Player Journal: Noah Heim - October 2016

Freshman Noah Heim catches us up on his first year at Marquette and gives his viewpoint of what redshirting this fall means to him. You can read all the player journals here.

 

As a freshman goalkeeper looking to redshirt this year, how has that changed your approach in training?

Being a redshirt, you know you aren't going to travel or play. So for me, this means to work not necessarily harder, but smarter. I spend as much time at the field working on what I need to improve on, but I also lift three times a week. I'm really taking this year to fill my potential so over the spring and summer, I can pinpoint what's left to even out my game. Along with this, the two goalkeepers that are traveling need to get their reps in on the days before games. So I usually try to incorporate myself into the drills by finding something to do on the other side of the ball or work on distribution.

 

What’s been the biggest transition from your schedule in high school compared to college?

The transition was crazy for me. In high school, I woke up, showed up to school, went to practice, went home, and slept. I could easily get enough sleep. In college though, [it's] 8am's every morning, struggle to find time to eat during the day, go to lift, go to rehab, go to more classes, then go to practice. After all of that's done, there's always a mountain of homework to finish along with tutors.  It's a struggle to get enough sleep each night. There's definitely less time to breathe during a day in a student-athlete's life. 

 

What’s been a standout moment so far into the season?

There have been a lot of standout moments of this season, but the one that stands out the most to me is when we were playing Georgetown. Wicho [Marquette starter, Luis Barraza] came out on a 1v1 but hesitated a little. The ball was bouncing and as the attacker hit the ball, Wicho went full starfish. When he came down, both of his cleats were studs up. Wicho straddled him and took him down. Luckily, no penalty and the shot bounced off the post. It had me dying of laughter when I watched the film.

Player Journal: Erin Scott - October 2016

Erin continues her player journal with her second entry, this time a mid-season checkup. Creighton is currently 8-4-2, sitting fifth in conference, and are needing to finish in the top six to make the conference tournament. You can read all the previous posts by Erin and the other goalkeepers here.

You’ve split time with freshman goalkeeper McKenzie Meola this season. How has this changed your approach to the season?

Of course, splitting time has been frustrating and a bit discouraging but I can honestly say it has changed my outlook towards many aspects of my life, not just soccer. I have found that I approach practices much differently. I think I am at a point where I am training better than I ever have because I know I have something to prove. Rather than personally fixing problems that may have happened in a game the previous weekend, I really just focus on bettering myself and my skills overall. I have also been very nitpicky with myself in training sessions, really focusing on having clean hands or extending my range on those full extension saves. I have raised my own personal standard drastically. Finally, and I feel most importantly, this season has truly taught me that soccer is not everything. Splitting time has allowed me to step back and see things from a different perspective. I believe that soccer is a huge part of who I am, but I have come to understand that there is more to life besides soccer.

 

How has an improved season affected the locker room?

There is definitely a noticeable difference in the mentality of the team this year in comparison to last year. I would say the biggest difference is how close all of us are. We basically start every day together at practice and then we all go our separate ways for classes but I personally always eat dinner with a couple teammates at the dining hall. All of us truly like being around each other which is seriously awesome. Of course everyone has people that they are closer to than others but I can honestly say that I could talk to anyone on the team about almost anything. This group is definitely special and I honestly think that has a lot to do with the fact that we are such a young team. We gained 15 new girls (freshmen and transfers) this fall season and I think the fresh, positive mentality that new players bring to a program has helped drastically. We have truly developed a winning mentality.

 

What’s been a standout moment this far into the season?

 This team always finds a way to have a good time together, whether it be playing “Heads Up!” in the airport during five hour delays or scaring people in their hotel rooms, we always can find something to laugh about and have fun with. But recently before our game against Seton Hall the mood on our team has never been better. In the locker room we were playing music like always but the playlist before this game in particular was very different in the best way possible. We were playing everything from the Backstreet Boys to Nsync to Beyonce but right before we were about to go out for warm up the last song we played was I Want You Back by The Jackson 5. So obviously five people on the team designated themselves as “The Jackson 5” with four back up dancers and one lead singer. The rest of the team surrounded them singing along and dancing and the atmosphere in the locker room was absolutely incredible. It was one of those moments with your team that make those 6 AM lifts and all the fitness tests worth it. We ended up beating Seton Hall 4-0 that afternoon and it was one of the best games we have played all season. Since then, I Want You Back has become a staple in our pregame, locker room playlist. 

USMNT Goalkeeper Woes for 2018

cover photo from EPA/Guillaume Horcajuelo

After the 1-1 tie to New Zealand earlier this week, fans were less than thrilled with the performances from American goalkeepers. In the first minute of the match, William Yarbrough almost gifts New Zealand a goal by spilling the type of shot goalkeepers routinely see in warmups. Yarbrough was saved by his backline and snuck out of the half without a goal but struggled to convince fans he was worth the hype or battle to win him over from Mexico. For those who have followed WPY in his club career, you can't help but feel like it's constantly a one step forward, one step back type of situation. He'll have a ten save shutout one night, then turn around and let in a howler the next game. Unfortunately it looks like Yarbrough is another case of an athletic goalkeeper struggling to put consistent play together.

The second half saw Klinsmann sub in San Jose's David Bingham, only to concede one of the softer goals in recent USMNT play.

There are things stacked against Bingham in this play: Altidore doesn't clear the cross in, Bingham doesn't get a clear view of the windup or shot by Patterson, and it looks like the ball deflects off a US player before coming on frame. This is certainly not an ideal situation for David Bingham's second cap. However, it's a slow roller that trickles through Bingham's legs for a goal. When the shot is taken, Bingham gets into an extremely wide stance, which is odd given the close proximity of the shot. It's not a huge surprise the ball goes through the largest gap in Bingham's form. Goalkeepers let in soft goals every now and then but it's not the type of play we expect to see from a USMNT starter.

The 1-1 tie is on the heels of a 2-0 win in Cuba, where 21 year old Ethan Horvath earned his first appearance for the national team. Horvath earned the shutout despite looking a little unsettled in the match, although the 5000 miles of flights have may played a factor. There is much speculation and hope resting on Horvath, as well as a few other youngsters, but none have gotten to the point where fans are confident with them as the starting goalkeeper for 2018.

It's been a while since the US hasn't featured an elite goalkeeper in a World Cup. You would probably have to go back to 1994 or 1990, when a respective 25 and 21-year-old Tony Meola started for the US. In 1990, the US finished 23rd out of 24 teams but managed to reach the knockout stage in 1994, with a goalkeeper who was playing more indoor than outdoor at the time. Even in 2014's tournament, Algeria reached the knockout stage with Philadelphia Union washout Rais M'Bolhi before losing to Germany (an above average national team) 2-1 in extra time.

Teams don't need to have an elite goalkeeper to have a good World Cup performance. It'll help, but there are also ten other positions to fill. Concerns about the US not having an stalwart goalkeeper for 2018 are drastically overblown. Yes, the US would most certainly benefit from having such a goalkeeper but teams can advance without them. The US doesn't need an elite goalkeeper; they need a quality one that won't let in soft goals. As for who that goalkeeper will be, there are several names in the mix and Klinsmann recently gave some insight on the depth chart, when asked about Bill Hamid's place in the team.

“And there right now in that ranking, [Bill Hamid is] probably around No. 6, 7, because you have Tim Howard, you have Brad Guzan, you have Ethan Horvath, you have William Yarbrough, you have David Bingham, you have Nick Rimando, you have Billy, you have Sean Johnson. We discuss them up and down.”

Despite naming multiple goalkeepers, the answer should make fans more worried than less. Admittedly, he's probably not listing them exactly in order as it's likely just off the top of his head, but the fact that Hamid is competing for a roster spot with Sean Johnson - a goalkeeper who can't hold down his own roster spot for the worst team in MLS - shows just how out of touch Klinsmann is with the realities of the goalkeeper pool. Johnson has not been a viable option for the US for some time and Klinsmann still considers him in the running based on outdated expectations. Hamid has had a great last two years in MLS, to the point where you could easily argue he's outplaying his peers in the league. After Yarbrough's and Bingham's performance on Tuesday, it doesn't seem like Klinsmann has a strong grasp on the actual pecking order.

It's good to hear that Klinsmann said he leans on Russell Payne, the current US goalkeeper coach, when it comes to opinions on goalkeepers. Payne has worked with a number of top collegiate goalkeepers at Army and Maryland. With Army, Payne coached 6'4" 2015 graduate Winston Boldt, who earned a variety of awards during his time at West Point, as well as Zac MacMath and Chris Seitz at Maryland, both of which had successful college careers. Payne replaces Chris Woods, currently at West Ham, and should help get the right goalkeepers in and hopefully keep the wrong ones out.

Wading through all of this, the US actually has a number of options for 2018. Of course there are the previously eight mentioned goalkeepers by Klinsmann but there are still more names out there, domestically and abroad. If a goalkeeper starts stringing together performances, they could end up on Klinsmann's radar, especially if the current crop continue to struggle. Even the Cosmos' Jimmy Maurer or Alex Horwath in Norway could theoretically make a case for themselves given the current situation. With all the goalkeepers the US currently has, it's a safe bet that at least one of them will be playing well in 2018. On top of that, there's a good chance the number one will be a wash between the other candidates. Fans may have a preference between one or another, but ultimately they will all be around the same caliber. Unfortunately, this doesn't alleviate the main problem with the position.

Klinsmann hasn't been clear on what exactly he's looking for in a goalkeeper. It doesn't help that one hasn't separated himself from the pack but with so many goalkeepers rotating in and out, including ones that aren't qualified to be on the field, we don't know what to expect from the position. Playing consistent is the key factor but does Klinsmann prefer one type or aspect over another? It's hard to say. With Klinsmann showing a gross misunderstanding of the goalkeeper pool, it's doubtful he can accurately describe the priorities of the position specific to the US's needs. Fans have concerns of the quality at goalkeeper but 2018 might see bigger problems off the field than on it.

Cody Cropper v. Mexico - 04.22.15

This is a write up of an old game I did for the now defunct blog, back in April of 2015. Some additions were made but for the most part, the writeup remains the same.

Like any good US soccer fan, I’ve been tracking the next great bald goalkeeper, Minnesota native Cody Cropper, for a couple of years. In 2013, I watched him make two bizarre blunders in one play against France in the Toulon tournament. Later I saw him struggle against Mexico in the 2013 U20 Championship and tried my best to ignore some late game extracurricular activities. When the U20 World Cup came, he displayed some impressive saves against Ghana but gave up some goals that were head scratchers. He then followed that game by conceding another four goals against Spain, tallying eight in the two first games. He returned to Southampton soon after, where he looked a step behind when they played Chelsea in a 4-1 loss. A year later Cropper opened up against the Brazil U23’s by gifting the opposition with a free goal in the very early minutes of the match. So needless to say, when I heard he played great against Mexico in the #tresacero match, I was anxious to watch the highlights.

Some great saves to stunt the Mexican attack but what can we learn from the outing? Let’s take a look at three plays in the game.

0:33 - Cropper correctly skips his eyes ahead on the cross and is ready for the header. The header never comes so he takes shorts strides with his feet in rhythm to set himself for the next shot. As the shot comes, his hands hiccup, a result of habitually throwing your hands forward and slightly upward as the shot comes. He gets down for the save - a very good one at that - but the redirection in hand movement is not ideal. Goalkeepers should look to minimize excessive movement as much as they can as this is a good example of it.

3:15 - This play is similar in execution as the early save but with opposite implications. Watch as his hands go from thighs-to-textbook position (in front, holding an invisible ball) and then back to his thighs. While this would technically count as “excessive movement”, the reason he is doing this is, most likely, because he is trying to break a bad habit and start a good one. Ideally, the hands are in front for the pre-shot set so he only has to move his arms to make the save, not his arms and hands. His alternating between right and wrong shows their is a mental battle going on to be keen on correct technique. The resulting save has nothing to do with his hands, but it’s still a very good sign for development. However, the other thing to note on the play is that he hardly gets off the ground to make the save. This is a result of diving with just your upper body and lacking, in this case, and shuffle and a spring.

3:55 - An excessive high line on crossing situations causes more problems than solves them and we see Cropper backpedal to the goal to find the correct position. The scramble in the box pulls and hesitates Cropper, an expected movement given the circumstance. The bouncing ball is redirected by a head and the goalkeeper’s best attribute comes into action: strength. He dives, not falls, with one leg to keep the shutout. Is it correct technique? Definitely not. His right leg should not collapse on such a wide shut. But is it a phenomenal save that he can build off of? Absolutely if he is mindful of working on his technique.

 

The US U20s and U17s have historically struggled to field goalkeepers that go on to have successful careers. The USYNTs rely on pure athleticism to hold down the fort, which we have seen time and time again isn’t enough. The big question for Cropper now is where does he go from here? Optimism points to the fact that Cropper, still only 22, has years to develop and is clearly improving in a multitude of ways. The flip side is doubtful that he can successfully adhere to correct technique and not solely rely on his strength. Still, the hope that a bald man starts for the USMNT is a strong possibility for now.

 

Update: Cropper has signed with the New England Revolution after being released by MK Dons, where he had a polarizing time for fans. Some ups and some downs, both seen below.