Top 60 USWNT Goalkeepers - Summer 2020

cover photo from Washington Spirit

Despite the anticipation for the 2020 Olympics, the world waits for soccer to return, hopefully sooner than later. The NWSL season is still on hold and excitement for the US to take revenge on a 5th place finish in 2016 will have to be pushed back until 2021. As for the USWNT’s depth pool, we’ve unfortunately seen another wave of early exits from promising goalkeepers such as Haley Kopmeyer, Sammy Jo Prudhomme, Lauren Watson, Caitlyn Clem, Lauren Clem, Alison Jahansouz, and many more. (See last year’s list here.) Still, the college game continues to boast of containing the NWSL’s future and several graduates are making names for themselves overseas.

# - listed as a trialist on NWSL preseason roster

1. Aubrey Bledsoe, 28 - Washington Spirit
2. Alyssa Naeher, 32 - Chicago Red Stars
3. Jane Campbell, 25 - Houston Dash
4. Adrianna Franch, 29 - Portland Thorns
5. Michelle Betos, 32 - OL Reign
6. Lindsey Harris, 26 - Houston Dash
7. Bryane Heaberlin, 26 - FFC Frankfurt (Germany.1)
8. Audrey Baldwin, 28 - HK / Vikingur (Iceland.1)
9. Katie Fraine, 32 - Vaxjo (Sweden.1)
10. Ashlyn Harris, 34 - Orlando Pride

One to Watch: Jane Campbell. The three-year starter has quietly amassed 64 starts over her tenure with the Dash, making her fifth in the NWSL’s all-time appearances for a goalkeeper. Campbell has consistently been featured in national team camps over the past three years, earning three caps since leaving Stanford. Once accustomed to relying heavily on her athleticism, 2019 saw an impressive installment of patience in her game. Lateral and forward movement isn’t as cumbersome and is more calculated. (Watch her footwork from a game in April compared to one in September.) Campbell has always had the tools to succeed, but she’s reached a new level in her game. She’s not only one of the best goalkeepers in the NWSL but she’s compiling a strong argument to be a national team starter.

11. Emily Armstrong, 26 - IFK Kalmar (Sweden.2)
12. Britt Eckerstrom, 27 - Portland Thorns
13. Abby Smith, 26 - Utah Royals
14. Katelyn Rowland, 26 - North Carolina
15. Megan Dorsey, 28 - Sparta Praha (Czech Republic.1)
16. Jennifer Pelley, 26 - Djurgården (Sweden.1)
17. Emily Dolan, 25 - Real Betis (Spain.1)
18. Gabriella Batmani, 30 - Lidkoping (Sweden.2)
19. Kelsey Wys, 29 - Selfoss (Iceland.1)
20. Casey Murphy, 24 - OL Reign

One to Watch: Emily Armstrong. Since ending her senior year with UConn in 2016, Armstrong has been carving out a respectful career in Europe, playing for Medkila (Norway), IBV (Iceland), and Sundsvall (Sweden). After three years of being put to the fire - Sundsvall scored .6 goals per game last year, to give some context - Armstrong has been rewarded for her hard work. Now set to join Kalmar in 2020 (ranked 90th in Europe), Armstrong is exploring uncharted territory. The UConn alum has always had strong hands and the ability to cover the full width of the net but she can complicate close range situations with indecisive footwork and poor timing. If she can find the same confident footing that Campbell implemented last year, don’t be surprised if you see her stock continue to rise. (Highlights)

21. Alex Godinez, 26 - Pachuca (Mexico.1)
22. Jillian McVicker, 26 - IK Myran (Finland.1)
23. Adelaide Gay, 30 - Klepp (Norway.1)
24. Nicole Barnhart, 38 - Utah Royals
25. Sydney Drinkwater, 26 - Metz (France.1)
26. Mandy McGlynn, 21 - Sky Blue
27. Cassie Miller, 25 - Chicago Red Stars #
28. Tori Ornela, 28 - IA (Iceland.1)
29. Brett Maron, 33 - Kristianstad (Sweden.1)
30. Danielle Rice, 24 - Örebro (Sweden.1)

One to Watch: Alex Godinez. Godinez was raised just north of Denver but likely won’t be featured on this list much longer. The DePaul graduate received her first cap with the Mexican National Team in a friendly last year, rewarding the Pachuca captain for her positive play in Liga MX Femenil. Pachuca has fallen short in the quarterfinals for two years straight now but is on the cusp of claiming their first piece of hardware. If Godinez can help Pachuca earn their first trophy, expect to see Godinez join U23 goalkeeper Emily Alvarado as another Mexican-American goalkeeper representing Mexico on the international level.

31. Jalen Tompkins, 23 - Valerenga (Norway.1)
32. Hannah Seabert, 25 - Valerenga (Norway.1)
33. Abbie Faingold, 24 - Maccabi Kishronot Hadera (Israel.1)
34. Morgan Bertsch, 24 - Lugano (Switzerland.1)
35. Emily Boyd, 23 - Chicago Red Stars
36. Anna Buhigas, 25 - Real Betis (Spain.1)
37. Bella Bixby, 24 - Portland Thorns #
38. Kelsey Daugherty, 23 - Fortuna Hjorring (Denmark.1)
39. Phallon Tullis-Joyce, 23 - Stade de Reims (France.1)
40. Lainey Burdett, 23 - Orlando Pride #

One to Watch: Jalen Tompkins. Tompkins finished her career with the University of Colorado this past fall with 85 games over four years and set school records for wins (49), saves (369) and save percentage (.841). The UNC-Colorado highlights from last November showcase what Tompkins brings to the table: elite-level reflexes, bravery, and erratic - if not reckless - footwork and positioning. She’s set to join fellow American goalkeeper Hannah Seabert at a club who has hopes of returning to the Champions League. If Tompkins can clean up her game, instead of solely relying on her athleticism, she can become a success story for all “raw” goalkeeper everywhere. If not, the professional level won’t be shy at exposing her faults.

41. Samantha Murphy, 23 - North Carolina
42. Megan Hinz, 24 - Sky Blue #
43. Kate Mason, 24 - Telge United FF (Sweden.3)
44. Ella Dederick, 23 - Chicago Red Stars #
47. Kelsey Dossey, 23 - Espanyol (Spain.1)
46. Katie Lund, 23 - Washington Spirit
47. Nathalie Nidetch, 23 - Hapoel Ra'Anana (Israel.2)
48. Devon Kerr, 23 - Washington Spirit
49. Hillary Beall, 21 - University of Michigan
50. Brooke Heinsohn, 22 - Duke University

One to Watch: Brooke Heinsohn. Duke’s rising senior goalkeeper isn’t short of possessing an impressive resume. Heinsohn has been featured at every level of the USYNT, including the Women's U-23 La Mange Tournament in the spring of 2018 and the 2016 U20 World Cup. However, Heinsohn’s collegiate career has yet to match her success with the US national teams. After Duke had made multiple trips to the College Cup in 2011 and 2015, Duke was bounced in a 4-1 loss to Georgetown in the sweet sixteen with Heinsohn’s first season as a starter (2018) and then upset by Wisconsin the following year in a 1-0 loss (2019). An early matchup against UNC last fall shows the highs and lows in Heinsohn’s game. She simultaneously displays a great awareness for plays unfolding (see the strong save at 0:30 in the linked video) but her stiffness in the box can complicate the needed handling and footwork to make a save. It seems pretty clear that Heinsohn is on track to be one of the few college goalkeepers to carve out a professional career, but the goal that ended Duke’s ACC tournament run against Virginia is the litmus test on how unsuccessful Heinsohn’s post-collegiate career will be. If she can clean up her mechanics and fluidness in front of goal, expect her to run away with every postseason award. If not, Duke’s backup Ruthie Jones might be stealing the spotlight sooner than later.


51. Mikayla Krzeczowski, 22 - FC Jumonji Ventus (Japan.1)
52. Melissa Lowder, 23 - Utah Royals #
53. Shelby Hogan, 22 - Providence College
54. Kelly O'Brien, 24 - Diósgyőri VTK (Hungary.1)
55. Shae Yanez, 23 - Santa Teresa (Spain.2)
56. Brittany Wilson, 22 - Orlando Pride #
57. Cosette Morche, 22 - Eskilstuna United (Sweden.2)
58. Kaylie Collins, 22 - USC
59. Danielle Etzel, 22 - Vllaznia (Albania.1)
60. Jaelyn Cunningham, 22 - Orlando Pride #

One to Watch: Shelby Hogan. Hogan enters the scene as an intriguing prospect. She doesn’t possess the typically desired athleticism that NWSL teams are looking for yet she has the mechanics and game sense that college goalkeepers rarely possess. Hogan’s shutout performance against Butler illustrates this for those unfamiliar with the Providence senior. The opening clip of her top hand save isn’t pure athleticism making the save. Her positioning, footwork, and impeccable technique are the reason why she makes that play look easy, (not to mention I don’t think anyone assumes that’s Hogan’s first attempt at tipping a ball over the bar). Hogan’s movement can get a little overdone with excessive re-positioning, but at this point in her career, it’s much easier to reel it back than try to ramp it up. Unfortunately, Providence doesn’t offer a ton of exposure for Hogan, who has yet to make the national tournament. If a NWSL or European club is willing to roll the dice on Hogan, despite not having the resume as other goalkeepers, they won’t be disappointed. Otherwise, next season might be the end of the road for Hogan’s goalkeeping journey.

The 30 Greatest Goalkeepers in Women's College Soccer History

cover photo from Colorado Springs Sports

Earlier in the year, Stan Anderson and Bill Reno released their top men’s collegiate goalkeepers of all-time. This month, Everybody Soccer presents the thirty greatest goalkeepers in NCAA history, specifically looking at the division one program. Rankings were based on collegiate accolades, overall ability, and team success during their tenure.

1. Janine Szpara (Colorado College, 85-88)
2. Erin McLeod (SMU, 01-02 / Penn State, 04-05)
3. Jen Renola (Notre Dame, 93-96)
4. Hope Solo (Washington, 99-02)
5. Nicole Barnhart (Stanford, 00-04)
6. Emily Shaw (Penn State, 98-01)
7. Heather Taggart (Wisconsin, 88-91)
8. Briana Scurry (Mass, 89-93)
9. Joan Schockow (Cortland State, 80-83)
10. Siri Mullinix (UNC, 95-98)

11. Alyssa Naeher (Penn State, 06-09)
12. Kristin Luckenbill (Dartmouth, 97-00)
13. Aubrey Bledsoe (Wake Forest, 10-13)
14. Marianne Johnson (UNC, 79-82)
15. Shelley Finger (UNC, 91-93)
16. Jaime Pagliarulo (George Mason, 95-98)
17. Ashlyn Harris (UNC, 06-09)
18. Kim Wyant (UCF, 82-85)
19. Tracy Noonan (UNC, 92-95)
20. Adrianna Franch (Oklahoma State, 09-12)

21. Mary Harvey (California, 83-86)
22. Valerie Henderson (UCLA, 04-07)
23. Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner (George Mason, 83-86)
24. LaKeysia Beene (Notre Dame, 96-99)
25. Saskia Webber (Rutgers, 89-92)
26. Skye Eddy (Mass, 89-92 / George Mason, 93)
27. Amy Griffin (UCF, 84-87)
28. Jillian Loyden (Villanova, 04-07)
29. Jenni Branam (UNC, 99-02)
30. Jen Mead (Providence, 91-92 / George Mason, 94)

The Early Years

The only four-time first-team All-American goalkeeper to emerge out of the NCAA system happened in the very first decade. Janine Szpara, who would later represent the USWNT and continue her pro career into her 30s, reached a level no other college goalkeeper has yet to match. But before Szpara suited up for Colorado College, two-time national champion Marianna Johnson was the first in a long line of successful UNC goalkeepers, six of which are featured on the list. UCF is another school with a decorated goalkeeping lineage. Their run in the ‘80s, highlighted by their 1982 runner-up finish, was largely backed by premier goalkeeping from Kim Wyant and Amy Griffin, née Allmann.

Even though Mary Harvey would later go on to help the US win their first World Cup and Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner’s performance against UNC would go on to impress USWNT head coach Anson Dorrance, it was ultimately Joan Schockow who left college with a mountain of awards. Schockow earned two first-teams as well as two third-team All-American recognitions during her four years, establishing herself as one of the first premier goalkeepers in women’s soccer.

Without a professional league until 2001, many goalkeepers scrambled to find homes after their senior year and Heather Taggart was no exception. After putting Wisconsin on the map, and wreaking havoc on the Badgers’ record books with 52 shutouts in her four years, she would cap off her final year with a first-team All-American award and a runner-up finish in the 1991 National Championship before turning to a life in the medical field.

Building Towards 1999

While Briana Scurry casts a large shadow on goalkeeping in the 90s, several athletes finished their career with a plethora of accolades. UMass presented a great example of overflowing talent as the university once held the two best goalkeepers in the country at the same time. Heading into her final year of eligibility, Sky Eddy would graduate from UMass and play her fifth year at George Mason, where she would promptly win All-American honors over senior UMass goalkeeper Briana Scurry. The two once teammates won first and second-team All-American, respectively, in 1993.

A bulk of goalkeeping starts for the national team also came out of the ‘90s. Scurry (175), Mullinix (45), Webber (23), Noonan (24), Beene (18), Luckenbill (14), Mead (6) and Pagliarulo (3) were all featured with the senior team after successful collegiate campaigns. And even though they didn’t receive a cap with the national team, Shelley Finger’s three national champions and Jen Renola’s NCAA 25th Anniversary Team recognition showcase their talent before the professional game gave collegiate players an avenue to continue playing after college.

New Century Ushers in New Talent

After facing an unbearable level of homophobia while at her first school, McLeod finished on a high note after transferring to Penn State, where she won first and second All-American honors (2005 and 2004, respectively) as well as a semifinal finish in her senior year. McLeod would go on to face Hope Solo and the USWNT many times over the next ten years, but McLeod wasn’t Solo’s first time competing against a Nittany Lion. Emily Shaw (née Oleksiuk) is a two-time All-American, including the 2000 honor where Solo was relegated to the second All-American team. Shaw would go on to earn two caps with the US national team before retiring after her 2002 season with the Carolina Courage.

Barnhart, Loyden, Harris, and Naeher all earned fame from the international careers, but Branam and Henderson combined for six final fours between the two of them. Branam, who would play as late as 2011 with Sky Blue, won two national championships with UNC while Henderson finished with 76 wins to her name during her tenure at UCLA as well as a spot with the 2006 U20 squad.

Modern Goalkeepers Take the Lead

As the decade comes to a close, two goalkeepers from the last ten years have stood out among the rest of the field. Oklahoma State alum Adrianna Franch has been featured with a national team camp numerous times, earning her first cap in 2018. Franch, a two-time first-team All-American, could be joined by Aubrey Bledsoe as the next US goalkeeper to earn her first cap with the national team. Bledsoe led Wake Forest to a 2011 semifinal finish, the school’s lone College Cup appearance, and was included in three different All-American squads during her career.

Top 60 USWNT Goalkeepers - April 2019

cover photo from the NWSL

The 2019 World Cup kicks off June 7th, with the United States waiting to play their first game on the 11th against Thailand. Teams must submit a preliminary roster by April 26th, featuring no more than 50 players. Alyssa Naeher, Ashlyn Harris, and Adrianna Franch are the frontrunners for the three final roster spots while dark horse candidate Jane Campbell could see her name on the preliminary roster spot.

# - listed as trailist on NWSL preseason roster
^ - recently finished collegiate eligibility

1. Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars) - 31
2. Aubrey Bledsoe (Washington Spirit) - 27
3. Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride) - 33
4. Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns) - 28
5. Haley Kopmeyer (Orlando Pride) - 28
6. Katie Fraine (Vaxjo / Sweden.1) - 31
7. Britt Eckerstrom (Portland Thorns) - 25
8. Michelle Betos (Seattle Reign) - 31
9. Lindsey Harris (Klepp / Norway.1) - 25
10. Nicole Barnhart (Utah Royals) - 37

One to Watch: Audrey Bledsoe. 2018 was a busy year for Bledsoe. Despite the poor team performance, Bledsoe was named the 2018 Washington Spirit team MVP, set the NWSL record for most saves in a year, and is fresh off of winning Australia’s W-League with Sydney FC. The key to Bledsoe’s success can be found in her footwork, maintaining impeccable balance and never going to ground too early. Routinely she finds a way to displace a shot that would slip most goalkeepers almost solely because of her ability to move herself from post-to-post. For a national team that has struggled with stability in the back, Bledsoe would be a great addition as her consistency is tops in the league, rarely conceding a poor goal despite being on a 2 win team in 2018.

11. Bryane Heaberlin (FFC Frankfurt / Germany.1) - 25
12. Emily Dolan (Real Betis / Spain.1) - 24
13. Christina Dineson (Assi / Sweden.2) - 26
14. Abby Smith (Utah Royals) - 25
15. Kelsey Wys (Washington Spirit#) - 28
16. Tori Ornela (IA / Iceland.1) - 27
17. Audrey Baldwin (Free Agent) - 27
18. Megan Dorsey (Sparta Praha / Czech Republic.1) - 27
19. Jane Campbell (Houston Dash) - 24
20. Emily Armstrong (IBV / Iceland.1) - 25

One to Watch: Jane Campbell. At one time Campbell was the apparent heir to the USWNT starting spot but after a polarizing season and a half in the league, fans are starting to notice the one-step-forward-one-step-backwards trend. Unfortunately, 2019 hasn’t started off any different from last year. After a near positive opener against the Seattle Reign, her sloppy footwork forces a turnover and penalty in the dying minutes of a tied match. She makes a wonderful penalty save to put herself back on even ground. She’s still fairly young (turning 24 this past February) and has a world of talent up her sleeve, but if she can’t stop routinely shooting herself in the foot, the national team may look elsewhere for the number one position.

21. Sammy Jo Prudhomme (Washington Spirit#) - 25
22. Adelaide Gay (North Carolina FC#) - 29
23. Lauren Watson (Assi / Sweden.2) - 25
24. Jennifer Pelley (Djurgården / Sweden.2) - 25
25. Lucy Gillett (Crystal Palace / England.2) - 25
26. Katelyn Rowland (North Carolina FC) - 25
27. Jillian McVicker (IK Myran / Finland.1) - 25
28. Caitlyn Clem (UMF Selfoss / Iceland.2) - 24
29. Alex Godinez (Pachuca / Mexico.1) - 25
30. Brett Maron (Kristianstad / Sweden.1) - 32

One to Watch: Jillian McVicker. The Ohio State Buckeye has a large task in front of her: keep Myran in the topflight. After an 18-2-2 run to earn promotion from the second division, Myran brought in McVicker to bolster the squad a little more. McVicker has some Champions League experience under her belt, playing for Romania’s Olimpia Cluj back in 2017. If McVicker is able to keep Myran afloat, she may find herself moving up to a higher profile club. If not, Myran fans might only remember the first division as a passing moment.

31. Mallory Lieberman (AS Saint-Étienne / France.1) - 23
32. Lauren Clem (Uppsala / Sweden.2) - 23
33. Cassie Miller (PSV Eindhoven / Netherlands.1) - 24
34. Casey Murphy (Montpellier / France.1) - 23
35. Emily Boyd (Chicago Red Stars) - 22
36. Danielle Rice (Örebro / Sweden.1) - 23
37. Morgan Bertsch (SC Braga / Portugal.1) - 23
38. Courtney Brosnan (Le Havre / France.2) - 23
39. Alison Jahansouz (Chicago Red Stars#) - 23
40. Bella Bixby (Portland Thorns) - 23

One to Watch: Emily Boyd. Alyssa Naeher is likely to miss four or five games with Chicago due to the World Cup starting in early June, which will leave the Red Stars turning to 22 year old Emily Boyd in the mean time. Admittedly, Boyd isn’t exceptionally quick but where she lacks in agility she more than makes up for in strength and bravery. Boyd won’t takes Naeher’s starting spot for a couple more years, but these handful of games are crucial for her development and hopefully preparing for the changing of the guards in 2022, unless she impresses the front office to make the switch sooner.

41. Rachel Egyed (Hapoel Ra’Anana AFC / Israel.1) - 23
42. Megan Hinz (Chicago Red Stars#) - 23
43. Anna Buhigas (Tavagnacco / Italy.1) - 24
44. Hannah Seabert (Fortuna Hjorring / Denmark.1) - 24
45. Ella Dederick (Washington State) - 22
46. Jalen Tompkins (University of Colorado) - 22
47. Courtney Hofer (Empoli / Italy.1) - 23
48. Kate Mason (Telge United FF / Sweden.3) - 23
49. Lainey Burdett (Orlando Pride) - 22
50. Caroline Brockmeier (LSU^) - 22

One to Watch: Ella Dederick. After seeing her senior season cut short due to an ACL tear in September, Dederick has been granted a medical redshirt and will be back with the Cougars this fall. Needless to say, questions will surround Dederick’s power and agility but few are doubting her desire to finish her collegiate career on a strong note. The 2020 goalkeeper draft class will be a crowded one, even more so with Dederick joining in, but if there’s one goalkeeper up for the challenge it’s Dederick.

51. Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Stade de Reims / France.1) - 22
52. Kelsey Daugherty (North Carolina FC#) - 22
53. Cosette Morche (Houston Dash#) - 21
54. Kaelyn Johns (Dayton^) - 22
55. Devon Kerr (Houston Dash) - 22
56. Mikayla Krzeczowski (University of South Carolina) - 21
57. Samantha Leshnak (North Carolina FC#) - 22
58. Shae Yanez (Washington Spirit) - 21
59. Brooke Heinsohn (Duke) - 21
60. Kaylie Collins (USC) - 20

One to Watch: Mikayla Krzeczowski. Ask any coach and they’ll say Krzeczowski’s a little undersized for the next level. Displaying a stunning ability to react and read oncoming plays, her senior year will be held under a microscope to see how well she can cover the top third of the net. The 5’6” goalkeeper hasn’t shown much reluctance to challenge opposition in the air so far, but nevertheless the stigma of short goalkeepers is one that filters a number out of the league. If she can display a true commanding presence of the box and ability to cover the bar, she should hear her name called in the 2020 draft.

Can the USWNT Learn Anything from the Canadian Hockey League?

cover photo belongs to ISI Photo

Back in the summer of 2013, the Canadian Hockey League made a surprise announcement when they put a ban on foreign goalies entering the league. The ban - specifically aimed at talented European goaltenders - limited teams from drafting any non-North American goalies in the three junior leagues (all under the CHL) in an attempt to give more playing time for Canadians to aide in their development. The move was a response to the country’s perceived goaltending crisis, where many viewed the netminders as a major weak point in Canadian hockey. Even as recently as summer 2017, the goalie development crisis was still a concern for some despite the league’s efforts to mend the issue. However the CHL rolled back the ban this summer, citing improvements to goalie development, although there is still some debate on the impact of the short-lived rule.

Turning to the USSF, it’s no secret goalkeeper development hasn’t been at its best in recent years. While the USMNT is struggling to fill out their second and third slots with proven talent, the USWNT is in a tight spot as well. Replacing Hope Solo has been more challenging than expected, collegiate production seems to have hit a bit of a lull, and looking back at the 2018 Women’s U20 World Cup, goalkeeping wasn’t exactly the strong point in their tournament run.

Looking at both Hockey Canada and USWNT, there are some similarities between the two organizations’ last line of defense in terms of development. When Hockey Canada introduced the ban, it wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction after a few poor games. The ban was put in place after many realized the lack of representation of top Canadian goalies in both the professional leagues as well as the youth leagues. While stating the USWNT’s goalkeeper situation as a “crisis” is a bit excessive, the US has still yet to develop a goalkeeper at the level of Briana Scurry or Hope Solo nor is on track to do so. Both programs were once producing top-level goaltenders yet they’ve slowed their production in recent years.

To understand if Hockey Canada’s approach would be a good fit for the NWSL, it’s important to look at the problems plaguing the USWNT’s goalkeeper pool.

1. There is no one directing goalkeeper development within US Soccer - The last person to fill this spot was Peter Mellor back in 2005 before he moved to work solely with Real Salt Lake. Since then the standard for how a goalkeeper develops has been overseen by each coach on their own accord, from professional and youth clubs alike. At most, the federation has given vague guidelines on how goalkeepers must be developed through their licensing classes. Unfortunately most USSF coaching licenses spend little time on the position and typically are led by coaches who have never played goalkeeper. The USSF only recently started an A license goalkeeping course but featured zero NWSL goalkeeper coaches.

USYNT goalkeeper coaches work in a revolving door fashion, offering little consistency for who players will be training with from camp to camp. On the club’s side, a number of WPSL and UWS teams don’t have a goalkeeper coach while finding a collegiate problem with a goalkeeping coach who has been there for four years is tough to find. Additionally, NWSL coaches are limited to developing their second-string goalkeepers through practice, as it’s tough to find meaningful minutes for young backups.

The landscape for goalkeeping coaches in America is a mess. For every one positive goalkeeping environment in the US, there are another ten negative ones. Having a Director of Goalkeeping would ideally oversee the development for top-level goalkeepers, but also assist in making sure goalkeeper coaches across the country are on the right path when training their own goalkeepers.

A few months ago, Tab Ramos told SoccerAmerica how he’s aware of the need yet was currently in a hiring freeze, although since then the freeze seems to have been lifted. As of right now, the USSF has yet to name someone to oversee goalkeeper development on a full-time basis.

Rose Chandler holding the Golden Glove award from the 2016 CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship. Chandler did not return for her senior year at Penn State. Photo from gopsusports.com

Rose Chandler holding the Golden Glove award from the 2016 CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship. Chandler did not return for her senior year at Penn State. Photo from gopsusports.com

2. The dropout rate is too high - Just in the last few years, the women’s goalkeeping pool has lost a number of young prospects. Libby Stout, Caroline Stanley, Madalyn Schiffel, Brianna Smallidge, EJ Proctor, Alyssa Giannetti, Rose Chandler, and Evangeline Soucie have all retired for a variety of reasons. For some, retirement was unavoidable due to injuries but as a whole, there are far too many goalkeepers simply opting out for another career track outside of professional soccer.

Some may argue that goalkeepers who retire young aren’t in contention to truly compete for the USWNT’s starting spot and while it’s not fair to make a claim that early in a player’s career, it’s also missing the bigger issue. Top goalkeepers are only pushed by those who are under them. If there’s not enough talent to compete for a starting spot, things can easily become stagnant.

The dropout rate is a hard problem to combat, as money is a major driving force in persuading any career pursuit, but it’s one that is quietly draining the goalkeeping pool.

3. The path to professionalism is too muddied - Looking back to the 2018 U20 Women’s World Cup, players entered the tournament from top clubs all around the world. French players came from PSG and Lyon. German players arrived from Turbine Potsdam and Bayern Munich. English players trained at Manchester City and Liverpool. Spanish players hailed from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. In contrast, the US is relying heavily on the collegiate system, a training environment that plays four months out of the year. It’s a tall task for the University of Virginia to match Lyon or Barcelona’s resources.


Assuming a player is able to navigate a grueling four years playing in a jam-packed schedule, the road only gets tougher. Roster spots are scarce for rookies in the NWSL and even more challenging for goalkeepers as most teams only carry two. Some may look at the WPSL and UWS as helpful stopgaps but the reality is most of those teams rely heavily on collegiate players outside the D-1 level. It’s barely a developing ground for top collegiate players but certainly not aspiring professionals.

Unless there are dramatic changes to the collegiate setup, the USSF will eventually have to entice players to skip college altogether if they want to continue to compete with the world. Despite all it has to offer, UNC won’t be able to provide the same level of commitment as PSG and Lyon continue to ramp up what they have to offer their youth players. Until then a player whose sights are set on joining the NWSL has a large task in front of them: they must finish their cumbersome college career as a top U23 player in the world - by only training with their team for a third of the year - and somehow land a golden ticket to join an NWSL side full-time. Anything less and the player is likely looking at another career path. As of right now, there’s not a better domestic track provided for young players.

It’s hard to be optimistic towards the situation when the USSF is rolling out A licensing courses without NWSL coaches or presenting initiatives like bio-banding, a program that groups players by their physical development to alleviate the problem of coaches not appropriately challenging early and late bloomers. The program is a wonderful example of the USSF seeing a problem but being unaware of what is causing the complication. If the problem is centered on coaches not doing their job well, then reshuffling the deck isn’t going to address the issue. (Adnan Ilyas has a great write-up on more issues with bio-banding.)

Similar to the CHL’s approach, if Canadian goalies aren’t good enough, giving them more chances to fail will only help so much. The CHL raised the idea of new coaching certification to help with goalie development but according to In Goal Magazine, “five years later the impact seems to depend on where you live, with some regions accrediting coaches regularly and coaches in other areas that still haven’t heard of it, let alone opportunities to take the course.” It seems the CHL’s plan was half-hearted, not to mention short-lived.

Development is not solved solely by high-level game appearances. It must be addressed in a top-down manner. From USWNT training sessions to the grassroots level, the USSF must be keen on having a system that yields positive results and not simply rely on removing tougher competition or hoping a coach can figure it out on their own. While putting a ban on foreign goalkeepers in the NWSL might be a positive dose for the American pool, it doesn’t address the position in a more thorough manner. The NWSL is a premier league trying to elevate the level of its play, as well as the top domestic players. There are only so many young goalkeepers who can hop right into the league. Unless the NWSL is interested in lowering the level of play, a handful of extra games for young goalkeepers only will help so much.

There are a number of directions the USSF can take when approaching goalkeeper development but copying the CHL will likely result in a similar reversal of the ban in a short time. Looking across the globe, countries are continuing to put more resources into raising the level of play in their respective domestic leagues and youth national team development. In contrast, the US has yet to see any substantial improvements in the goalkeeping department over the past few years and the output is starting to show. In order for the USWNT to stay on top, simply outsourcing goalkeeper development to whoever is interested won’t be enough anymore.