Top 100 American Goalkeepers - Fall 2020

cover photo belongs to David Silverman

2020 has been a near-impossible year for every sport but that’s not to say there hasn’t been movement in the USMNT goalkeeper depth chart. The top 100 returns since our last update in February but you can check out the biggest movers in the monthly rankings, which date back to July of 2013. Each section of ten goalkeepers has one (or more) goalkeeper(s) highlighted as someone worth keeping an eye on as they’re on the cusp of a potential bump moving into 2021. Finally, the top 100 says congratulations to Calle Brown, Todd Morton, and Will Dieterich on great careers, as all three have moved into retirement. Standout accomplishments for the three include Brown winning the 2014 NCAA Championship with the University of Virginia, Morton leaving the University of Delaware as one of their best goalkeepers ever before enjoying a short tenure in the USL, and Dieterich being a part of the 2018 Icelandic Cup winners with Stjarnan Gardabaer.

# - goalkeeper is on loan

1. Zack Steffen, 25 - Manchester City (England.1)
2. Matt Turner, 26 - New England Revolution
3. Steve Clark, 34 - Portland Timbers
4. Josh Cohen, 28 - Maccabi Haifa (Israel.1)
5. Ethan Horvath, 25 - Club Brugge (Belgium.1)
6. Brad Guzan, 36 - Atlanta United
7. Sean Johnson, 31 - New York City FC
8. Tyler Miller, 27 - Minnesota United FC
9. Bill Hamid, 29 - DC United
10. Stefan Frei, 34 - Seattle Sounders

Ones to Watch: Matt Turner / Josh Cohen / Ethan Horvath. All three are on the verge of making big steps in their career over the next 18 months but for very different reasons. Turner earned his Lithuanian passport in August, making a move to Europe a strong possibility now. Josh Cohen signed a short extension with Maccabi Haifa, hinting at his time in the Israeli Premier League to be coming to an end sooner than later. (Maccabi Haifa won their first Europa League qualification match 3-1 over Zeljeznicar earlier this month.) The once-promising prospect Ethan Horvath hit a lull with Club Brugge but has since been tied to an exit from the club before the end of the summer transfer window. All three have the talent to raise their game to another level and 2021 could show them in significantly different situations, if all the pieces fall in order.

11. David Bingham, 30 - Los Angeles Galaxy
12. Quentin Westberg, 34 - Toronto FC
13. Jimmy Maurer, 31 - FC Dallas
14. Ryan Meara, 29 - New York Red Bulls
15. Sean Lewis, 28 - FC Tulsa
16. Tim Melia, 34 - Sporting Kansas City
17. Joe Willis, 32 - Nashville SC
18. Jeff Attinella, 32 - Portland Timbers
19. Kyle Zobeck, 30 - FC Dallas
20. William Yarbrough, 31 - Colorado Rapids#

Ones to Watch: Ryan Meara / Kyle Zobeck. The dream of a longtime backup finally materializes. Both Meara and Zobeck have risen to their respective MLS teams’ starting spots and, to most people’s surprise, performed like they had been a starter for several years. Zobeck made his first-ever MLS start at 30 years old while Ryan Meara finally regained the starting spot since an injured derailed his 2012 run. Realistically, they’re both fighting uphill at this stage in their career without many years left in their career. Somewhat similar to a cinderella run from an underdog team in a tournament setting, Zobeck and Meara both carry a sense of something magical in their back pocket. Watch it now because there’s no telling when the clock strikes midnight.

21. Zac MacMath, 29 - Real Salt Lake
22. Alex Bono, 26 - Toronto FC
23. Brian Rowe, 31 - Orlando City SC
24. Joe Bendik, 31 - Philadelphia Union
25. Clint Irwin, 31 - Colorado Rapids
26. Brad Stuver, 29 - New York City FC
27. John McCarthy, 28 - Inter Miami
28. Luis Robles, 36 - Inter Miami
29. Evan Bush, 34 - Montreal Impact
30. Logan Ketterer, 26 - El Paso Locomotive

One to Watch: Alex Bono. In February I wrote about how Bono could be traded this season as part of my predictions for each MLS team’s goalkeeping core. He’s still caught in limbo with Toronto, getting one game in the MLS Is Back tournament but otherwise stuck behind Westberg. At some point, Toronto will have to move on from Westberg but it’s unclear when that is. Ideally they transition to Bono at some point but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards for 2020, barring a surprise injury. Bono is at an age where he needs momentum, not patience, and Toronto has some decisions to make about their rising prospect.

31. Brandon Miller, 30 - Charlotte Independence
32. Spencer Richey, 28 - Cincinnati FC
33. Danny Rogers, 26 - Kilmarnock (Scotland.1)
34. Matt Lampson, 31 - Columbus Crew
35. Cody Mizell, 29 - New Mexico United
36. Zac Lubin, 31 - Phoenix Rising
37. Stefan Cleveland, 26 - Seattle Sounders
38. Alec Kann, 30 - Atlanta United
39. Matt Bersano, 28 - San Jose Earthquakes
40. Andrew Tarbell, 26 - Columbus Crew

One to Watch: Danny Rogers. The New York-born Irish-American goalkeeper certainly seems closer to playing for the Irish national team than the US’s but the rise to the Scottish Premiership can’t be ignored. After a successful tenure with Greenock Morton FC, Rogers used his time in Scotland’s second division to earn himself a spot with Scottish premier side Kilmarnock FC. For those unfamiliar, Rogers’ game is built on consistency and security, rarely using theatrics to solve an attempt on goal. He embodies the same strong and consistent spirit that filled most of MLS’s early 2000’s goalkeeping cores. If Rogers can use his new platform to springboard himself to an even higher league, he could just feature in the USMNT goalkeeping pool moving forward.

41. Pablo Sisniega, 25 - Los Angeles FC
42. Evan Newton, 32 - Indy Eleven
43. Jon Kempin, 27 - San Diego Loyal#
44. Kendall McIntosh, 26 - New York Red Bulls
45. Chris Seitz, 33 - DC United
46. Eric Klenofsky, 26 - Tacoma Defiance#
47. Jake Fenlason, 27 - San Diego Loyal
48. Bryan Meredith, 31 - Inter Miami
49. Bryan Byars, 28 - FC Tulsa
50. Tim Howard, 41 - Memphis 901

One to Watch: Eric Klenofsky. Klenofsky’s professional career hasn’t matched the momentum he had when he left Monmouth just a few years ago. Since being drafted to DC United at the start of 2017, he’s only amassed 23 starts with four clubs in four years. Most recently Toronto agreed to loan him out west to the Tacoma Defiance, where he immediately started the next two games for Seattle’s USL affiliate. Klenofsky has long battled injuries that slowed the fanfare but Tacoma offers him a chance to reset, get tested in goal, and prove if he can make a run at an MLS roster spot.

51. Alexandros Tabakis, 27 - North Carolina FC
52. Brian Sylvestre, 27 - Miami FC
53. Kyle Morton, 26 - St. Louis FC
54. Adam Grinwis, 28 - Sacramento Republic
55. Bobby Shuttleworth, 33 - Chicago Fire
56. Andre Rawls, 30 - Colorado Rapids
57. Trevor Spangenberg, 29 - Birmingham Legion
58. Brendan Moore, 28 - Atlanta United
59. Richard Sanchez, 26 - Sporting Kansas City
60. Cody Cropper, 27 - Houston Dynamo

One to Watch: Kyle Morton. Morton has a nice blend of size and speed, playing reminiscent of Sean Lewis and Sean Johnson. Morton was the starter for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds last year (starting 31 games and conceding only 23 goals) before moving to St. Louis FC to help boost a mid-table team into contention. Morton’s game can look a little “ugly” at times as he doesn’t always follow the rulebook but there’s no denying he has a knack at finding a way to get his body behind the ball. At the moment, Morton seems on the cusp of either becoming an MLS backup or an MLS starter. The only way we’ll know for sure is he’s given a chance at the next level.

61. Evan Louro, 24 - Tampa Bay Rowdies
62. CJ Cochran, 29 - Oklahoma City Energy FC
63. Earl Edwards, 28 - DC United
64. Mike Lansing, 26 - AC Horsens (Denmark.1)
65. Bobby Edwards, 25 - Cincinnati FC
66. Joe Kuzminsky, 26 - Charleston Battery
67. Michael Nelson, 25 - Houston Dynamo
68. Alex Mangels, 27 - Chattanooga Red Wolves
69. Tomas Gomez, 27 - Pittsburgh Riverhounds
70. Connor Sparrow, 26 - Chicago Fire

One to Watch: Evan Louro. Louro shares the scrambling style that made Nick Rimando, Tim Melia, Steve Clark, and Maxime Crepeau successful in MLS so it only makes sense that he could do something similar. After a decade or so inside the New York Red Bulls’ system, he’s reset himself with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship. The Rowdies are eyeing some serious hardware to close out 2020 and it’s anyone’s guess as to how this helps Louro’s career going forward. On one hand, he’s undersized and doesn’t “look” the part for many MLS coaches. On the other, his approach has worked in MLS and getting minutes in the USL might be the exact formula to ironing out any shortcomings before he takes a shot at the first division again.

71. Diego Restrepo, 32 - Austin Bold
72. Jeff Gal, 27 - Degerfors (Sweden.2)
73. Tim Murray, 33 - FC Honka (Finland.1)
74. John Berner, 29 - St. Louis FC
75. Charlie Lyon, 28 - MLS Pool
76. Tyler Back, 27 - Spansko (Croatia.3)
77. Andrew Putna, 25 - Real Salt Lake
78. Eric Dick, 25 - Phoenix Rising#
79. Matt Van Oekel, 34 - Birmingham Legion
80. Akira Fitzgerald, 33 - Richmond Kickers

One to Watch: Charlie Lyon. You may recognize the name after Lyon received some publicity on ESPN covering his life as an MLS Pool goalkeeper. However, Lyon is unfortunately in a long line of goalkeepers who didn’t quite get the playing time he deserved. Lyon once displayed an exciting range of motion but it’s been years since we’ve seen him in action and it’s difficult to know where his game currently resides. As of late, he’s been backing up Kyle Zobeck with Dallas after Jesse Gonzalez’s dismissal and Jimmy Maurer’s injury created a void in their depth chart. Although Tim Melia used the pool system to revitalize his career, at this age and lack of first-team minutes, Lyon has a tall order ahead of him to get himself back on the field.

81. CJ dos Santos, 20 - Benfica (Portugal.1)
82. Sam Howard, 27 - Union Omaha
83. Jake McGuire, 26 - Örebro SK (Sweden.1)
84. Thomas Olsen, 25 - Las Vegas Lights FC
85. Ben Lundgaard, 25 - Atlanta United 2
86. Kyle Ihn, 25 - Rio Grande Valley FC#
87. Paul Blanchette, 26 - Rio Grande Valley FC
88. Adrian Zendejas, 25 - Nashville SC
89. Justin vom Steeg, 23 - Los Angeles Galaxy
90. Jeff Caldwell, 24 - New England Revolution

One to Watch: CJ dos Santos. I’ve covered dos Santos multiple times before (read his scouting report here) but the highly competitive environment at Benfica has made it difficult for the young Portuguese-American to earn game time. The summer transfer window could open up some avenues for an opportunity for a loan, whether stateside or somewhere else in Europe. Dos Santos has the ability to take on some more responsibility but finding the right environment is key, as many have learned with Ethan Horvath’s situation.

91. Rafael Diaz, 29 - Sacramento Republic
92. Bryant Gammiero, 26 - Miami FC
93. Dylan Castanheira, 25 - Fort Lauderdale CF
94. Mike Novotny, 24 - Hartford Athletic
95. Luis Barraza, 23 - New York City FC
96. Danny Vitiello, 24 - Pittsburgh Riverhounds
97. Austin Rogers, 25 - Detroit City FC
98. Paul Christensen, 24 - Greenville Triumph
99. Benjamin Machini, 24 - IK Frej (Sweden.3)#
100. Jim Barkei, 24 - Memphis 901

One to Watch: Danny Vitiello. Vitiello has quietly snowballed some potentially serious momentum. After finishing at UAlbany in 2018 with a respectable career (finishing as one of - if not the - best goalkeeper in the school’s history) Vitiello joined the professional ranks without much fanfare, bouncing from Nashville SC and New Mexico United without a start. However 2020 has been a different year for Vitiello who has taken over the starting spot at one of the most dominant teams in USL. (The Riverhounds currently have a +28 goal differential through 13 matches.) Vitiello doesn’t look out of depth despite having only five professional starts and with Vitiello hopping on the hottest commodity in USL, Vitiello could be on the start of something big if things fall his way.

Young Goalkeepers on the Rise Around Europe

cover photo from Getty Images

It’s no secret that Zack Steffen is climbing the ranks at Manchester City. He’s currently projected to be Manchester City’s backup going into the 2020-21 season. However there are a number of up and coming goalkeepers who are in their early twenties are already threatening to unseat their elders. Here’s a quick survey on some promising young goalkeepers to see how Zack Steffen fits in with his peers.

Dean Henderson (Manchester United / England)

Photo from the Independent

For years David De Gea has been the one shining light in a struggling Manchester United side, as adept at shot-stopping as he is at distributing the ball with his feet. Unfortunately for the Spanish international his form took a notable dip during the 19/20 Premier League campaign, this despite the Red Devils starting to make it back into the soccer parlays of many fans. In contrast, the young Dean Henderson was out on loan at surprise package Sheffield United, where many praised him for consistently outperforming De Gea, giving Ole Gunnar Solskjær plenty to ponder during the shortened summer break. The upshot of it all is that Henderson has just been handed a new deal, making it clear that the red half of Manchester view him as their long-term option between the sticks. Henderson fit into Sheffield United’s system well but the jump to Manchester United will require being able to sit for 89 minutes and then make a massive save in the 90th. If Henderson can handle the pressure, don’t be surprised if an exit is paved for David de Gea.

Andrei Radu (Inter Milan / Romania)

Photo from Sempre Inter

This Romanian wonder kid has been wowing everyone with his shot-stopping skills for at least a couple of seasons, being sent out on loan on a consistent basis by Inter, who will probably now look to bring him properly into the fold at the San Siro. The 23-year-old struggled to hold the starting spot for Genoa, to which Inter recalled him for a new loan in the spring. However, his second loan, this time with Parma, was even less fruitful as he sat the bench for most of his time there. There’s no doubt Radu has the ability to make an extraordinary save but dethroning legendary goalkeeper Samir Handanovic will require consistency and handling the simple saves with confidence, which he struggled to do last season.

Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao / Spain)

photo: Rex Features

David De Gea is being pressured on all fronts, because while his position as Manchester United’s number one might be under threat, so too is his national team jersey, with Unai Simón’s performances for the U21 squad and Athletic Bilbao marking him out as a keeper already worth in the region of €30 million. This was all backed up by him holding out for a bumper new five-year deal with the club from the Basque country. Simón is following in Kepa’s footsteps by earning a starting spot at Atletico Bilbao but hopefully Simón will have a more successful time - on which he’ll likely leave for a large transfer fee - at his next club than Kepa has had thus far.

Gianluigi Donnarumma – (AC Milan / Italy)

photo: Getty Images

Italy is always a rich hunting ground for clubs searching for top goalkeeping talent, so it comes as no surprise that the likes of Chelsea are pursuing AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma before he has even had a chance to turn 22 years of age. With Kepa struggling for form and the promise of Champions League football on offer at the London club, Donnarumma may be tempted to go and claim the gloves at Stamford Bridge. Although his large frame will serve him well, the EPL is built on power and speed so Donnarumma’s jump from Italy to England won’t be kind to clumsy mobility, which he’s shown at times last year.

Alexander Nübel – (Bayern Munich / Germany)

Photo: Angelo Blankespoor/Soccrates/Getty Images

You can do a lot worse than following in the footsteps of Oliver Kahn and Manuel Neuer, and that is exactly what Alexander Nübel looks set to do, having signed for Bayern Munich in the summer after impressing for Schalke 04. After the 8-2 trashing over Barcelona and fellow German goalkeeper Marc ter Stegen, Neuer looked like he found the fountain of youth by playing as fluid and aggressive as ever. Although the 23-year-old’s rise to the starting spot may have been delayed a bit with Neuer’s resurgence, it’s something that feels inevitable at this point.

Zack Steffen – (Manchester City / USA)

Photo: Angel Marchini/Getty

Zack Steffen jumps to the number two spot with Claudio Bravo exiting Manchester City. Although some have complained about the lack of games Steffen is likely to see this upcoming season, the highly competitive environment will demand more from the American goalkeeper who has easily won the number one position at every previous stop. Steffen has shown signs of the technical ability to play out of the back, but the decision making has been lacking at various stages in his career. If Steffen can play the front-footed highly possession-oriented football Pep is wanting, he might have a chance to don the sky blue jerseys before long.

Three Goalkeepers Who Would Be a Good Fit for the 2021 NWSL Season

The NWSL is at the foothills of expansion, looking to grow to 10 and 11 in teams in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Racing Louisville FC is set to join the league first with a Los Angeles club following suit, although there are still rumors of Sacramento, Cincinnati, and Austin joining the league soonafter. As the NWSL has the distinction of being the best league in the world, expansion could threaten to drop the level of play if the right players aren’t brought in. Here’s a quick rundown of three goalkeepers who would be a good fit for the NWSL moving forward.

Meline Gerard (30, Real Betis, French)

After being sidelined for nearly 18 months, Gerard returned from an injury to steer Real Betis away from the bottom of the table. The Spanish side only scored 25 goals in 21 games but it was the French goalkeeper’s heroics that helped Real Betis finish with only a -8 goal differential. Gerard carries international prestige with 12 caps for the French national team but has openly admitted her desire to rejoin the French national team after her time away from the field. With longtime starter Sarah Bouhaddi struggling with decision making and conceding troublesome rebounds in the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Champions League final, the door might be open for Gerard to make a run at France’s number one position at the 2023 World Cup, 2024 Olympics, and 2025 Euro. If Gerard can perform well in the world’s best league, it certainly will thrust her back into the conversation.

Christiane Endler (29, PSG, Chilean)

Endler exploded onto the world stage after her stunning performance against the US in the 2019 World Cup. Despite struggling to nail down the starting spot with her club team before the World Cup started, the Chilean captain’s rare blend of bravery and athleticism propelled her to take over the number one position at PSG, which were ranked 4th in Europe at the start of July. Since Endler became a household name after the 2019 tournament, she might be a good addition for a new NWSL expansion side looking to make a statement as they enter the league.

Sham Khamis (25, Canberra United, Australian)

Sham Khamis is at an exciting point in her career where she’s an established starter, earning her 50th start within Australia’s W-League this past season, yet still has several years ahead of her. For an NWSL goalkeeper coach looking for a project in developing a top goalkeeper, Khamis would be an ideal fit. Khamis’ commitment and range aren’t in question but she can shoot herself in the foot by being overaggressive or missing her angle on a diagonal shot, although both problems are seemingly fixable with a dedicated goalkeeper coach. On the international scene, Australia’s number one, Lydia Williams, moved to Arsenal but with Williams at 32 years old, the Socceroos will likely be looking to transition to the a younger goalkeeper in three or four years. If an NWSL side could prep Khamis for a year to take over the starting spot in her sophomore season, they could also be sporting Australia’s starting goalkeeper when the 2023 World Cup rolls around.

Highlights

Meline Gerard: 6:09
Christiane Endler: 4:56
Sham Khamis: 7:17

Women's Goalkeeper Hall of Fame Bios (2000-2009)

To see the full list of goalkeepers in the Hall of Fame or read more about Weighted Cap Totals (WCT), click here.

2000 - Leslie King (New Zealand, 28 caps / 115 WCT) - King’s career can best be summed up as a perennial athlete. Originally playing softball at Cal State Fullerton, King played shortstop for the New Zealand national softball team for 14 years, earning admittance into the New Zealand Softball Hall of Fame in 2017. The dual-sport athlete first suited up for the New Zealand football team in 1987 and proceeded to play every match until 1994, a total of 28 appearances.

The Football Ferns were a formidable team throughout the 1980s, topping the US, Canada, and Australia in the 1987 World Invitational. In 1991, New Zealand qualified for the World Cup, where King was praised for her goalkeeping, despite the team’s scoring woes. FIFA’s technical report commended King, who “showed great talent with innumerable saves.” In 1993, New Zealand traveled to the US for a second-place finish in the CONCACAF Invitational Tournament before missing out on the 1995 World Cup due to goal differential, whereafter King retired from international play. King’s career is highlighted by her performance in the 1991 World Cup, where she was named captain of the squad and praised as the world’s best goalkeeper by her teammates.

Pioresan and the Brazilian national team before a friendly match against Canada, July 4th, 1996. (From A Tarde)

2001 - Margarete “Meg” Pioresan (Brazil) - Margarete “Meg” Pioresan’s arrival to the Brazilian national football team was delayed due to her success with the national handball team, where she won a the bronze medal team at the 1987 Pan-American Games. Although she was playing football in the early 80s, she quit football altogether in 1985 and even rejected a roster spot for the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament in favor of pursuing handball. After her retirement from handball in 1989, she returned to the field to focus her efforts on the national football team. In 1991, at 35 years old, Pioresan and Brazil breezed through qualifying to represent South American in the 1991 World Cup. Although the Brazilians were thoroughly defeated by the US in a 5-0 loss, Pioresan’s athleticism and bravery were still apparent even at such a late stage in her career. Pioresan continued on as the national team’s starting goalkeeper for the 1995 World Cup and 1996 Olympics, the latter tournament featuring the Brazilians’ first top-four finish, losing to China 3-2 in the semifinal.

Pioresan won the Taça Brasil de Futebol Feminino (Brazil’s annual tournament) multiple times with EC Radar and CR Vasco da Gama (likely around 5 although the exact number is unknown) and was capped by the national team at least 20 times, if not more. Pioresan retired in 2000, at the age of 44. In 2016, Pioresan was named as the best Brazilian goalkeeper in the team’s 30-year history by Trivela.

Sogliani featured with the Italian National Team, 1982 (Wikipedia)

2002 - Daniela Sogliani (Italy, 27 caps / 71 WCT) - Sogliani was a modern rival to fellow Italian goalkeeper Wilma Seghetti. Although a little shorter than Seghetti, Sogliani remained relevant on both the domestic and international scene for over a decade. Sogliani won the league and Italian Cup with AC Milan in 1975 before becoming Serie A champions three years in a row with Alaska Gelati Lecce (1981-1983), as well as two league cups. With the Italian national team, Sogliani debuted in 1971 and received her last cap in 1982. Most notably, Sogliani was in goal for Italy’s 1971 World Cup run. Although she was only 17, Italy drew eventual champions 1-1 in group play before a surprising loss to Mexico in the semifinals resulted in a third-place finish. Despite the disappointing finish in 1971, Sogliani’s decade long relevancy and longevity was matched by few goalkeepers throughout the 1970s.

Brenzan in 2001 (Getty).

2003 - Giorgia Brenzan (Italy, 111 caps / 168 WCT) - Brenzan’s time with the Italian National Football team stretched from 1982 to 2002, becoming one of the most dominant goalkeepers in the 1990s. Legendary Italian striker, Carolina Morace, bragged of Brenzan’s skills, saying the “whole world envied us” for having Brenzan in goal. In 1991, Brenzan made her first appearance in the European Championship, earning a fourth-place finish with Le Azzurre. Brenzan returned in 1993 and 1997, losing to Norway (1-0) and Germany (2-0) in close defeats, respectively. At the 1999 World Cup, Italy ended up in the Group of Death with Germany, Brazil, and Mexico in the group stage. Brenzan had a respectable run, seeing Italy finish with four points (including a tie against Germany) and conceding only three goals over the three matches.

Brenzan’s international success was not to be outdone by her crowded trophy cabinet from her time in the Serie A. After being a top-half club for the first third of the decade, Brenzan and Torres FO.S. won their first Serie A title in 1994. In 1998 she left Torres for AC Milan, where she won a title in her first year with the club. Brenzan won four Italian Cups (1986, 1988, 1991, 1995), two Italian Super Cups (1998, 1999), and was named the league’s best goalkeeper for four years straight around the turn of the century (exact dates are unknown). From 1990 through 2001, Brenzan’s clubs maintained a .82 goals allowed average, largely due to having one of the world’s best goalkeepers in goal.

2004 - Gao Hong (China) - Gao Hong played for the Chinese national football team from around 1995 to 2000. While Gao’s exact cap count is unknown, she likely had around 110 caps (114 WCT) with the national team. (Hong is listed with 62 caps during coverage of the 1999 semifinal match against Norway.) Although Gao is typically known for the goalkeeper who lost in penalties in the 1999 World Cup Final, Gao was not unfamiliar with the pressure of a shootout. In the semifinal match during the 1995 World Cup, Gao saved two penalties against Sweden, helping China rebound from a disappointing 1991 World Cup to a fourth-place finish in 1995. (Watch the penalty saves here.) A year later, China drew the US 0-0 at the 1996 Olympics, before losing a close 2-1 match for the gold medal a week later. Between the 1995 and 1997 AFC Championships, China conceded one goal and won ten straight matches with Gao in goal. The 1999 edition of the Algarve Cup finished with China as champions, winning 2-1 over the US in the final. At the 2000 Olympics, China would not move past a very difficult group, tying the US 1-1 (where she saved a penalty to maintain the tie) then losing to eventual champions Norway 2-1 on a late goal, ending their shot at the knockout round. After 2000, Gao retired from international play and focused solely on her final years in the WUSA, playing two seasons for the New York Power and reaching the semifinals in 2001.

Similar to Brazil in the first part of the 21st century, China’s lack of trophies doesn’t mean they weren’t on the cusp of winning multiple tournaments around the turn of the century, largely due to their stellar goalkeeping in Gao Hong. Her aggressive play style and bravery off her line could be difficult for her American teammates when playing for the Power, and her scrambling methodology propped China up as an elite side, one that the team hasn’t been able to replicate since Gao’s retirement.

2005 - Pauline Cope (England, 60 caps / 114 WCT) - Once hailed by England manager Ted Copeland as “the best female goalkeeper in the world”, Cope was a mainstay with the English national team from 1995 to 2004. Cope was featured in goal during England’s first World Cup appearance (1995) and England’s semifinal finish in the 1995 Euro. Although the national team struggled with relevancy for the next decade, Cope’s standard of goalkeeping regularly helped England avoid “hideous embarrassment”, as such in the defeats to Norway and Germany in the 1995 World Cup.

Cope’s domestic career featured alternating stints with Arsenal and Millwall, where she amassed 11 trophies from the Premier League National Division (England’s top league), the FA Cup, and the League Cup. In 2004, Cope retired, citing that she “wasn't enjoying it as much as in the past” In 2008 she was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame, where she praised by former teammate and then-current English manager Hope Powell as “a tremendous presence in goal for England. She had no fear, which is a great attribute, but there was more to her goalkeeping than courage. She also had great ability in terms of positioning and shot-stopping. As a character in the dressing room, she was very competitive, and she had a huge influence on the side.”

2006 - Svetlana Petko (Russia, 144 caps / 199 WCT) - For a decade and a half, Petko oversaw the peak years in Russian football. Petko was in goal for the 1999 World Cup, where Russia advanced from the group stage with surprise drubbings over Japan and Canada. Petko followed up the historic finish - one that has not been topped to date - with a 7th place finish at the 2001 Euro. In 2002, Russia climbed to be a top ten team in the world. Their golden age of football would span from 1999 to 2005, before stumbling back down the rankings.

In the Russian Football Championship, Petko retired as a decorated player. Petko won the league with Interros Moscow (1992) and CSK VVS Samara (1994, 1996, and 2001), along with five more top-three finishes. Petko won the Russian Cup twice (Interros Moscow, 1992 and CSK VVS Samara, 1994) and reached the final in 1995 and 1996 as well. In 2003, CSK VVS Samara made it to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal before losing to Arsenal.

In 2013, Petko was named to the 25th-anniversary team for the Russian national team. Petko holds the record for most caps received with 144 appearances.

2007 - Stefania Antonini (Italy, 32 caps / 44 WCT) - Combined with fellow Italian goalkeeper Eva Russo’s suspension and winning the Serie A league title with Reggiana Zambelli in the spring of 1990, Stefania Antonini made her first appearance with the national team at 20 years old. Over the course of the next year, Antonini was in goal for Italy’s sixth-place finish at the 1991 World Cup, losing to eventual runner-ups, Norway, in a 3-2 extra-time loss. Antonini was featured in and out of the national team for five years as well as all of the three Euro campaigns in 1991, 1993, and 1995, although she split appearances with Giorgia Brenzan. Despite struggling to find a consistent club environment, Antonini won five Serie A titles (1990, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1998) and three Italian Cups (1992, 1993, 1994).

Antonini’s career was cut short, not for injury but by her own hand. After the 1998-99 season, Antonini hadn’t been called into the national team since 1996 and was frustrated at the lack of stability in the Serie A. After playing for four different clubs in six years, Antonini announced her retirement at the age of 29. The Dizionario del Calcio Italiano describes Antonini as a “rare talent… capable of making extraordinary acrobatic saves” and teammate Carolina Morace praised Antonini in 1990, saying, “she is only twenty years old but leads the defense with the determination and authority of the champion.” (translated from Italian, May 1990)

2008 - Marleen Wissink (Netherlands, 141 caps / 230 WCT) - For almost 20 years, Wissink was nearly the only goalkeeper featured for the Dutch national team. Although the Netherlands struggled to reach any serious notoriety, the back half of the 90s saw some positive moments. In 1996, the Netherlands earned a 3-1 victory of the US and followed it up with surprising wins over Russia and the Czech Republic in the 1997 Euro qualifying. The next year, the Netherlands had a respectable showing in the qualifying process for the 1999 World Cup, even pulling out a shocking 1-0 win over Germany. Although the Dutch struggled to find a consistent stream of goals, their defensive prowess in Wissink always kept games close. Over the course of seven years (1994-2000), the Netherlands only lost by more than one goal twelve times, despite not qualifying for a major tournament until 2009.

While Wissink’s international accolades were fairly limited, to say she excelled on the club scene is an understatement. Through her decade long tenure with 1.FFC Frankfurt, Wissink won the German Cup five times (1999-03), the Bundesliga another five times (1999, 2001-03, 2005), and the UEFA Women’s Cup twice (2002 and 2006). In a time when fielding a foreign goalkeeper was rare, Wissink’s run with a dominant German team stands out as an impressive achievement.

2009 - Silke Rottenberg (Germany, 125 caps / 124 WCT) - Rottenberg enters the Hall of Fame as one of the most decorated goalkeepers of all-time. On the heels of her winning her first Bundesliga title in 1992 (the other four coming in 94, 96, 07, 08), Rottenberg received her first start with the national team in 1993. Four years later, Germany won the 1997 Euro with Rottenberg at the helm, conceding only one goal over the five games and shutting out Italy 2-0 in the final. At the 1999 World Cup, Germany struggled to match the success, finishing 8th after a 3-2 loss to the USA. However, Germany would capture revenge four years later, topping the United States at the 2003 World Cup in-route to Germany’s first of two World Cup titles. Rottenberg was slated to start at the 2007 World Cup, which Germany also won, before a cruciate ligament tear would sideline her in favor of a young Nadine Angerer.

Over the course of a two-decade professional career, Rottenberg won the World Cup (2003), the Euro three times (1997, 2001, 2005), the Champions League (2008), the Bundesliga five times (1992, 1994, 1996, 2007, 2008), the German Cup (1991, 1993) as well as two bronze finishes at the Olympics (2000, 2004) and the second-ever women’s treble (2008). Rottenberg’s relevancy in both club and international play has rarely been matched, before or since.

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