Eight Things We Learned From US Goalkeepers Last Week

cover photo belongs to Jason Getz/USA Today

Eight? That's right! Last week was so jammed pack with goalkeeping highlights (and lowlights) that we needed more space to cover it all. So let's get to it!

 

1. Poor Overhand Technique Strikes Again

Watch the play here, starting at 2:07

Once again MacMath attempts the overhand save to no success. His footwork complicates the issue with a needlessly wide stance that limits any lateral movement, but the hand motion is a returning issue. Like we addressed last week, some believe the overhand save can do nothing better than diving with the nearest hand can.

There's definitely a valid point to the claim. Perhaps the better way to phrase is that a goalkeeper needs to find what works for him or her. If the overhand save isn't working, the goalkeeper can't expect it to just magically fix itself. For some, diving with the nearest hand might be a stronger option.

Personally, the overhand save is so similar to the over-the-crossbar tip (when a goalkeeper has been chipped and is racing back to the goal line) that it's easy to translate the two. Also I feel it gets better leverage to displace the ball but regardless, the answer for any goalkeeper is finding what works best for them. MacMath needs to revamp his strategy, which may result in a small tweak in technique or a completely different approach.

 

2. Hamid Turns in Another Polarizing Performance

For anyone who was watching the Eastern Conference match up on Sunday, who wasn't ogling over Hamid's two early saves? It really felt like Hamid was hinting at a return to form until the following goal. 

Hamid seems to have tweaked his groin on the second save, right before conceding Atlanta's lone goal for the afternoon. While there could be an argument for Hamid not being at 100% to make the save, the bigger problem is his approach. Yes, it's an unfortunate play but Hamid severely limits his chance of saving a shot (one that isn't too far from his body) by throwing his body in the air. Perhaps if Hamid was closer to the shot and the time to react was removed, the starfish would make more sense. But here, he can stay grounded. Doing so keeps the same surface area with his body shape, but with the added bonus of mobility to react to the shot, essentially doubling his size.

The game was a classic display of great-save-poor-conceded-goal. It's not a secret the USMNT needs more consistency, not chaos, in the back. If Hamid is truly wanting to make a run at the USMNT goalkeeper position, he needs to find that consistency to save what's in his reach and occasionally pull out the great save.

 

3. Attinella Showcases Impeccable Form

Play starts at 1:01

In the 58th minute, Attinella parries a rocket from just past the penalty spot. As the ball travels back down to a well-placed FC Dallas player, Attinella displays textbook skills on getting back to his feet. Notice how even and well-timed Attinella feet are when he plants. Both feet hit the ground at the same time and he can move either direction with ease. He's not awkwardly stepping into it or guessing which way the shot is going to go. It's a simple movement, but a much overlooked fundamental to goalkeeping and one that doesn't happen in MLS enough.

 

4. Ashlyn Harris Opens the Door for Criticism

After Orlando's 3-1 loss to North Carolina this weekend, Ashlyn Harris wasn't slow to say that her teammates needed to perform at a higher level.

I don't think anyone can disagree with Harris' main point: a 3-1 loss is not acceptable and players need to perform better. (Highlights here) You want to create an environment that has room for criticism so the team as a whole can step up their game. However Harris' own performance in the match left something to be desired, giving up a soft rebound on the first goal and misplacing a pass that directly led to the third.

At the end of the day, North Carolina still outshot Orlando (13-5, shots on goal) so the scoreline is warranted. But if Harris is going to start saying individual performances aren't good enough, she needs to own up to her own shortcomings.

 

5. Dropped Knee Strikes Again

Frei conceded probably his worst goal in his MLS career last weekend. In the 15th minute, Lee Nguyen strikes a knuckling shot from outside the box. The shot tails to Frei's right at the last second and slips in for the first goal of the game. It felt eerily similar to Dempsey's goal against England in the 2010 World Cup. You can watch the highlights from the game here, although there's not a great picture to pull from it.

As the ball dips towards Frei, he places his right knee into the ground. (This isn't a proper long barrier, for the record. The long barrier twists the hips and, in this case, would place Frei's right leg perpendicular to the oncoming shot.) The goal is another great example of the dangers with dropping a knee on a low-flying shot. If anything goes beyond expectation, the goalkeeper is stuck. The shot looks predictable until the last second, when it slides away from Frei. If Frei utilizes the front smother, he can shift his body weight, shoulders, and hands to cover the shot.

Some may argue that Frei just didn't do it right and if a goalkeeper drops his or her knee correctly, then it's not an issue. Personally, the technique is too hard to execute consistently without the occasional error, especially for skipping or knuckling shots. There are too many variables that can happen on a play, as displayed with Frei's mishap. The front smother attacks the ball, limiting the ball's movement, yet still gives lateral movement to help deal with a late bend or skip from the ball.

 

6. Next Era of USWNT Still Have Room to Develop

The three goalkeepers leading the pack to take over the USWNT goalkeeper spot are Jane Campbell (Houston), Haley Kopmeyer (Seattle), and Adrianna Franch (Portland). We talked a little about Campbell last week and with this week's games, the other two have given us talking points.

While there are a number of positives to talk about Kopmeyer's and Franch's abilities, the two struggled in situations they'll encounter again sooner than later. First, Kopmeyer and Seattle fell 3-0 to Boston, conceding all three goals from 1v1 situations. As we witnessed with the SheBelieves Cup this spring, the USWNT goalkeeper is likely to see more 1v1s with the 3-5-2, so they're fairly relevant for American goalkeepers. Kopmeyer isn't responsible for all the goals but there were some odd movements on the plays. On the first two, her body movement is a little off - it looks like she trips on the second one - and on the third she tries to kick save a shot heading to the top corner. For a goalkeeper who has shown tremendous strides over the last three years, her 1v1 game still needs some work.

In Portland, Franch held a 1-0 shutout, but not without giving away chances for potential goals. In the 22nd minute, she completely tackles Christen Press on an incoming cross. It's hard to tell if Franch gets a touch on the ball or not, which makes Franch's decision all the more risky. I think her right hand barely clips the ball, but if it doesn't this is an easy penalty call. The risk/reward for Franch here isn't worth it and there's a way to close down the angle without having to tackle Press, or at least minimize contact. Later in the 62nd minute she spills as simple collapse save, opening up another chance for Press to bag a goal. Added to the poor distribution from earlier in the season, she has her own parts of her game she needs to finish polishing.

It's not time to panic as all three goalkeepers have shown bright spots, but it's also not time to move on from Naeher and Harris any time soon.

 

7. Kann Snowballs Mistakes

Going back to the battle of the Uniteds, Kann had a terrible span of five minutes that led up to the second goal. First, a corner in the 36th minute led to a vertically skied ball that was coming back down in the box. Kann awkwardly walked out to basket catch the plummeting ball but dropped it in a crowd of players. Fortunately Kann was protected with a soft foul call but the free kick from Kann went straight out of bounds. The ensuing throw-in went straight to Acosta who ended up taking a mild shot from twenty yards out for the second goal. (Watch here, at 2:21) If Kann handles the corner like he should, collecting the ball clean and helping his team in transition, he removes the following errors and it's still a 1-1 game.

 

8. Van Oekel Thinking Ahead

Play starts at 2:24

Not a whole lot I can add here so I'll just present Van Oekel's header without comment.

Five Things We Learned From US Goalkeepers Last Week

cover photo from Mile High Sports

1. Jane Campbell Isn't Beloved by All

Jane Campbell is the only USWNT goalkeeper with a cap who is also younger than 29. Despite this, there were more than a few upset about the decision, as documented by a fine write-up from Backline Soccer. For a league that's supposed to develop American players for the national scene, it's odd that some don't wish to see such a highly rated prospect receive time on the field.

Some of the complaints were directed at Campbell not being ready for NWSL. Aside from any prospect needing playing time to develop, Campbell's errors are routinely seen in both NWSL and MLS. Hope Solo was suspect on aerial service and every weekend we see a goal off an easy rebound. Even Kopmeyer's lone conceded goal is a result of a poor punch out on a ball that needs to go to the corner flag, not the center of the box. Houston has several problems greater than Campbell's performance last weekend.

Looking back on the game, it's clear Campbell has talent but she needs game time to get to the next level. Benching Lydia Williams (Australian national team goalkeeper) isn't ideal, but the Dash didn't draft Campbell to sit on the bench. If the USWNT can't find game time for their early-to-mid-20 year olds, they may find themselves in a similar position as the USMNT down the line.

 

2. The Overhand Save Has Finer Points to Approach

Watch the play here, starting at 2:12.

Campbell isn't the only goalkeeper met with polarizing views. Zac MacMath has received his fair share from the public as he's filled in for a suspended Tim Howard. Last week MacMath held his own by making two important saves earlier in the match before finally conceding in the 81st minute. The goal came off a rebound from the post that originated from a shot atop the box, to MacMath's right. As MacMath covers the goalmouth, he utilizes the overhand technique to make the save. It's not clear from the video, but I don't think he actually deflects the ball. If he did, the impact looks fairly minimal as the ball still rockets off the post with some power to it.

There is some debate on the usefulness to the overhand save. Some claim that there is nothing the overhand save can do that the underhand save can't while others prefer the overhand save whenever possible. Either way, we can all agree the overhand save needs to go with the momentum of the ball if at all possible.

Notice how MacMath's right hand approached the ball from underneath. There are two reasons a goalkeeper should avoid this. First, it blocks the goalkeeper's view, as shown in the second and third frame. For such a tight play, the goalkeeper needs to know exactly where the ball is or else he risks missing it entirely, which is possibly what MacMath does. Secondly, going with the momentum makes it easier to line up the hand to the ball. For baseball players, think of a batter's swing. The batter wants to get his bat behind the ball first and then make his adjustment with his wrists or arms if need be. MacMath goes from underneath as misreads the ball because of it.

 

3. Bono Still Looking For His Own Style

One of the more disappointing plays for goalkeepers to make is conceding a needless goal in the final minutes to ruin a shutout. After 87 minutes of absolutely dismantling Chicago, Toronto is caught on a counter despite leading 3-0. The through ball is originally played to Bono's left (before the picture, above) but with defenders in the area, Bono correctly stays at home. Unfortunately Bono has cut so much of the angle off, he is in no position to cover the ball on the slotted pass back.

For a young goalkeeper, finding consistency and style is incredibly important. There are aspects of the game where the goalkeeper gets to decide if they will play certain situations aggressively or passively. However, Bono's approach on the goal is somewhat like getting caught in no man's land. He has needlessly stepped forward to cut down maybe an inch of the goal frame but has also given up the entire backside. If Bono take a step or two back, he may be in reach of the eventual shot.

 

4. Attinella Is Ready to Play

This is a much tougher play than it looks and one that most MLS goalkeepers will opt out of. For starters, Attinella displays some intriguing footwork. Notice how Attinella's shoulders turn on the play. Originally his right foot is cheating towards the back post but as the striker approaches the end line, Attinella squares him up. In doing so, Attinella is now giving first priority to the cross. With a simple hop, Attinella can attack the cross and eliminate a potential shot, instead of having to spin back to stand on the line.

There's always a bit of danger on these sort of plays. Attinella is fortunate not to have any collision here but he also correctly protects his head with his right arm to avoid possible contact there. For a goalkeeper who hasn't received a ton of playing time, it's a fantastic veteran play with minute details than often goes unnoticed.

 

5. Robles Has an Appreciation for Creativity

Not a whole lot to say here outside of Robles giving Filipe props on the creative slide. I'm not sure if this was planned or not but at least we know Robles is paying attention to any extracircular activity around his wall.

Russell Payne Interview: Goalkeeping Insights with USMNT Goalkeeper Coach, Army Head Coach

cover photo from Baltimore Sun

After playing abroad in Ireland and Germany, Russell Payne has amounted an impressive knowledge of the game that he now passes on to the next generation of goalkeepers. Russell Payne is the current head coach at West Point and recently worked with the USMNT under Jurgen Klinsmann as the team's goalkeeper coach. Payne has also spent time with the U20s, where he worked along side Zack Steffen and Ethan Horvath.

Payne goes into the details of penalty saves with Zack Steffen, how he kept it competitive between Howard and Guzan, and the playing environment at West Point.

 

Tell me a little bit about the hiring process with the US Men’s National Team. How did that line up for you to become the USMNT goalkeeper coach?

I’ll go back basically two years from now, January 2015. We were just finishing up qualification for the U20 World Cup. I had been with Tab Ramos and the U20s since he got the job. So when Tab took over he called me in to be part of his staff. I took over working with the goalkeepers, obviously. We did the 2013 World Cup in Turkey and the 2015 World Cup in New Zealand.

Right after qualification I got a call from Jurgen asking if I could come in and be part of the January camp. Chris Woods was having, I think, a medical issue at the time and basically needed a stand in. So I went in for him and did the January camp in 2015. Chris was back in after that so I didn’t go to qualifying in March but then come the early summer, Jurgen called me back in for the Gold Cup. Chris had left and taken the job with West Ham and Jurgen called me in and asked if I wanted to be part of the staff.

 

You mentioned the 2015 U20 World Cup and you’ve worked with a number of goalkeepers now that have gone overseas, not to mention yourself, playing over there. I feel like I’ve heard this question a lot and I guess I’ve never really been satisfied with the answer. American goalkeepers do pretty well overseas and I was curious on your outlook as someone who’s been on both sides of that. Is there a reason for that or is it just a coincidence that American goalkeepers succeed in playing abroad?

No, I think it’s a number of things. First of all, goalkeeping is a very specific position. It’s a very analytical position. I think sometimes it’s a little easier to focus down on goalkeeper development than it is with field players. In this country, it’s probably a little easier to find a good goalkeeper coach to get you on that step-by-step process that could get you to progress your game. I think it’s a little bit harder with outfield players. I think with goalkeepers it’s more of a straight line with how a guy does with keeping the ball out of the net, how he does physically, the mental toughness side. I think it’s a little easier to scout and determine on a goalkeeping side.

We did a sort of goalkeeper analysis and DNA piece over the last year. We found, which is not rocket science, that all the goalkeepers that have done really well through the national team set up over, say, the last twenty-five years, have been multi-sport guys. Guys who were good at a variety of different disciplines, in terms of hand-eye coordination, in terms of body position, in terms of all those things. Not to say goalkeepers all across the world are multi-sport athletes, because they’re not, but I think that’s one of the things that has helped us in the US.

And then, you know, not everybody goes overseas and is able to be successful. I think for me, the biggest thing that played a part in being somewhat successful, and being able to stay put overseas for a little while, really is the mental side. I think in terms of having knowledge of the game, or the ability in the game, or the technical ability, those are all things that a lot of guys possess as US goalkeepers. But it’s the grittiness of being able to survive first and foremost when you get overseas. That’s the tougher part. And that’s something I don’t think that’s something I can really answer or put a finger on. Because I was a suburban kid. I grew up in the suburbs of Columbia, Maryland, between DC and Baltimore. So it wasn’t like I had some hard knock story of how I was going to make it. *laughs*

I just went to the University of Maryland, played, and got a great education there. On and off the field with Sasho Cirovski. I was his first recruit back in ‘93 when he got the job. So I went through the grinder with him and helped him build that program up. I was a nomad in MLS for a couple of years. When I got overseas I said “You know what, I’m here and I got to make it work.” And you know, locker rooms are tough and you just put your head down and you work. You push through and you don’t take anything too personally. You realize that Europe can be a cold place sometimes, physically and emotionally. You learn the language and you do the best to get along with teammates and you take your knocks and keep going. And that’s easier said than done. Most folks who try that wash out, because they realize they can fall back on something else. And I was the same, I could have fallen back on going to med school but I just decided I wanted it bad enough and I stuck with it.

I don’t think that Brad [Friedel] or Kasey [Keller] or any of the other guys - you know, I was never at their level - but I don’t think they’d tell you anything different as far as pushing through that wall. Because everybody hits it and you have to figure out how bad you want it and how bad you’re going to stick to it.

 

Going on the mental side to goalkeeping, what was it like working with Guzan and Howard, where it was known the starting spot was open for competition. How did that affect your setup and your coaching?

What you want to avoid is anything that is not transparent, especially with two seasoned pros. They’ve been through it all. They’ve seen it all. And you don’t want to approach it with any BS. You want to approach it being extremely open every day. “Hey guys, this is what I’m thinking we’re going to do.” And they’re not afraid to tell you what some of their rhythm is about, and how they like to approach things. You figure out what works there and how to keep them as sharp as possible. You let them know that your job every day is to keep them in that rhythm and that you’re ultimately going to report back to the boss of who has had a better day.

At the end of the day, it’s always the boss’s decision. It’s always the head coach’s decision of who’s going to play. And 99% of the cases that’s just how it works in football. Your job [as the goalkeeper coach] is to keep it extremely professional as you can between the guys who are competing, but also let them know you have their back. You’re not going to mince words. You’re not going to BS them. You’re going to be honest about what’s out in front of them. You give them as much heads up about preparation for the game for the weekend as you can. You help them with the tendencies with the players in front of them, whether [the two goalkeepers are] starting or not starting. Especially when there’s a back and forth and they’re trading games, they both have to be at their peak.

If I look back on the last two years, I feel like between Tim [Howard] and Brad [Guzan], they both had very good moments, more than down moments. I think they were two of the most consistent pieces of the group. And that’s just due to their makeup and how they approach every day.

 

Working with Jurgen, I’m really curious about conversation or coaches meeting with him. You talked about at the end of the day it’s not even your call, it goes back to him. So how would you approach going into that? What’s worth bringing up to Jurgen about the goalkeepers?

Yeah, I think it goes back to what I said earlier. He won’t always have eyes on what I’m doing through our session. So I’ll let him know what we worked on, how it went, how they approached it. You know, the good thing about working with Tim and Brad, as far as attitude-wise, they were very consistent. There was never a fluctuation in attitude and approach. And sometimes with other goalkeepers, guys will rule themselves out just how they approach the situation. But those two guys were always consistent there so we never had to deal with anything about attitude or professional.

The feedback I gave was just about execution. It usually had to do with execution as we approached the game because every opponent you approach, you’re going to be looking for different things from an execution standpoint from your goalkeeper. Whether it’s your distribution, whether it’s your angle play, whether it’s your communication, whether it’s your position or reading certain aspects of the game that are going to open up in front of you. We’ll work on those in training and then my job is to communicate who executed those things better on the day.

There wasn’t always a big difference between the two of them. What would happen at that point is Jurgen would give me his feedback on what he’s seen in the past from opponents, because we duplicated opponents a lot. We saw the same guys quite often through CONCACAF. So he had a good idea and understanding of who we were playing and what they typically brought. We’d look at certain strikers’ tendencies. Sometimes it would come down to which keeper we thought would match up with the opponent better, or with the defenders we were going to be starting. And sometimes it just came down to, “Last time we played these guys, Brad was really good against them and he’s in a good moment right now. Let's go with him.” Or the same thing with Tim. “Last time we played these guys, Tim was the man. We know that they’re probably going to hesitate a little more with Tim when they come to goal on certain players, let’s go with him.” So there were a lot of factors, I don’t think it was ever down to one thing.

 

With the US team, we’re obviously going to have a different makeup than Mexico or any other country. They’re going to have a different requirement for their goalkeeper. Is there one thing that stands out that the US needs from their goalkeeper?

You know, we’ve always had guys who, in terms of presence and leadership, have always made that a large part of their game. I think our best national team goalkeepers have all stood out in the club environments as leaders, as team captains, as carrying the group from an presence standpoint. They’re usually an emotional leader of the team. The only way you get to a captaincy point of leadership is consistency. Consistency really does lead to trust which leads to efficiency. It leads to you being put to the forefront of the group. A coach trusts you, your players trust you, the next thing you know you’re put in a leadership position. I think that’s one of the biggest parts.

I think [US goalkeepers are] proficient with our feet, none overly exception. We have had guys who were exceptional but on the most part we’re on par. We’re consistent. Our handling is usually very good. Athletically we do well on crosses. We command areas. We do things like that. But I think we have a good presence about us. There’s always a vocalness. There’s always a sense of organization and leadership. You always see US goalkeepers come through with bigger plays. But a lot of times you’ll just see staying power and consistency. And guys locking down a position club-wise. Kind of staying in the moment, being trusted by foreign coaches to be the team captain on foreign teams.

 

Switching to the college side, I’m curious about the differences in training sessions for the national team versus a college program. Are there certain aspects you focus on more or less with each side?

Yeah, I think the thing for me, one of the biggest pieces I stress when working with the younger keepers - meaning, 17, 18, 19 year old, that U20 World Cup cycle range - is that we always talk technical proficiency. I go in a little bit of a different lane with that stuff. I look at the stylistic part of it and helping guys understand what works best for them stylistically, but what’s still efficient technically. Because one of the things I took away from my own career was, and in having played alongside a guy like Tim [Howard] for a little while when I first got started in the professional ranks, you got to have a sense of your own style. How you handle balls, little bit of how you move, little bit of your footwork stylistically, little bit of how to prep your body into training or into exercise. You’ve got to trust in that and believe in that but also know where the technical part of that has to line up in order to secure the ball, stave off injury, and in order to put yourself in position to make the next play.

So it doesn’t really come down to repetition of certain types of exercises so much, because there are thousands of ways to do certain drills and get similar results, but it really comes down to the young men that I coach understanding who they are at that stage of their development, who they are at 18, and what works for them and what doesn’t. A lot of that comes from watching goalkeepers that are better than them and training with goalkeepers that are better than them. You rarely are going to get that on your own. At to a certain point, you have to start getting around pros who are older than you and better than you. You have to take a little piece out of their game. I think all of our games are a combination of guys who came before us that we pulled little pieces out of, and then within that, your own style starts to come through and you figure out what works for you and you go from there.

So that’s really what I focus on. If I have a 18, 19 year old kid like, for instance, a Zack Steffen who was our keeper at the last U20 World Cup cycle and who did a great job. You know, he had some really, really strong athletic traits to him. He had some posturing that he would take in certain exercises and in parts of the game that I really liked and wanted him to hold on to. Then in other areas, I would say, “Okay, you have to be aware, your footwork needs to be adjusted in this situation. Your hands have to be adjusted if you’re going to be making this play.” And we’d go from there. I think as he got into game after game after game at that level, and was around Ethan Horvath and they competed against each other and he was training with a professionally team at the time, I think he was just getting better, figuring out what works for him.

And then on top of that, like we talked about earlier, “Hey, you have to be understanding that you’re in a leadership position. You’re in a position of influence. You have to embrace that as a keeper, especially as an American keeper. It’s expected of you." The vocalness, the presence, looking, feeling, and being prepared throughout a game. Those kind of things with the position come with our identity.

 

Photo by Alex Livesey

Photo by Alex Livesey

It’s funny you mention Zack Steffen because I remember watching him through that 2015 World Cup run with all those penalty saves and.. I don’t want to say apathetic, but it was very odd how he would make a great play and it was almost like it wasn’t that big of a deal to him. He had such an interesting composure and he was very calm back there. You expected this big reaction and he just stayed pretty calm the entire time.

Yeah, you know, that comes from two things. One, demeanor, in terms of who you are as a player but also recognizing the moment and knowing that the more you show that sort of stoic confidence, I think it resonates farther, than anything. And then the second thing is preparation. You don’t always have that “holy shit I just made a great play” look about you when you’ve prepared to make that play. And what I mean by that is, every one of the penalty kick takers that Zack saw during the U20 World Cup cycle, we had studied together. And it’s never an exact science but we had a prediction of where everybody was going to go. We studied all their kicks going back three or four years. We made calculated assumptions, calculated guesses on which way we thought they would go. He would look over for the signal if he didn’t remember which way, we’d give it to him and he’d make the final decision. So when the guys went the way we thought he was going to go, and we had prepared, it’s like, “alright there you go.” That’s why we prepared. He did it, let’s move on.

 

Changing gears a little bit, I’m curious with being at Army and working with players that have more a military focus. Does that show itself in any way or is it still soccer at the end of the day?

Yeah, you know that’s an interesting question. As you can imagine I get that a lot. I know being around soccer players and recruiting soccer players and being fortunate enough to coach youth team national players, the mentality of the guys that I get at West Point... I shouldn’t say “the guys that I get” because I recruit every single player that comes in. I don’t sit around and wait for kids who are military descendants to call me and say “I want to go to school” and I just say “Okay come on in.” *laughs* It doesn’t really work like that. I recruit at West Point the same way when I recruited at the University of Maryland.

So their mentality isn’t necessarily different but over the course of their college career at West Point they grow and they develop. Their character strengthens and they are different when they graduate. But they’re not necessary different when they get there. They are very normal, you know, guys. They’re normal soccer players. They’re hungry to play the sport. They’re academically astute enough to get in and they're open to the idea that there’s more to the potential college experience than just what they thought was out there. So the idea of going to the academy is something they’re open to but it’s not something they’ve prepared their whole lives for, or *laughs* even thought about until they got a phone call or email from me or my staff.

When we get them in, our job is to get them to understand that the work that you've done as a young soccer player in America and getting to the point to be recruitable, playing in academy teams or state cup teams or whatever it is, that hard work and that leadership that you've shown, is what’s going to get your through this place on a daily basis, not just once a week. And that’s the difference. You can’t just turn it on and turn it off, like at other schools. And that’s no knock on other environments, that’s just the reality that at West Point. You show up with that same grit and hunger in the classroom, and in the dorms, and in the lunchroom, and on the soccer field and not just show up with it on the soccer field like you would do at other places. And if you do that every day, imagine how much you change over six to twelve months.

So when the general public meets our kids after they’ve been in school for a year or six months, they go, “Wow that’s a special kid.” And I go, “Yeah, they are special, but don’t think they came in that way.” They came in just open and interested and hungry, but they left chiseled and they left stronger, in terms of the value system, the moral systems, the character building, the leadership development. They left with that. They don’t always come in with it though. So my job is to reinforce and teach that on the field, off the field, and in the locker room. So that everything is congruent and nothing is mutually exclusive. So when they walk over to the military side of campus or to the academic side of campus, it’s consistent.

 

Joe Greenspan graduated from the Naval Academy in 2015 and was met with a polarizing response about going professional. Some were very supportive of him becoming a pro while others thought he should finish his service to the military first. Obviously it’s a heated issue and I’ve heard cases on both ends for it. What’s your take on it?

Yeah, you know, my experience with being at West Point for seven years of coaching and being a part of the environment there and seeing kids from all the [military] academies and how they give back to the country and to us, is just awesome. I think the one kid out of thousands and thousands that reaches an elite level through sport while doing the right things with the academy - militarily and academically - that one kid out of thousands that has a chance [to play professionally] should be met with the same sort of enthusiasm and support that we do for everybody else. Because what we’re looking for is the elite to come and rise to the top, at all the academies.

We want the best kids to go on and do great things. And if doing a great thing is representing your academy, representing your family, representing your country for a couple of years on the “field of friendly strifes” as they call them, then I think we should celebrate that. Because they’re not getting away with something. They’re not taking or stealing or foregoing a commitment they signed up for. They went to school and they busted their butts to be the best they could be in all the areas that they were asked to be great. And they succeeded in graduating and getting commissioned and being one of the best they could be athletically. So we should take the opportunity to celebrate that and we should support that. Because we know it’s short lived. We know it’s a couple years. For me, I think it does nothing but strengthen the ability of the academies to bring in even better people.

So Joseph Greenspan was a junior, I believe it was 2013, when the Naval Academy and Army went toe-to-toe. We were number one and two in the Patriot League. My goalkeeper, Winston Boldt was named second team All-American, and Joseph Greenspan was named third team All-American. I don’t know when Navy’s last All-American was but for us, that was our first All-American in forty years.* So those two guys really set the standard. Winston Boldt was something like a 3.6 or 3.7 average cadet and he was also the number two cadet in the Corp of Cadets at West Point. So for someone to say that this kid shouldn’t be able to pursue any disciple that he chose, for me, is ludicrous. He kicked the butts of the other, you know, 4,398 cadets. *laughs* He ascended to the number two position as the Deputy Commander. He became the first All-American in forty years and he had an A average.

Going into graduation, his senior year, [Boldt] was invited to the MLS combine, and he ended up turning it down. He said “You know what, I’ve decided it’s not the path for me” And that’s great. I was supportive of him. Obviously I was disappointed on some level he didn’t go for it a little bit, but that was his path. Right now he is a First Lieutenant in the Army and he’s kicking butt and I think he’s got a pretty long runway in front of him for what he wants to do. Joseph Greenspan decided to go ahead and play and was able to get drafted and he’s making a career out of it. I could be happier for him and that’s what he chose. But both guys put themselves in those positions by the work they did. They didn’t fall into it, so to to speak. They earned it.

For it to even be a debate, for me, is interesting because we’re talking about one out of thousands of kids. We’re not talking about ten or twenty kids, we’re talking about one out of thousands every couple years that really has an opportunity. There are only a couple of Navy football players. There are only a couple of Army football players that really ever have a chance to do that, every year or two. It’s not this great plethora of kids who are doing that. And even when they do do that, it’s usually pretty short lived to a certain extent. Careers are short in the professional ranks and all it does is attract better kids to our academies, athletically and in all areas.

* Navy's last All-American before Greesnpan was Brian Steckroth, who was named Second Team All-American in 2001. Before that,  Bruce Montgomery (Honorable Mention) and Thomas Panik (Second Team) received All-American honors in 1975. Greenspan would also become a First Team All-American in 2014

Top 100 USWNT Goalkeepers - April 2017

cover photo belongs to Lyndsay Radnedge, Stanford Athletics

We haven't had an update on the goalkeeper pool in over a year and since the NWSL has kicked off, we’re overdue for an update. There's not a ton of change at the top but I've changed gears on including college goalkeepers. There are still a number of collegiate players on the list (42, to be exact) but previously we were having too high of a turnover rate. Over half of last year's top 100 aren't playing anymore and most of them are seniors who didn't make the jump. In an attempt to find some more consistency at the end of the list, college goalkeepers now have a higher focus on their development as well as long term potential.

 

1. Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars / USA.1) - 29
2. Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride / USA.1) - 31
3. Brittany Cameron (Vegalta Sendai / Japan.1) - 30
4. Michelle Betos (Valerenga / Norway.1) - 29
5. Katie Fraine (Vittsjö GIK / Sweden.1) - 29
6. Michele Dalton (Chicago Red Stars / USA.1) - 28
7. Nicole Barnhart (FC Kansas City / USA.1) - 35
8. Haley Kopmeyer (Seattle Reign / USA.1) - 26
9. Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC / USA.1) - 26
10. Adelaide Gay (IBV / Iceland.1) – 27

Bill says: Naeher and Harris still top the list. Betos joins other top goalkeepers in leaving the NWSL, which simultaneously opens the door for Franch in Portland. Somehow Barnhart is defying the odds by still playing at a high level. Kopmeyer has twenty-seven NWSL starts entering the year but this is the first season Seattle has placed her as the undisputed starter and she’s more than ready for the season.

 

11. Libby Stout (Boston Breakers / USA.1) - 26
12. Hope Solo (Free Agent) - 35
13. Ashley Thompson (Sandviken / Norway.1) - 31
14. Brett Maron (Kristianstad / Sweden.1) - 30
15. Arianna Criscione (Kungsbacka / Sweden.1) - 32
16. Rebecca Ritchie (Real Salt Lake Women / USA.2W) - 29
17. Cat Parkhill (FC Kansas City / USA.1) - 26
18. Micaela Crowley (ÍR Reykjavík / Iceland.2) - 32
19. Aubrey Bledsoe (Orlando Pride / USA.1) - 25
20. Kaycee Gunion (San Diego Sea Lions / USA.2P) - 27

Bill says: WPSL goalkeepers are tough to track. One season they're there and the next they're not. Ritchie and Gunion have been two of the few consistent goalkeepers in the WPSL and should be returning for 2017. No word on Solo’s plans yet, although there are rumors of her going abroad. Adelaide Gay and Aubrey Bledsoe had some good highlights from 2016 and are looking to build off of them this year. Stout is still out for a few more weeks with an ankle injury.

 

21. Audrey Baldwin (FCF Juvisy / France.1) - 25
22. Didi Haracic (Washington Spirit / USA.1) - 25
23. Kelsey Wys (Washington Spirit / USA.1) - 26
24. Kelsey Quinn (Melbourne City / Australia.1) - 26
25. Nora Abolins (Östersund / Sweden.1) - 25
26. Britt Eckerstrom (Portland Thorns FC / USA.1) - 23
27. Caroline Stanley (Free Agent) - 24
28. Bryane Heaberlin (Turbine Potsdam / Germany.1) - 23
29. Megan Kufeld (Sundsvalls DFF / Sweden.2) - 24
30. Alyssa Giannetti (Arna-Bjørnar / Norway.1) – 22

Bill says: Giannetti returns to Arna-Bjørnar after being named Goalkeeper of the Year in her first year. Eckerstrom was traded to Portland and while she won't see a ton of playing time, she will be working with German legend Nadine Angerer in the meantime. Heaberlin spent preseason with the North Carolina Courage but should be returning to Germany for the spring. Stanley was competing for Sky Blue’s starting spot last year but hasn’t been connected with a team since.

 

31. Madalyn Schiffel (Seattle Reign / USA.1) - 22
32. Lindsey Harris (FH / Iceland.1) - 23
33. Abby Smith (Boston Breakers / USA.1) - 23
34. Brianna Smallidge (Seattle Reign Trialist) - 23
35. Sammy Jo Prudhomme (Boston Breakers / USA.1) - 23
36. Amanda Kopale (FC Kansas City Trialist) - 23
37. Kelsey Brouwer (Apollon Limassol / Cyprus.1) - 22
38. Kelsey Devonshire (FC Dallas / USA.2P) - 24
39. Katelyn Rowland (North Carolina FC / USA.1) – 23
40. Caroline Casey (Sky Blue FC / USA.1) - 22

Bill says: We're starting to see more trailists down this part of the list. Smallidge didn’t end up making the roster for Seattle but it sounds like there’s a good chance she’ll be training with the Reign, like she did with the Chicago Red Stars last year. After missing almost the entire 2016 season, Smith now has an opportunity to start with Stout missing the first month of the season. Madalyn Schiffel has most recently spent time with the U23s, although Harris and Rowland have USYNT experience too.

 

41. Jane Campbell (Houston Dash / USA.1) - 22
42. Lauren Watson (Keflavik FC / Iceland.3) - 23
43. Emily Dolan (Zaccaria / Italy.1) - 22
44. Ashton McKeown (Free Agent) - 22
45. Emily Armstrong (Portland Thorns Trialist) - 22
46. Holly Van Noord (Free Agent) - 22
47. Hannah Seabert (Orlando Pride Trialist) - 22
48. Kaela Little (FC Kansas City Trialist) – 22
49. Lillie Ehlert (Free Agent) - 22
50. Morgan Stearns (Sundsvalls DFF / Sweden.2) – 22

Bill says: Jane Campbell is easily the biggest name here. She recently earned her first cap for the national team, making her the only goalkeeper under 29 with a cap. Watson, Dolan, and Stearns are now all overseas and there's something to be said about graduating seniors not staying for their final spring semester. It may be a few years until we see them in the US again but they’ll come back with playing experience, an invaluable asset at the next level. Dolan has already started with Zaccaria and has so far helped her new club stay above relegation.

 

51. Sydney Lavan (Free Agent) - 22
52. Taylor Francis (Free Agent) - 22
53. Nicki Turley (Free Agent) - 22
54. Tarah Hobbs (Free Agent) - 21
55. Anna Buhigas (Chicago Red Stars Reserves / USA.2P) - 22
56. Kristyn Shea (Sky Blue FC Trialist) - 21
57. Kailey Norman (Free Agent) - 21
58. Danielle Rice (FC Kansas City Trialist) - 21
59. Caitlyn Clem (Wisconsin / USA.N) - 22
60. EJ Proctor (Duke / USA.N) – 21

Bill says: A number of senior graduates here. Shea and Rice have earned trials and while players like Buhigas have ties to reserve teams, there isn't a great turnover rate with WPSL goalkeepers making it as a professional. Even if a graduate does play in the summer league, it's still another eight or nine months until most leagues kick back up again in the spring. As for goalkeepers still in college, Clem and Proctor (highlights) and lead the pack for the fall.

 

61. Cassie Miller (Florida State / USA.N) - 22
62. Lauren Clem (Northwestern / USA.N) - 21
63. Taylor Sebolao (Towson / USA.N) - 21
64. Kat Elliott (South Florida / USA.N) - 21
65. Emily Boyd (California / USA.N) - 20
66. Jordan Sallee (UNLV / USA.N) - 21
67. Bella Geist (Oregon State / USA.N) - 21
68. Katie Hatziyianis (Binghamton / USA.N) - 20
69. Miranda Horn (George Washington / USA.N) - 21
70. Catherine Schmidt (IUPUI / USA.N) - 21

Bill says: A fair bit of USYNT prestige in this group. California's Emily Boyd spent time with the U20s last summer as they were gearing up for their World Cup. (Cal did a short feature on her in November.) Lauren Clem was named Third Team All-American last year. Lastly, Cassie Miller (three time Second Team All-ACC) returns for her final year at Florida State.

 

71. Alexis Smith (UC Davis / USA.N) – 21
72. Kelly O'Brien (Lafayette / USA.N) – 21
73. Sarah Le Beau (Auburn / USA.N) - 21
74. Erika Yohn (Purdue / USA.N) – 21
75. Maddie Ford (Loyola-Chicago / USA.N) – 21
76. Lexi Nicholas (Notre Dame / USA.N) - 21
77. Mikki Lewis (Troy University / USA.N) – 21
78. Juli Rossi (SIUE / USA.N) – 21
79. Casey Murphy (Rutgers / USA.N) – 21
80. Alyssa Heintschel (Ball State / USA.N) – 21

Bill says: Murphy missed Rutgers' last fall as she was busy playing for the US in the U20 World Cup. After sitting for most of last year, newly named senior captain Erika Yohn looks to rebound from last year’s 4-12-1 season. Similarly, Lexi Nicholas has more breathing room in net after stellar goalkeeper Kaela Little graduated last season. Le Beau and Heintschel look to build off of impressive runs in 2016, being named second and first team in their respective conferences.

 

81. Emily Harris (Villanova / USA.N) – 21
82. Ella Dederick (Washington State / USA.N) – 20
83. Charlee Pruitt (Loyola Marymount / USA.N) – 20
84. Rose Chandler (Penn State / USA.N) – 20
85. Lainey Burdett (Arizona / USA.N) - 20
86. Jalen Tompkins (Colorado / USA.N) – 20
87. Caroline Brockmeier (LSU / USA.N) – 20
88. Kelsey Dossey (Missouri / USA.N) – 20
89. Marnie Merritt (Mississippi / USA.N) – 20
90. Rachel Lusby (Portland / USA.N) – 20

Bill says: Dedrick (U19 camp), Pruitt (backup for 2016 U20 World Cup), and Brockmeier (U20 camp) are allearmarked with USYNT experience but it was Jalen Tompkins who had the save of the season last year. Brockmeier looks for a change of scenery, transferring out of Florida State and into LSU. Expect Lusby to take over the net this fall, after German goalkeeper Hanna de Haan graduated.

 

91. Brittney Rogers (UC Santa Barbara / USA.N) – 20
92. Cassidy Babin (Massachusetts / USA.N) - 20
93. Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Miami / USA.N) - 20
94. Samantha Leshnak (North Carolina / USA.N) - 20
95. Amanda Poertner (Idaho / USA.N) - 20
96. Katelyn Jensen (Maryland / USA.N) - 20
97. Kaelyn Johns (Dayton / USA.N) - 20
98. Morgan Beans (Virginia / USA.N) - 20
99. Olivia Swenson (North Dakota / USA.N) - 20
100. Parker Rytz (South Dakota / USA.N) – 20

Bill says: Poertner and Swenson return from season-ending injuries and can hopefully return to form quickly. And last but not least, US U20 alum Samantha Leshnak has been patiently waiting in the wing to start for the Tar Heels and 2017 will finally be her shot.