Club Atlético Lanús II (Argentina.1) @
11. Zion Suzuki, 19 - Urawa Red Diamon (Japan.1)
12. Alex Borto, 18 - Fulham
13. Matt Freese, 23 - Philadelphia Union
14. Benny Diaz, 23 - Club Tijuana #
15. Abraham Rodriguez, 19 - Colorado Rapids
16. Taishi Nozawa, 19 - FC Tokyo (Japan.1) %
17. Chituru Odunze, 19 - Leicester City U23s
18. Tomas Romero, 21 - Los Angeles FC
19. Brian Schwake, 20 - Livingston FC (Scotland.1) &
20. Fred Emmings, 18 - Minnesota United
21. Daniel Peluffo-Wiese, 19 - Unterhaching (Germany.3)
22. Nicolas Hansen, 20 - Swansea City U23s
23. Vicente Reyes, 18 - Atlanta United 2
24. Xavier Valdez, 18 - Houston Dynamo
@ - on loan with Atlanta United
# - on loan with the Oakland Roots
% - on loan with Iwate Grulla Morioka (Japan.2)
& - on loan with Edinburgh City (Scotland.4)
Bill says: There is plenty of room for excitement with certain names on this list but the lack of talent between the ages of 21-24 is still concerning. The US has had too many goalkeepers lose traction at that age over the past two decades, despite many having momentum from successful U17 or U20 World Cup runs. Naturally, all eyes are on Slonina with his strong start with the Fire, but if it doesn’t continue in five years, then it won’t amount for much.
When considering the level of play for the American leagues, one cannot deny how much it’s improved since 1996, not to mention the continued expansion process to give more opportunities for goalkeepers. However, Horvath and Steffen are strong reminders that the pressure to perform in Europe doesn’t parallel America's. For young goalkeepers, minutes with professional outlets are great, but if it doesn’t translate to being able to perform in the top leagues, then we’re still not on track with matching the international level for goalkeeper development.