Top 10 U23 Goalkeepers for the USMNT and USWNT

cover photo from ISIPhotos

USMNT

1. JT Marcinkowski, 21 - San Jose Earthquakes
2. Jonathan Klinsmann, 22 - Hertha BSC
3. Justin vom Steeg, 21 - Los Angeles Galaxy
4. Carlos dos Santos, 18 - Benfica
5. Parker Siegfried, 22 - Ohio State
6. Jacob Harris, 21 - Colgate
7. Jimmy Slayton, 21 - Hartford
8. Ben Hale, 21 - Furman
9. Eric Lopez, 20 - Los Angeles Galaxy
10. Andrew Thomas, 20 - Stanford

Marcinkowski and Klinsmann were recently called into the U23 camp. It’s a positive sign there’s a fairly unanimous agreement on the top goalkeepers for a cycle, which hasn’t always been the case. Marcinkowski and Klinsmann split time in the recent 2-0 loss to Egypt and will take on the Netherlands later this weekend. I was critical of Klinsmann’s performances two years ago when he started over Marcinkowski with the U20s but since then he’s earned some strong praise from his goalkeeping coach at Hertha Berlin over his development.

Vom Steeg has emerged as the starter for LAG2, a team known for maintaining a large emphasis on development, so don’t be surprised if California native has a high GAA at the end of the year. He’s played well in his first two matches, even if the defense isn’t quite up to top professional standards yet. Dos Santos is currently with the U20s, where he appears to be a front runner for making the U20 World Cup roster.

While goalkeepers like Klinsmann and Lopez are certainly of a large, physical stature that traditional goalkeepers match, it’s interesting to see a number of undersized and lean goalkeepers are in the pool. Marcinkowski and Siegfried seem a little overbilled at 6’1” and 6’2”, respectively. Vom Steeg and dos Santos are both under 200 pounds, surely modeling parts of their game after David de Gea. Past USYNTs have more often relied on physically dominating goalkeepers but it seems U23 head coach Jason Kreis is putting a high priority on keeping the ball out of the net. Not unrelated, Jon Busch has been working with the U23s this camp.

Marcinkowski, Klinsmann, and the rest of the pool are vying for a roster spot for the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying, which starts this fall.

USWNT

1. Jalen Tompkins, 22 - Colorado
2. Cosette Morche, 21 - Houston Dash
3. Mikayla Krzeczowski, 21 - South Carolina
4. Brooke Heinsohn, 21 - Duke
5. Kaylie Collins, 20 - USC
6. Emily Alvarado, 20 - TCU
7. Jaelyn Cunningham, 21 - Illinois
8. Mandy McGlynn, 20 - Virginia Tech
9. Hillary Beall, 20 - Michigan
10. Laurel Ivory, 19 - Virginia

The U23 goalkeeping pool on the women’s side is one more for interest and less of consequence. While Marcinkowski and Klinsmann are gearing up for Olympic qualifying (a strictly U23 event), the recent U23 WNT camp has nothing more than a handful of exhibition games currently scheduled. Last year’s U23s went to Norway for a brief U23 tournament, but plans to return have not been announced yet.

The current U23 camp features Laurel Ivory and Mandy McGlynn, the starter and backup from the 2018 U20 World Cup team that did not advance out of their group. Ivory is a goalkeeper who can either showcase top abilities that would easily translate to the professional game or simple errors like we witnessed in the tournament ending match versus Spain. McGlynn heads into her senior year at Virginia Tech as one of the most athletic goalkeepers in her age group.

Morche, Heinsohn, and Beall rely on their frame (all are around the 6’0” mark) and patient positioning while Tompkins, Krzeczowski, Collins, and Alvarado make up in the lack of height with quick reflexes and mobility to get themselves behind the ball. Similar to the men’s pool, there’s a wide variety when looking down the list.

(Cosette Morche is on trial with the Houston Dash and not under contract at this time. Emily Alvarado is currently in the Mexican youth national team setup but a one-time switch could theoretically see her in goal for the US, even though the move is unlikely.)

MLS Goalkeepers on the Offseason

Following last year’s article, Everybody Soccer returns to inform fans on how their favorite MLS goalkeepers kept themselves busy this winter. From a wide variety of answers, it’s clear to see that there’s no one right way for how an athlete should best prepare for the nine month season. Special thanks go out to independent contractors Hunter Beck, Jared Dryden, JT Hill, Jacob Klotz, Tanner Sharp, and Barrett Smith for their diligent reporting.

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15 Foreign Goalkeepers Who Would Be a Good Fit in MLS

cover photo belongs to AFP

We’ve recently seen two major developments that put MLS goalkeeping in a prime place to invest more than ever. First, the massive spending on goalkeepers like Alisson ($70 million) and Kepa Arrizabalaga ($90 million) is creating a ripple effect that will jump every goalkeeper’s price tag moving forward. The record transfer fee for a goalkeeper has doubled in the past year and this will trickle down to the rest of the group. Second, transfer fees for outbound MLS players are also rising as European clubs are willing to spend more on MLS’s stars. Most notably, Zack Steffen earned a potential $10 million transfer fee as well as Miguel Almirón’s recent $27 million signing with Newcastle.

On the heels of my last post with American Soccer Analysis (“Ranking MLS’ Best Foreign Goalkeepers”), it’s clear that MLS’ tactic of looking for $0 transfer fees to bring in foreign talent isn’t yielding great results for the league. While any sensible red-blooded American would love to see potential USMNT starters litter MLS’s goalkeeping ranks, bringing in top foreign talent raises the overall level of play, leaving positive long term effects on American goalkeeper development. Foreign talent is not detrimental for the league, but subpar foreign talent is.

Before we can look at our possible candidates, we have to set some criteria to make these hypothetical transfers somewhat realistic.

  1. 21-26 year olds - If they’re too young (under 21) the best you can realistically hope for is a loan as the parent club is hoping to maximize the player’s potential transfer fee. They’re unlikely to sell a 19-year-old for $4-5 million when they may be able to sell for $10-15 million, assuming they can get the goalkeeper to the right level in a couple years.

    Older goalkeepers aren’t necessarily a bad option but you run the risk of getting a Carlo Cudicini-esque situation (a once talented goalkeeper playing with zero motivation) or having to dish out a seven-figure transfer fee for a goalkeeper you may or may not get three years out of with no re-sell value. Even at 27, if they stay in MLS for a couple years, it’s unlikely a European team is going to shell out for a 29-year-old goalkeeper.

  2. Low transfer fee - Despite the league entering its 24th year, MLS teams are still reluctant to pay for goalkeepers. Perhaps in a few more years teams will spend big on the position but as of right now the money simply isn’t quite there yet. However, the bright side is that Steffen and Almiron have given reason for MLS teams to invest even more on young players.

    Steffen’s sale is additionally notable as Manchester City already have two elite goalkeepers sandwiching Steffen in age. Manchester City spent $40 million on Ederson (25) two summers ago and Guardiola has so much faith in Arijanet Muric (20) that he’s been promoted to the second string after Claudio Bravo’s injury. Ultimately Manchester City is willing to pay $10 million for a goalkeeper who has a strong chance of never becoming a starter, meaning there’s an even higher ceiling for MLS goalkeepers yet.

    Considering MLS’ reluctance to spend combined with an uptick in goalkeeper’s prices, included goalkeepers are held to a mandatory sub-€5,000,000 listing on Transfermarkt in order for MLS teams to more confidently capture a return. While Transfermarkt isn’t the gospel, it’s as close to a public resource that we have.

  3. Reason to transfer - The last hurdle is perhaps the largest one. Thinking of MLS as a springboard league, a goalkeeper has to come from the right situation before landing in the US. While Greece or Belgium aren’t exactly the best leagues in the world, they are great stepping stones for players trying to get to higher leagues. If a goalkeeper is playing consistently in Turkey or Sweden, a lateral move to MLS as an attempt to jump to a larger league is highly unlikely.

    With this, there are two types of potential MLS goalkeepers that could use a destination change. First, goalkeepers can raise their stock by playing in a higher profile league (MLS, in this case) than certain South American or Asian ones. The second type is a goalkeeper who is not regularly playing in a comparable league. If a backup in Belgium’s First Division is pegged only as such, coming to MLS could serve as a proving ground to resuscitate his career.

The fifteen goalkeepers are listed with basic information, their converted Transfermarkt listing (from euros to dollars), and a projected sell price.

1. Jo Hyeon-woo
Daegu FC (South Korea)
26, South Korean

TM Listing: $2,200,000
Projected: $6,000,000

2018 World Cup darling Jo Hyeon-woo won over fans by displaying a stunning combination of grit and agility, with his standout game coming against Germany ultimately putting the nail in the German’s World Cup run. Jo might need a couple years in MLS to establish himself as the number one starter for South Korea, but if he’s able to do that, reaching Europe shouldn’t be a problem. Even though a sub-$7 million fee may not sound like a worthwhile investment, there could be some long term implications with helping Jo get to Europe. Like South America, the right players coming out of Asia could find success by using MLS to propel their career even further.

2. Ezequiel Unsain
Defensa y Justicia (Argentina)
23, Argentinian

TM Listing: $3,870,000
Projected: $9,500,000

It’s likely that Unsain’s club is well aware of his ceiling so obtaining him at the current listing may be something too low for Defensa. MLS could be a couple years too late to bring him in but he’s yet to make a splash on the international scene, which could help keep his transfer fee low for now. There’s a reluctance with American media outlets to trust South American goalkeepers due to their flamboyant play style, but Unsain instills an element of aggressiveness and bravery (think Lukasz Fabianski) to his free flowing style, which makes him fit MLS all the better.

3. Mouez Hassen
Nice (France)
23, Tunisian

TM Listing: $1,300,000
Projected: $8,000,000

Hassen has unfortunately turned into a bit of a commodity with Nice. After receiving an injury in the opening game of the World Cup (not long after this amazing save) he’s fallen to the third string on the depth chart. He’s been rumored to be heading to Ligue 2 but there haven’t been waves since so we’re leaving him on the list for now. Despite being a little undersized, the “Tunisian Nick Rimando” (copyright pending) would be a perfect fit for MLS teams willing to let yet another “short” goalkeeper succeed in net.

4. Alex Remiro
Athletic Bilbao (Spain)
23, Spanish

TM Listing: $1,300,000
Projected: $10,500,000

Remiro is admittedly a bit of a reach as the Spanish goalkeeper has been included at a variety of levels with Spain’s youth system. Things are complicated all the further with Bilbao being the club that sold Kepa last summer, now owning a rep for churning out top goalkeepers. His one million Euro listing is likely far too low, but he is also stuck behind Iago Herrerín (31) and Unai Simón (21) on the depth chart. Bilbao may not be excited to part with Remiro but if a decent price comes along, any team will sell their backup in a heartbeat.

5. Wuilker Fariñez
Millonarios (Venezuela)
21, Venezuelan

TM Listing: $3,870,000
Projected: $14,700,000

There’s a sweet spot with signing young talent. You don’t want to wait too long (high transfer fee) but you don’t want to buy too early (unproven and haven’t finished developing yet). Fariñez may just have past that peak as the Venezuelan goalkeeper already has a dozen starts for the national team. He’ll surely end up in Europe at some point, it just depends on when and how. Millonarios could look at Josef Martínez as a big success and might be swayed to send Fariñez on up. It’s entirely conceivable that Millonarios won’t settle for less than an eight-figure fee but if it’s in the $5-7 range, it’d certainly be worth MLS’s time to try their hand.

6. Baptiste Valette
Nîmes (France)
26, French

TM Listing: $1,300,000
Projected: $4,500,000

Valette was the number one goalkeeper for Nîmes during their promotion run last season but has since been relegated to the bench after the club brought in highly touted youngster Paul Bernardoni on loan. Regardless if Nîmes decide to bring Bernardoni back on loan next season, they’ve essentially communicated with Valette they want to go another direction from him. Valette could probably find another gig in the second league but might be better served by proving himself elsewhere to avoid being known as a second division goalkeeper.

7. Denis Scherbitski
BATE Borisov (Belarus)
22, Belarusian

TM Listing: $1,300,000
Projected: $9,000,000

Shcherbitski will be tricky to obtain as he’s destined for greater things and Belarus’ top club is probably in the know. MLS teams will have to throw a serious offer on the table but seeing as top goalkeepers have come from smaller countries (Jan Oblak, Keylor Navas, Etrit Berisha, Lukas Hradecky, Lukasz Fabianski) there’s a proven market for goalkeepers from atypical football countries.

8. Colin Coosemans
KAA Gent (Belgium)
26, Belgian

TM Listing: $1,300,000
Projected: $5,500,000

Gent is currently sitting on four goalkeepers, all under 30, and Coosemans is either the third or fourth string. Despite being brought in last summer, the former U21 goalkeeper is in need of a new home ASAP. Voetbal24 points out that “there is actually no Belgian club that is really looking for a new goalkeeper” so a pitstop to MLS makes some sense.

9. Kosuke Nakamura
Kashiwa Reysol (Japan)
23, Japanese

TM Listing: $1,300,000
Projected: $3,400,000

The quad capped Japanese goalkeeper is currently residing in Japan’s second division due to his loyalty to the club, despite being recently relegated. Kashiwa Reysol will surely want to keep one of their country’s top goalkeepers but Nakamura may be Japan’s best shot to put Japanese goalkeeping on the radar for European clubs. Second division Japanese football is certainly below Nakamura’s level of play while MLS is just his speed. Nakamura has some strong parallels to Tim Melia’s play style and would fit in nicely with the competition.

10. Zauri Makharadze
Zorya Luhansk (Ukraine)
25, Georgian

TM Listing: $1,300,000
Projected: $3,500,000

Makharadze joined Zorya Luhansk last July but has since then struggled to make a consistent impact with the team opting for 21-year-old Brazilian Luis Felipe. If Makharadze doesn’t have a future with the club, jumping to another club as a backup is always tricky. Makharadze doesn’t have the surest hands but he’s surprisingly quick for how big he is, being reminiscent of Andre Blake in that regard. If the Georgian goalkeeper can’t get his next step figured out, MLS would be a decent option to turn to.

Best of the Rest

11. Ivan Konovalov
Rubin Kazan (Russia)
24, Russian

TM Listing: $2,600,000
Projected: $7,000,000

12. Predrag Rajkovic
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
23, Serbian

TM Listing: $3,200,000
Projected: $10,000,000

13. Valentin Cojocaru
FC Viitorul (Romania)
23, Romanian

TM Listing: $970,000
Projected: $4,500,000

14. Lucas Chaves
Argentinos (Argentina)
23, Argentine

TM Listing: $1,000,000
Projected: $5,000,000

15. Facundo Altamirano
Club Atlético Banfield (Argentina)
22, Argentine

TM Listing: $770,000
Projected: $3,000,000

Player Journal: Bobby Edwards Looks Back on His Collegiate Experience

After a long journey, Bobby wraps up the college chapters in his player journal. You can read all five of his here, dating back to the summer of 2016.

The last time we talked you were at Monmouth. Catch us up from what happened over the past year that led you to Mount St. Mary's.

 When I graduated from Monmouth in the Spring of 2018, I had a remaining year of NCAA eligibility because of my redshirt junior season due to injury. I recognized that I needed to take a long term view regarding my career goals. Although my short term goal is to play professionally, in the best case scenario, two thirds of my work life will take place after I hang up the boots. I can’t imagine myself spending 30 years of my life sitting all day in an office somewhere. My passion has always been soccer, so I felt the need to begin preparing myself now for a transition somewhere down the road to a position in the business of soccer, preferably in high level coaching. I loved my time at Monmouth, both on and off the field, but I didn’t want to spend my final year of eligibility pursuing a master’s degree that wouldn’t fit with my long term dreams.

Bobby started all sixteen games for the Mount this past fall.

Bobby started all sixteen games for the Mount this past fall.

Therefore, I began looking at schools that offered a master’s in Sports Management, the degree that I felt best suited my long-term goals. This led me to Mount Saint Mary’s University, where Coach Bryan Cunningham sold me on the opportunity I would have to be a part of building a DI soccer program from the ground up. It’s important to note that MSMU discontinued their men’s soccer team in 2012, but thanks to an amazing amount of support from alumni, staff and school administration, the University opted to bring back the program for the 2018 season. This season was an incredible learning experience, with our team being primarily comprised of freshmen and sophomores. In fact, I was the only player on the team that had any prior DI soccer experience. Getting the opportunity to play the “veteran leader” role was unlike any other experience I have had in my career thus far. It helped me mature both on and off the field and better prepared me for the next step in my journey.

 

At the end of your college career, you suited up for three different schools. Is there anything you'd change if you could go back and do it all again?

On the “micro” level, there are of course particular decisions I made in certain games that I would absolutely do differently if I had the chance – staying on my line instead of coming out, a catch rather than a punch, etc. But that’s the nature of goalkeeping and it is through our mistakes that we learn. So when looking at the bigger picture, I really like where I find myself now as a player and a person. I recognize that the journey I made, with its various twists and turns and highs and lows, is responsible for having brought me to this place. There were times when I felt a bit lost and questioned my path, but I was able to persevere – and learning how to persevere is at the essence of what is required to being a goalkeeper. I’ve learned that there is so much that is out of my control in regard to how a game or a season will evolve. So it is best to focus on what is under my control and to a large extent that is the attitude I bring to training and games. I constantly remind myself that the short term setbacks are not what will determine if I can accomplish my long-term goals.

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As someone who's seen a variety of different programs, when considering helping players get to the next level, what's the strongest resource the NCAA has to offer?

In my opinion, there is no resource more valuable than that of a good head coach. When we speak about college soccer, we are often keen to focus on just the “on-the-field” stuff - wins, losses, goals, etc. In reality, that only makes up a fraction of what a college head coaches’ job truly is. College coaching is unique - coaches are responsible for taking 18 year old teenagers and developing them into adults, which goes far beyond the field. Less than 2% of college soccer players continue on to the professional ranks, so if players leave a university with nothing more to show for it than a better understanding of the sport, you’ve let the majority of your players down in their life’s development.

Bobby Edwards with former head Coach Jim Deegan (center) and Bryan Cunningham (right, current head coach).

Bobby Edwards with former head Coach Jim Deegan (center) and Bryan Cunningham (right, current head coach).

For the 1.4% of players who do continue on to the pros, a good college coach is invaluable to their professional ambitions. How many different connections does he/she have? Are they well established with professional teams? Are they experienced in sending guys to the pro leagues often? It might not be fair, but the reality of the situation is that sometimes it isn’t a matter of how talented you are, but rather if you have the right connections to the next level. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t sign a professional contract because of a connection, but a good coach with the right contacts can get your foot in the door.  Personally, I have been unbelievably lucky to play for Coach Cunningham at MSMU - his reputation speaks for itself and whenever I’m in his office, I admire all the professional jerseys that decorate his walls. Coach Cunningham and Assistant Coach Trevor Singer have been two of the best (if not the best) coaches I have had the privilege to play for. They are second to none and I have learned an incredible amount in just one year under their leadership. In regard to my professional ambitions, I sleep very well at night knowing that Coach Cunningham and Coach Singer are on my side.



What's the future look like moving forward? Would there be any disappointment if you never suited up in a professional match?

The dream is the same as it has always been - professional soccer. At the moment, I am keeping fit and staying sharp while I finish up my master’s degree. Come May, I’ll be heading back to South Carolina for the summer to play PDL (USL League 2 it’s called now, I guess) with SC United Bantams, the same club I was with last summer. I had an incredible experience last summer, SC United Bantams is a top-class organization made up of some of the best people I have met -  I cannot wait to be back.  After another summer in South Carolina, I’ll head off to trial both here and abroad and attempt to make playing soccer my job. It’s pretty crazy to say that! I’m confident in my future and excited in what is to come.

To say that there would be disappointment if I never suited up in a professional match is an understatement. The one and only thing I have ever dreamed of since I was a kid was becoming a professional soccer player. My cousin, Brian Edwards, has been my lifelong soccer idol. In fact, I still have an autographed photo of him in my room. Brian played at Wake Forest, winning the NCAA national championship in ‘07 before being drafted to the MLS. I used to watch all his games, even following him regularly when he went abroad to Sweden, always dreaming to one day follow suite. If I never ended up going pro, I wouldn’t just feel like I’ve let myself down, I feel like I would let down the family name.

Pictures of Edwards with SC United Bantams as well as Bobby’s cousin, Brian.

Lastly, and ending on a positive note here, what's your best save in your college career and what makes it a highlight of your career?

That’s a tough one! I’d have to answer this one with two different saves for different reasons. Both saves came this year – the first one was against FDU and the second was against LIU Brooklyn. When you analyze a save, there are many different factors that need to be considered. Of course, the overall talent and skill it takes to make the save is of major importance – everybody loves a save that looks great for the cameras. But even more important is a save that comes at a crucial point in a game – one that keeps your team in the game even if it isn’t as picture perfect. Sometimes you get lucky and pull off both at once!

My save against FDU was a highlight because it kept our team in the game against a very talented FDU side - we ended up walking away with a 0-0 draw. The save itself is perhaps not the best of technique, I get caught cheating to one side right before the striker hit the shot. The way it played out in real time, I was almost certain he was going to hit it hard and low to my left side. I still remember my heart dropping as I saw the ball come off his foot headed back the other way. Somehow, I managed to get my foot on the ball and pop it up and over the bar. I’ll never forget getting back into the locker room for our halftime meeting and having a laugh to myself about that save.

The second save is the one I would probably consider my “best” save when talking in terms of technique. It was during the first OT period of our game against eventual NEC Conference champions, LIU Brooklyn. The striker got a bit of space outside the top of the box and bent one to the top left corner. It was just one of those shots that goalkeepers dream of, one that you can get some nice airtime and pose for the camera. By this time, we only had a few games remaining in the season and personally that meant I only had a couple games left in my college career, so it was nice to wrap up my collegiate career with a cool memory like that.