Player Journal: Erin Scott - March 2017

Last week you committed to Campbell University so you have a lot to catch us up on. Walk us through the steps that led you to Campbell.

Well I am very fortunate to know the people that I do because the opportunity I had with Campbell was possible because of some people that have seen me play and basically put in a good word. There was a lot of thought that went into my decision but ultimately, when I got on campus at Campbell there was a culture within their team that was truly top notch. When I took my official visit, the entire time I could see myself at Campbell in the fall. Spending time with the team was a blast and I felt like I fit in right away. The entire coaching staff at Campbell are so invested and truly committed to what they are doing and have an end goal and I knew I wanted to be a part of what they were trying to accomplish.

To be completely honest, I left Campbell knowing I wanted to be there in the fall. Of course I had other amazing schools and offers to consider, but the feeling Campbell gave me makes me so excited for the first day of preseason.

Is there any advice you’d give to a player thinking about transferring?

Everyone always thinks of transferring as a terrible process but I have been very lucky and it truly has not been hard for me at all. I actually knew I wanted to transfer back at the end of the fall semester and I had asked for my release then, planning on transferring at the end of the fall semester. When I realized my intended timeline wasn’t going to line up, I had a conversation with my coach asking if he would allow me to train with the team in the spring since I was still going to be there. He was supportive of me and my decision and allowed me to continue to work out with the team.

I approached the entire situation in a very respectful manner and I am very glad I did because I realize that the respect is truly mutual. My teammates were completely supportive of my decision as well and have not treated me any differently in the spring while I have been training with them, knowing I am transferring. I have a leadership role on the team now and that also has not necessarily changed much. The entire process of transferring is not as bad as it is perceived to be. Approaching the situation with respect and transparency is definitely the best way to go. Just being honest with your coaches, and hopefully they will support you and want you to be successful wherever you go.

I think there’s a perception that a player only leaves a school if they hate every aspect of that school, which doesn’t seem to be your case. So how do you look back on your time at Creighton? 

That is definitely not the case for me, in fact, one of the reasons I chose Campbell was the similarities it has with Creighton. The one thing I love the most about Creighton, and Campbell for that matter, is the community aspect of the school. I will look back on my two years at Creighton and be very grateful for them and truly cherish the friendships and experiences that I have had. I am incredibly grateful for my teammates now because,  although everyone knows I will be transferring, I am not treated any differently on or off the field. Some of my teammates now will truly be friends for life and I have them to thank for so much.

My coaches have also had a bigger impact on me than they know. I cannot possible begin to thank everything my assistant coach, Stephanie Rigamat, has done for me. She has shaped me into the player I am in many ways. My goalkeeper coach, Luke Baxter, has also been vital in where I am today on and off the field. He has developed me and made me a better player and makes coming to early morning practices worth it. It is truly inspirational to have coaches that love what they do so much. Although my time at Creighton is wrapping up, I am ecstatic for the future and whatever it entails. I can’t even express how excited I am to get to Campbell and start this next chapter of my life.

Player Journal: Noah Heim - March 2017

Freshman goalkeeper Noah Heim talks about the past fall and starting a new spring. You can read all the player journals here.

After redshirting last fall, what's something you've managed to pick up or work on that you'll utilize next year?

This is kind of a simple answer, but the amount of reps I can do at a time. I think that this is pretty important because you don’t want to pick up bad habits by tiring yourself out too early on in a training.

With more focus on training instead of in-game play, how has this impacted your growth as a goalkeeper?

Goalkeeper is a position that’s pretty much based on experience and the situations that you’ve seen for knowing how to deal with it. Some situations can be replicated in training, but most of the situations cannot. So in a way, I feel like I’ve been missing out on that portion of the position of goalkeeper through my redshirt. On the flipside, I also get more time to tighten up the bolts of my game on game days that I don’t travel with the team through personal practice. There are definitely pros and cons to not playing.

You've finished your first season with Marquette now. How has your view towards the college game changed, if at all?

My views about the college game haven’t changed that much, but my understanding for it has. The way the goalkeeper needs to play with the ball at his feet is insanely different. The quicker that he gets the ball moving again really affects how much time the teammate he plays it to has. I never really understood this and didn’t think that goalkeepers would have that much weight to carry in buildups and breaks. Quickness and quality of ball movement is something that I’ve really started getting grasp on.

Noah is on the right, in the blue goalkeeper jersey. Photo belongs to Louis Bennett.

What Does 100 Caps Mean?

This is a revising of an earlier post I had whenever DeMarcus Beasley hit his 100th cap in the summer of 2013. Numbers are updated through 2019.

DeMarcus Beasley, Tim Howard, and Clint Dempsey all within the last two years reached their 100th appearance for the men's senior team. But what does this actually entail for players today? How hard of an achievement is this?

Over 700 different players have suited up for America, so being part of the top 2% is something special in itself. However, no American athlete was in a position to reach 100 caps until 1998. In fact, if you played every game from 1885 (USA's first match against Canada) until 1971, an incredible eighty-seven-year career, you would still only have played 95 games. It wasn't until recently that the USMNT started playing enough games for a player to reach the milestone.

Number of games played by the USMNT each year

Looking at the graph, there are a few things we can immediately take away from the ascending line.

1. 1993 and 1994 had 35 games and 29 games, respectively. We haven't topped 24 games outside of those two years before or since. Clearly the team was aiming to be prepared before hosting the World Cup. Those that played during those two years had a nice boost in caps.

2. The average games per year jumps up around 1990. As the USMNT started becoming more of a serious contender on the international stage, the number of games rose at the same time. Again this can be tied to the World Cup bid as well.

3. The 1950 World Cup win over England seemed to have very little impact on the overall program. The men weren't playing that many games prior to (which you could attribute to the war) but also didn't really experience a consistent rise until forty years later. For example, no games were played at all in 1981.

4. The current games per year is hovering around 20. It'd be tough to add more games than 20 in 12 months. Granted, years with big tournaments will ramp it up but overall 16-20 should be the average.

To help normalize and weigh cap totals, we’ll establish an IPC (international playing career) for field players and goalkeepers. For top field players, an average career ranged from 19 to 34 years old, while a top goalkeeper’s career was typically from 19-38. By finding the total amount of available games one could play in their career, we can compare cap totals from different eras. For those that had few games available in their time, their wighted cap total (WCT) will rise, while players who had a lot of games will see their WCT drop. Using this method, early twentieth century players have a chance at passing the 100 cap mark.

Player	WCT	Born	Caps	100-Equiv
Walter Bahr	153	1927	19	12
Cobi Jones	144	1970	164	114
Harry Keough	137	1927	17	12
Landon Donovan	133	1982	157	118
Manuel Martin	132	1917	9	7
John Souza	130	1920	14	11
Fernando Clavijo	124	1956	61	49
Clint Dempsey	121	1983	141	117
Ed Murphy	118	1930	17	14
Jeff Agoos	118	1968	134	114
Marcelo Balboa	113	1967	128	113
Claudio Reyna	111	1973	112	101
Paul Caligiuri	111	1964	110	99
DaMarcus Beasley	106	1982	126	118
Tom Florie	105	1897	8	8
Charlie Colombo	102	1920	11	11
Boris Bandov	98	1953	33	34
Carlos Bocanegra	97	1979	110	114
Benny McLaughlin	97	1928	12	12
Thomas Dooley	96	1961	81	85
Eric Wynalda	92	1969	106	115
Joe-Max Moore	90	1971	100	111
Earnie Stewart	88	1969	101	115
Frankie Hejduk	87	1974	87	100
Brian McBride	87	1972	95	109
Alexi Lalas	85	1970	96	114
Eddie Lewis	82	1974	82	100
Willy Roy	82	1943	20	24
Desmond Armstrong	82	1964	81	99
Eddie Pope	81	1973	82	101
Bruce Murray	81	1966	86	106
Bill Sheppell	81	1926	10	12
John Harkes	80	1967	90	113
Steve Cherundolo	77	1979	87	114
Tab Ramos	76	1966	81	106
Hugo Perez	75	1963	73	98
Chris Henderson	70	1970	79	114
Adelino Gonsalves	68	1908	6	9
Irving Davis	66	1896	5	8
George Moorhouse	65	1901	7	11

While Paul Caliguri's true cap total is 110, his WCT is 111 because he had less opportunities to get to 100 than those that followed him, although by only a few games. On the reverse side, Carlos Bocanegra's 110 caps drops to a 97 WCT because he had more games to play in. Bocanegra's IPC is 284 while Caliguri's is only 248.

As for goalkeepers, they're a little more tricky. It's harder for them to get to 100 caps, weighted or unweighted, because they can't slide to another position on the field. Only one can play and it's rare to see one subbed at halftime. So for now, we're going to apply the 40% rule to them as well but knowing we can probably drop it to 30% if we are truly trying to find an even bar for everyone to pass.

Player	WCT	Born	Caps	100-Equiv
Tim Howard	114	1979	121	106
Jimmy Douglas	97	1898	9	9
Frank Borghi	94	1925	9	10
Kasey Keller	90	1969	102	114
Tony Meola	88	1969	100	114
Brad Friedel	70	1971	82	117
Arnie Mausser	56	1954	35	63

And lastly, here are the top active players with high projected WCT paces. A few of these players’ WCTs are still erratic for players early into their career.

Player	WCT Pace	Born	Caps	100-Equiv
Christian Pulisic	199	1998	34	114
Josh Sargent	199	2000	12	115
Michael Bradley	196	1987	151	116
Timothy Weah	195	2000	8	115
Tyler Adams	186	1999	10	113
Weston McKennie	179	1998	19	114
Jozy Altidore	177	1989	115	117
DeAndre Yedlin	149	1993	62	116
Paul Arriola	113	1995	33	115
Jordan Morris	107	1994	39	118
Gyasi Zardes	106	1991	56	115
Reggie Cannon	104	1998	11	114
Brad Guzan	96	1984	64	107
Bobby Wood	95	1992	45	116
John Brooks	91	1993	38	116
Zack Steffen	90	1995	17	107
Alejandro Bedoya	87	1987	66	116
Kellyn Acosta	79	1995	23	115
Fabian Johnson	75	1987	57	116

USWNT Cap Totals

Last updated December 31, 2019

With Christie Rampone's retirement announcement, it's a good time to look at what 100 caps means for the USWNT.

While the chaotic games-per-year for the USWNT scheduling stands out, it's also worth noting the USWNT's IPC is significantly higher than the USMNT's (384 to 284). Following the same standard of a player needing to play 40% of the available games from when they are 19-34 and 30% of games from 19-38 for goalkeepers, this is what the USWNT's top 50 WCTs would look like.

Player	WCT	Born	100-Equiv	Caps
1. Kristine Lilly	287	1971	123	354
2. Christie Rampone	232	1975	134	311
3. Julie Foudy	221	1971	123	272
4. Joy Fawcett	216	1968	111	239
5. Mia Hamm	208	1972	132	275
6. Brandi Chastain	173	1968	111	192
7. Abby Wambach	166	1980	154	255
8. Tiffeny Milbrett	155	1972	132	204
9. Heather O'Reilly	153	1985	151	231
10. Kate Markgraf	152	1976	132	201
11. Michelle Akers	152	1966	102	155
12. Carla Overbeck	152	1968	111	168
13. Hope Solo	144	1981	140	202
14. Shannon Boxx	142	1977	138	195
15. Briana Scurry	140	1971	123	173
16. Shannon MacMillan	128	1974	138	176
17. Cindy Parlow	118	1978	134	158
18. Carin Gabarra	116	1965	101	117
19. Heather Mitts	102	1978	134	137
20. Tisha Venturini	95	1973	140	132
21. Cat Whitehill	93	1982	144	134
22. Lorrie Fair	90	1978	134	120
23. Lauren Holiday	88	1987	151	133
24. Aly Wagner	85	1980	154	131
25. Lindsay Tarpley	84	1983	148	125
26. Angela Hucles	81	1978	134	109
27. Tiffany Roberts	80	1977	138	110
28. Rachel Van Hollebeke	75	1985	151	113
29. Lori Chalupny	70	1984	150	106
30. Linda Hamilton	66	1969	124	82

A little bit of reshuffling, especially with the more recent players taking a nerf hit but nothing that just flips the list upside down. Here are the top active players and their current pace.

Player	WCT	Born	100-Equiv	Caps
1. Carli Lloyd	204	1982	144	294
2. Mallory Pugh	179	1998	147	63
3. Alex Morgan	160	1989	150	169
4. Tobin Heath	146	1988	151	168
5. Lindsey Horan	143	1994	148	86
6. Crystal Dunn	129	1992	151	104
7. Julie Ertz	127	1992	151	102
8. Becky Sauerbrunn	125	1985	151	177
9. Christen Press	120	1988	151	138
10. Morgan Gautrat	120	1993	152	87
11. Megan Rapinoe	119	1985	151	168
12. Kelley O'Hara	114	1988	151	131
13. Amy Rodriguez	106	1987	151	132
14. Alyssa Naeher	105	1988	139	63

Top 100 American Goalkeepers - February 2017

It's been a while since we've had top 100 rankings so it's about time we reviewed the hierarchy. Hopefully we can take a look at the women's side soon once some info on who is being invited into camps comes out.

Winter rankings are tough for domestic players as the offseason plays a bigger role in a goalkeeper's development than we're aware of. We know for the most part where goalkeepers left off last fall but we don't know how they've tweaked their game over the last few months. So think of these ranking as more as guidelines this time around.

You can also view the top 100 history, dating back for almost four years if you just love colored spreadsheets.
 

1. Brad Guzan, 32 - Middlesbrough (England.1)
2. Tim Howard, 37 - Colorado Rapids (USA.1)
3. Tyler Deric, 28 - Houston Dynamo (USA.1)
4. Bill Hamid, 26 - DC United (USA.1)
5. Jimmy Maurer, 29 - New York Cosmos (USA.2)
6. David Bingham, 27 - San Jose Earthquakes (USA.1)
7. Steve Clark, 30 - AC Horsens (Denmark.1)
8. Tim Melia, 29 - Sporting Kansas City (USA.1)
9. Luis Robles, 32 - New York Red Bulls (USA.1)
10. Joe Willis, 28 - Houston Dynamo (USA.1)

Bill says: I'm sure the biggest head scratcher on this list is Tyler Deric at number three. He's had limited exposure in the media with injury issues last year, but if he can stay healthy - and get a decent team in front of him - he can make a splash on the goalkeeper scene. Cosmos fans should be happy to see Maurer return although being in NASL hasn't historically been helpful in moving goalkeepers to a national team camp. Steve Clark hasn't started for AC Horsens yet but one of the worst defensive teams in Denmark could certainly use the boost.
 

11. Alex Horwath, 29 - SK Brann (Norway.1)
12. Joe Bendik, 27 - Orlando City SC (USA.1)
13. Nick Rimando, 37 - Real Salt Lake (USA.1)
14. William Yarbrough, 27 - Leon (Mexico.1)
15. Stefan Frei, 30 - Seattle Sounders (USA.1)
16. Brian Rowe, 28 - Los Angeles Galaxy (USA.1)
17. Evan Bush, 30 - Montreal Impact (USA.1)
18. Ethan Horvath, 21 - Club Brugge (Belgium.1)
19. Chris Seitz, 29 - FC Dallas (USA.1)
20. Matt Pickens, 34 - Tampa Bay Rowdies (USA.2)

Bill says: Horvath continues to move up the list and should crack the top ten by the end of the year. Alex Horwath is sat quietly as Brann's backup last year but I'd love to see him get some more games under his belt. Bendik had somewhat of a mixed season last year, with positives movements spliced with disappointing goals. It's taken him a little longer than some would like but hopefully Bendik has his feet under him now to have a complete season.
 

21. Jeff Attinella, 28 - Portland Timbers (USA.1)
22. Clint Irwin, 27 - Toronto FC (USA.1)
23. Matt Pyzdrowski, 30 - Helsingborg IF (Sweden.1)
24. Patrick McLain, 28 - Minnesota United FC (USA.1)
25. Sean Johnson, 27 - New York City FC (USA.1)
26. Zac MacMath, 25 - Colorado Rapids (USA.1)
27. Austin Guerrero, 27 - FC Alianza (Panama.1)
28. Matt Lampson, 27 - Chicago Fire (USA.1)
29. Quentin Westberg, 30 - FC Tours (France.2)
30. Andrew Dykstra, 31 - Sporting Kansas City (USA.1)

Bill says: Attinella, McLain, MacMath, and Dykstra are all goalkeepers I'd like to see get more opportunities but they're currently playing second fiddle, with some being closer to their respective starting goalkeeper than others. Mexican-American goalkeeper Austin Guerrero heads to Panama after an odd interview with ESPN last summer. Sean Johnson could have a better year in New York but he doesn't have a lot too build off of from Chicago.
 

31. Ryan Meara, 26 - New York Red Bulls (USA.1)
32. Bryan Meredith, 27 - Seattle Sounders (USA.1)
33. Jon Kempin, 23 - Free Agent (None)
34. Brendan Moore, 24 - Torquay United FC (England.5)
35. Alec Kann, 26 - Atlanta United (USA.1)
36. Bobby Shuttleworth, 29 - New England Revolution (USA.1)
37. Akira Fitzgerald, 29 - Free Agent (None)
38. David Meves, 27 - Free Agent (None)
39. Mitch Hildebrandt, 28 - FC Cincinnati (USA.3)
40. John McCarthy, 24 - Philadelphia Union (USA.1)

Bill says: Don't be surprised if Shuttleworth sits a majority of the season. New England wants to return to the playoffs so if they need to change things up, it may be in the goalkeeping department with Cody Cropper. Alec Kann finally gets a starting job in Atlanta, until Brad Guzan shows up this summer. It looks like Jon Kempin isn't returning to SKC but no word on where the youngster will land.

41. Devala Gorrick, 29 - St. Louis FC (USA.3)
42. Evan Newton, 28 - Sacramento Republic (USA.3)
43. Jon Busch, 40 - Indy Eleven (USA.2)
44. John Berner, 26 - Colorado Rapids (USA.1)
45. Brad Stuver, 25 - Columbus Crew (USA.1)
46. Matt Van Oekel, 30 - Real Salt Lake (USA.1)
47. Brad Knighton, 32 - New England Revolution (USA.1)
48. Josh Wicks, 33 - IK Sirius (Sweden.1)
49. Josh Saunders, 35 - Orlando City SC (USA.1)
50. Dan Kennedy, 34 - Los Angeles Galaxy (USA.1)

Bill says: Jon Busch playing at 40 is an incredible feat, something that is often taken for granted. Josh Saunders heads south after NYC is going to go with Sean Johnson. I suppose he realized that if he's going to be second string, he might as well do it on the beach. Josh Wicks slides over to newly promoted IK Sirius. Promoted Swedish teams have finished around mid-table in the past so he's lined up to have a very influential season.
 

51. Richard Sanchez, 22 - Tampico Madero (Mexico.2)
52. Jesse Gonzalez, 21 - FC Dallas (USA.1)
53. Jon Dawson, 25 - Free Agent (None)
54. Trevor Spangenberg, 25 - Puerto Rico FC (USA.2)
55. Brandon Miller, 27 - OC Blues FC (USA.3)
56. Chris Konopka, 31 - Free Agent (None)
57. Kyle Zobeck, 27 - New York Cosmos (USA.2)
58. Nathan Stockie, 27 - Free Agent (None)
59. Diego Restrepo, 29 - Free Agent (None)
60. Scott Angevine, 27 - Free Agent (None)

Bill says: There was a time where Richard Sanchez was getting all the press and Jesse Gonzalez was an afterthought. Now a few years later, it's not clear what the plan is for Sanchez, who has had zero professional starts in Mexico, while Gonzalez continues to grow with FC Dallas. A number of free agents here but also a few likely calling it quits if they can't find a club soon.
 

61. Will Dieterich, 29 - IF Grótta (Iceland.2)
62. Josh Ford, 29 - San Antonio FC (USA.3)
63. Carl Woszczynski, 28 - Phoenix Rising (USA.3)
64. Ryan Taylor, 26 - Richmond Kickers (USA.3)
65. Kris Devaux, 25 - Free Agent (None)
66. Brian Holt, 28 - New York Cosmos (USA.2)
67. Cody Laurendi, 28 - Oklahoma City Energy FC (USA.3)
68. Brian Sylvestre, 24 - North Carolina FC (USA.3)
69. Zac Lubin, 27 - Free Agent (None)
70. Charlie Lyon, 24 - Free Agent (None)

Bill says: Charlie Lyon was training with Minnesota United but they seem to be leaning another way. He has Seattle 2 experience so I imagine he'll land somewhere. Brian Sylvestre is one of the lucky, young goalkeepers who has a team backing him at the starting spot.
 

71. Trey Mitchell, 25 - Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USA.3)
72. Cody Mizell, 25 - Charlotte Independence (USA.3)
73. Sebastian Evers, 26 - Miami FC (USA.2)
74. Adam Grinwis, 24 - Free Agent (None)
75. Andre Rawls, 27 - New York City FC (USA.1)
76. Spencer Richey, 24 - Vancouver Whitecaps (USA.1)
77. Rafael Diaz, 25 - New York Red Bulls II (USA.3)
78. Justin Luthy, 25 - Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USA.3)
79. Matt Bersano, 24 - Free Agent (None)
80. CJ Cochran, 25 - Oklahoma City Energy FC (USA.3)

Bill says: I had originally taken Rawls off the list a few months back as I thought he had moved on but he's still grinding away. More draft picks don't make it into their third year than do so he's doing well for himself. Trey Mitchell spent the last couple years in the MLS Goalkeeper Pool and has finally found a team to sign him on. Richey and Diaz also are success stories that may have a quiet year in 2017, but are set up to be worth the wait down the line.
 

81. Cody Cropper, 24 - New England Revolution (USA.1)
82. Tyler Miller, 23 - Seattle Sounders (USA.3)
83. Alexandros Tabakis, 24 - Atlanta United (USA.1)
84. Travis Worra, 23 - DC United (USA.1)
85. Ciaran Nugent, 25 - Sligo Rovers (Ireland.1)
86. Eric Osswald, 25 - Free Agent (None)
87. Earl Edwards, 25 - Orlando City SC (USA.1)
88. Daniel Schmidt, 25 - Matsumoto Yamaga FC (Japan.2)
89. Andrew Tarbell, 23 - San Jose Earthquakes (USA.1)
90. Kyle Renfro, 24 - Free Agent (None)

Bill says: Cody Cropper is making a name for himself in preseason and while some will says "He's USYNT, of course he's known" he wasn't exactly having a successful time overseas. I interviewed Nugent about life in Ireland recently. Perhaps we will see Tarbell get more than 45 minutes this year, with Bingham having a strong possibility of going to the Gold Cup.
 

91. Devin Perales, 23 - Free Agent (None)
92. Zack Steffen, 21 - Columbus Crew (USA.1)
93. Keith Cardona, 24 - Indy Eleven (USA.2)
94. Eric Klenofsky, 22 - DC United (USA.1)
95. Josh Cohen, 24 - Phoenix Rising (USA.3)
96. Jeff Gal, 23 - Lidköpings FK (Sweden.4)
97. Alex Bono, 22 - Toronto FC (USA.1)
98. Calle Brown, 24 - Houston Dynamo (USA.1)
99. Tomas Gomez, 23 - Rochester Rhinos (USA.3)
100. Kris Schultz, 24 - Canterbury United (New Zealand.1)

Bill says: Steffen could find himself into a starting gig very soon, as the position is still open. Klenofsky has been in the press most recently but other goalkeepers like Bono and Cardona have shown positives signs but still have room to grow.