The History of American Goalkeeping (Part 2 of 4)

Continuing my four part series where we dive into the history of American goalkeeping. In the first episode, Steve Holroyd helped shed some light on the pre-NASL years and how American goalkeepers featured into the landscape. In our second episode we have Dr. Joe Machnik to talk about the next chapter in American goalkeeping with the NASL-era. In the previous talk, we mentioned the lack of goalkeeping education and how goalkeepers were largely on their own figuring out the position day-by-day. But here we start to see the beginnings of the American goalkeeping framework through the Dr. Machnik’s goalkeeper camps.

It was really difficult not to turn the conversation into me just asking him a bunch of questions about his career as one doesn’t end up in the US Soccer Hall of Fame by staying inside every day, but Dr. Machnik is the perfect guest to talk about this time as someone who watched it, participated in it, and shaped it for many years to come.

USMNT Prospects Interview

In this episode, we juuust scratch the surface of goalkeeping as we talk to - in my opinion - one of the hardest working scouts in American soccer. No he’s not employed by the USSF, he’s just the “USMNT Prospects” guy. 

If you’re a fan of keeping up with the men youth national teams then you’ve likely seen the account “USMNT Prospects” somewhere on your social media, which is single-handily ran by Daniel, who puts in countless hours for a consistent stream covering our country’s men youth scene.

From my perspective, he’s the best at what he does. I can’t deny the hard work he puts into publishing tangible and accountable content. Overwhelmingly, most youth national team-based outlets speak in extremely vague terms, outsource a lot of their opinions to other outlets, and have little interest in being held accountable for what they say or put out there. However Daniel does a great job of admitting when he was wrong, as well as smashing you in the face with new names every week of players that are largely based here in the US. For USMNT fans who want something real and honest, Daniel is the guy to go. You may not always agree with what he writes, I don’t always agree with what he writes, but you know it’s real and honest at the end of the day.

I really enjoyed my time talking with Daniel. We cover less about his methodology and speak more generally about the scouting scene and his hopes for it in the future. Please consider subbing to his Patreon, which is USMNTProsepcts. For just $5/month, it’s a great way to keep up with the men’s national team prospects, as well as supporting the work he puts it into it.

The History of American Goalkeeper (Part 1 of 4)

I’m excited to kick off a four-part series where we look back into the history of American goalkeeping. Where did it start? What did it look like? And how did it change over the years?

Historian Steve Holroyd - who has been a crucial cornerstone for my understanding of the history of the sport - helps me piece together all these questions as we dive into the pre-NASL era, which comprises of the “golden age” of the first American Soccer League (from 1921 to 1931) and the semi-pro era, which goes right up until 1967, at the start of the NASL.

In a time before the existence of goalkeeper coaches, goalkeeper camps, Instagram, or TikTok influences, you just have a person trying to figure out how to play a position all on their own. So with Steve, we talk about how teams attacked in this era, what was unique to the time, and what other outside factors influenced a goalkeeper’s style of play.

Although I’d be remised to overlook Jimmy Douglas’s 1930 World Cup run, Frank Borghi’s 1950 World Cup shutout against England, and, of course, other Hall of Fame goalkeepers such as Peter Renzulli, George Title, Stanley Chesney, and Gene Olaff. We don’t get into the micro-side of things with these players careers and, instead, discuss the macro-side of what was happening on the field stylistically speaking. So enjoy the first of a four-part series on the history of American goalkeeping.

S5E2: 2024 American Soccer Wars

Bill Reno and soccer historian Steve Holroyd discuss US soccer’s unfortunate return to the “Soccer Wars”. Yes, our country has plenty of history with multiple leagues fighting for control, even with our federation. So we turn to Steve to help us understand what’s come before so we can see where we’re going. As Steve states it so well, “past is prologue”.

We start off with the battle between MLS and the USSF over the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. For those out of the loop, MLS doesn’t want to participate in the Cup, citing schedule congestion as its main problem. And despite the Cup being named after Lamar Hunt, who largely bankrolled MLS to survive its early years, MLS has little interest in preserving the history of the cup, nor open competition against lower levels. Steve discusses the parallels in previous leagues’ similar attempts, long before MLS was ever an idea for anyone.

We then transition to diving into the women’s game with the new sanction of another division 1 league: the USL Super League, which kicks off Fall 2024. It indirectly challenges the NWSL, the long-established top league in, not only our country, but also the world. There is a bit of crossover in conversations with the previous topic but similarly, we cover what the past teaches us about two leagues chances of sustaining each other and what’s different in 2024.

Timestamps

2:45 - Steve’s background and intro

4:50 - What does the US Open Cup mean for American soccer’s history?

10:00 - How does the current struggle for power between MLS vs USSF compare to previous moments in American soccer?

16:45 - Where does history indicate we are heading to?

25:00 - Can we look for signs to see which side (MLS vs. USSF) has more power?

28:30 - What can we expect to see with two division one leagues in women’s soccer? (NWSL and USL Super League)

35:30 - How likely are we looking at a merger for the two leagues?

S5E1: Surveying the State of American Goalkeeping

Today we cover a few topics within the US goalkeeping scene. We start off comparing US men’s national team goalkeeping standards from now vs. 20 years ago. Where were we and where we now? How are our gks (specifically Zack Steffen, Matt Turner, and Ethan Horvath) performing overseas? What is going right/wrong?

From there we jump to the US Open Cup debacle, where MLS attempted to pull their first teams out of the most prestigious tournament in North America. We look at micro level in how the Open Cup helps goalkeepers in both MLS and lower leagues, as well as macro level in how the Open Cup and MLS operate and should be operating together.

Lastly, we finish with the NWSL draft and how young gks get drafted only to (most likely) sit the bench for a year or two. Is this healthy for gk development or are there better ways to grow our young goalkeepers?

Timestamps

5:40 - 20 years ago, the USMNT starter had to be in Europe. Now that isn’t the case. What has changed? Is England (cutthroat territory) good for US gks right now?

12:00 - What went wrong with our American goalkeepers in England?

20:00 - US Soccer’s connection to goalkeeper development

26:30 - Demands from the game vs. what type of goalkeeper the US actually develops

37:40 - USOC vs. MLS drama / How does USOC help goalkeepers? And how do MLS and USOC help each other? Do they need each other?

53:35 - NWSL draft: what good does it do to draft a young goalkeeper only to bench them? Are there better solutions than the current system when it comes to goalkeeper development in the NWSL?

1:11:35 - Camp Shutout talk

S4E1: The Three Training Areas for Young Goalkeepers (with Chad Prickett)

Chad Prickett is a former goalkeeper from the University of Kentucky and is now the founder of Columbus Goalkeeper Academy. His passion for the position made him the perfect person to talk to about development for teenage goalkeepers, specifically the connection between three training environments: individual training, team practice, and games.

Although those three areas have a lot of nuance that we don’t quite get all the way into - the difference from coaching male and female gks, areas of the country, styles of play within certain clubs - our main focus with this podcast was to survey how our country approaches each of the three - again, individual training, team practice, and game. We talk about why they’re important, how we’re connecting the three areas to one another, and where we’re currently succeeding/failing within each one.

S3E15: Diving Into the Top 25 Goalkeeping Options for the US' 2022 World Cup Run

FC United’s Stan Anderson and Bill Reno take a deep dive on the USMNT goalkeeper depth chart. Prior to recording, Stan and Bill ranked their top USMNT goalkeeping options, then averaged the lists together, then counted up the list from 25 to 1. Check the episode notes to jump to a specific section in the podcast

As an aside: I’ve been wanting to do something similar for the USWNT yet I’ve been unable to find a buyer. If you or someone you know knows the USWNT goalkeeping pool and can talk about it beyond a couple of names, please reach out to me at billrenogk@gmail.com.

5:07

25. Brad Guzan
24. Nathan Steinwascher
23. Earl Edwards
22. Bill Hamid
21. Alec Kann

14:30

20. Kyle Morton
19. Chris Brady
18. Tim Melia
17. William Yarbrough
16. Danny Vitello

25:20

15. Roman Celentano
14. Gabriel Slonina
13. JT Marcinkowski

37:25

12. Tyler Miller
11. Zac MacMath
10. Stefan Cleveland

51:30

9. Joe Willis
8. Stefan Frei
7. Sean Johnson

59:30

6. Zack Steffen
5. Steve Clark

1:08:20

4. ???
3. ???

1:16:00

2. ???
1. ???

1:27:15

Closing remarks

S3E14: Is the Panic Over the USMNT's Goalkeeping Situation Warranted?

Stan Anderson and Bill Reno discuss the current pecking order with the men’s national team after the most recent national team starter, Zack Steffen, had two poor games back-to-back, one with Manchester City against Liverpool in an FA Cup semifinal and another with the national team against Costa Rica to round out World Cup qualifying. If you haven’t watched the highlights, I’d recommend taking a look, as we loosely describe the errors - but it might make a little more sense if one were to have seen the games.

We then take a look at the micro and the macro of it all, diving into the positives and weaknesses of Steffen’s game, as well as problems with the entire iceberg that is American goalkeeping. We cover what needs to happen going into the World Cup, as well as some outside the box solutions that the internet has been kind enough to through out there.

S3E13: Grading Each MLS Goalkeeper Core (Eastern Conference)

Round 2 of the MLS goalkeeping core review, once again featuring Stan Anderson from FC United and Camp Shutout! We’re finishing up with the eastern conference today, going through all 14 teams’ goalkeeping depth charts. We dive back into the same approach as we did yesterday, going over history and expectations for the goalkeepers and then a grade for the entire goalkeeping core. Check the episode notes if you’re wanting to hear about a certain team!

If you missed the western conference review, that episode dropped previously if you’re looking for even more MLS goalkeeping content.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
1:10 - Atlanta United
11:06 - Chicago Fire
20:37 - FC Cincinnati
29:41 - Columbus Crew
35:00 - DC United
43:06 - Inter Miami
49:05 - Club de Foot Montreal
54:24 - Nashville SC
58:33 - New England Revolution
01:06:55 - New York Red Bulls
01:11:07 - New York City FC
01:17:03 - Orlando City SC
01:23:17 - Philadelphia Union
01:29:57 - Toronto FC

S3E12: Grading Each MLS Goalkeeper Core (Western Conference)

FC United and Camp Shutout legend Stan Anderson and I take on the monumental task of reviewing each and every MLS goalkeeping core for 2021. It’s a two-part episode so we’re starting with the western conference today, as we dive into our expectations out of each team’s goalkeepers, various historical notes, recent performances, and then cap it off with a grade at the end of each section. If you’re just looking for your favorite team, check the episode notes to skip to the correct time. And stick around for tomorrow’s release of the eastern conference goalkeeping cores.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
1:53 - Austin FC
6:25 - Colorado Rapids
11:50 - FC Dallas
19:00 - Houston Dynamo
24:00 - Los Angeles FC
30:16 - Los Angeles Galaxy
37:25 - Minnesota United
42:28 - Portland Timbers
49:25 - Real Salt Lake
1:50:51 - San Jose Earthquakes
1:08:52 - Seattle Sounders
1:13:15 - Sporting Kansas City
1:19:00 - Vancouver Whitecaps

S3E11: 1996 vs 2020 - How MLS Goalkeeping Changed in 25 years

Stan Anderson of FC United fame returns to talk about how goalkeeping in MLS has changed since 1996. In 1992, FIFA introduced the back pass rule, which limited goalkeepers from picking up a kicked pass from a teammate. Obviously, there’s a heavy emphasis on playing out of the back in today’s game but what did that look in 1996? How did teams attack and what did teams require of their goalkeepers? And finally, what demands are put on a goalkeeper in 2020? Stan and I compare and contrast the two eras and discuss how modern goalkeepers would fair in 1996 and how goalkeepers from 1996 would fair in today’s game.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
2:28 - Stan’s history as a goalkeeper and how goalkeeper gloves have changed over the years
11:30 - High priorities and responsibilities in the late 80s and Stan’s playing career
14:45 - Goalkeeping playing styles in MLS in 1996
25:20 - Goalkeeping playing styles in MLS in 2020
36:00 - What responsibilities modern managers place on goalkeepers
42:00 - Would modern goalkeepers be successful in 1996’s game?
56:15 - Would goalkeepers from 1996 be successful in the modern game?
1:04:30 - How Tony Meola can be a better commentator

S3E10: Why are MLS and NWSL Backup Goalkeepers So Good?

After catching up a little bit and looking back on the summer, Stan Anderson (Camp Shutout, FC United) and I open up with Reggie Cannon and the response certain fans made with seeing players kneel during the national anthem, which included booing and throwing things on the field. Cannon would later come out to say how disgusted he was and while this isn’t directly tied to goalkeeping, the fracturedness of the issue is something I’ve found in every facet of life in America. It’s obviously a difficult topic to navigate but I picked Stan because I know he’s willing to be upfront about what he thinks but not in a way that shuts down the conversation. We don’t solve anything there but there was a good conversation about trying to “keep people at the table” instead of having fractures push people away.

Stan and I continue on to talk about backup goalkeepers and why they’re not trusted with the keys to the car more often, citing many MLS and NWSL examples, how coaches should/shouldn’t approach their goalkeeping cores, a contrast and comparison of Neuer and ter Stegen, and then finally Stan Anderson gives us a Jon Busch story to cap it off.

Timestamps

4:20 Reggie Cannon’s response + “how do we keep people at the table on divisive issues?”

23:00 Why are MLS and NWSL backup goalkeepers so good?

46:00 Neuer vs ter Stegen: Is Neuer a worthy number one?

1:01:00 Jon Busch storytime

S3E9: What Is the "American" Style of Goalkeeping?

Bill Reno asks current Fort Lauderdale CF goalkeeper coach Chris Barocas what an "American" style of goalkeeping entails, as well as discussing what is working for the US in goalkeeper development and where we need to improve. Timestamps in the episode notes!

2:10: What is an “American” style of goalkeeping
9:30: Modern, American goalkeeper training characteristics
14:30: 2019 U20 World Cup roster discussion
23:00: How NWSL/MLS have approached development for young goalkeepers
30:10: Recent changes in the professional goalkeeping world
37:30 Where has the country been doing well in goalkeeper development?
52:00 Where the US needs to improve moving forward

S3E8: 2020 American Goalkeeper Resolutions

Stan Anderson and Bill Reno return for the first podcast in 2020 to discuss their three wishes for the American Goalkeeper landscape as well as the top goalkeepers who most impressed us from 2019. It’s a straight forward episode, no guff or hee-hawing around this time.

To jump to hear each point discussed, here are the timestamps:

Stan’s #1: 2:20
Stan’s #2: 8:10
Stan’s #3: 14:30

Bill’s #1: 22:10
Bill’s #2: 22:30
Bill’s #3: 25:00

Top goalkeepers from 2019: 34:00

S3E7: Making Sense of the American Goalkeeper Landscape

This episode we have long time returning guest Stan Anderson from FC United and UIC helping me dive into the American goalkeeper landscape. We start with the proposed split-season model for D1 men's soccer. Spoiler: we’re both fans of it. We then jump to a college success story in Zack Steffen and what has held him back on the international stage.

From there, we recap the 2019 MLS season and where MLS teams are falling short in what they over and underrate, which bleeds over into a brief rant on the GOTY award. We get close to ending on a positive note with picking highlights from Tim Howard’s and Nick Rimando’s career, before trying to make sense of the, then recent, 2-0 loss to Canada.

S3E6: Justin Bryant (Goalkeeper Coach for NC State and Author of "Small Time")

Justin is a former professional goalkeeper, an accomplished writer, and the current goalkeeper coach for North Carolina State.

I’ve really appreciated Justin’s analysis over the years. It’s clear he approaches the position with not only a wealth of knowledge from all the years he’s played and coached but also with a mind that really takes into account all the nuances for any given situation. He doesn’t fall back on tired slogans or one size fits all phrases, and in general, when everyone is looking at one thing, he’s able to pick up on a small detail that others miss.

Today you’ll hear Justin talking about his autobiography, called Small Time: A Life in the Football Wilderness, which I absolutely loved the book’s honest and transparent display of professional football in the 80s and 90s. We’ll also cover his view on the entire country’s approach to goalkeeping as a whole, including where the USSF is coming up short. And finally we’ll recap with a game I came up with where I give Justin a variety of different situations one could face as a goalkeeper coach, and he weighs in on how he would handle it.

S3E5: Steve Holroyd (Hall of Fame, Upcoming MLS CBA, Bethlehem Steel)

We return after a summer break with Steve Holroyd to discuss a number of non-goalkeeping events, specifically the 2019 Hall of Fame class, the upcoming MLS CBA, and a mini-documentary PBS put out on the Bethlehem Steel. While Holroyd is not technically a goalkeeper, he provides a point of view as a historian and labor lawyer that many can’t match. So getting Steve in really fits the “everybody” in “everybody soccer”, although we’ll get back to goalkeeping in the next episodes.

S3E4: EJ Proctor (Duke University, Utah Royals)

EJ Proctor was a three year starter with the blue devils, finishing in the fall of 2017. For a goalkeeper who’s a little undersized, she never wavered in playing the position correctly and I think that really showed as Duke made deep trips in the national tournament each year with her in net.

She would proceed to get drafted by the Utah Royals in 2018 and was set to backup Nicole Barnhart until the dissolution of the Boston Breakers bumped her to a practice player. EJ recaps her time at Duke as well as her short stint with the Royals, including the highs and lows of the whole process.

Towards the back part of the interview, EJ and I talk about an article her mother, Kathy, wrote. It’s a really wonderful and personal account of Kathy detailing her journey as a parent of a gay athlete and how she approached this new stage in her life. EJ discusses her reaction to reading it, all positive, of course, and to be honest, connecting with EJ over the idea of being proud of our parents was a real pleasant surprise for me.

Relevant links:

S3E3: Connor Sparrow and Tim Kelly

Current Nashville SC and Creighton alum Connor Sparrow alongside St. Louis Gallagher goalkeeping director Tim Kelly. Tim has known Connor for over a decade know, being instrumental to his development. So we flip back the pages to hear about the two discuss their time together and how Tim approached Connor as a young goalkeeper.

S3E2: Top 10 NCAA Men's Goalkeepers (since 1970)

FC United’s one and only Stan Anderson returns to discuss why Michigan State’s men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo is getting backlash for his coaching style and if Stan has ever done anything to that degree in his coaching career. We move on to perennial underdog Spencer Richey’s chances at nailing down the starting job with Cincinnati after only recently becoming a starter. Finally Stan and Bill reveal their top ten collegiate goalkeepers from D1 play since 1970.

If you have a top tier collegiate goalkeeper that isn't mentioned, share your thoughts on Twitter with @letsallsoccer (Bill Reno) and @soccer_coach (Stan Anderson).

To see the top 10 lists from Stan and Bill, click here.