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Spotting the next generation of American goalkeepers

By on March 21, 2016

The United States Men’s National Team has a storied tradition of churning out great goalkeepers.  All five Americans currently plying their trade in the Premier League are defenders and two, Aston Villa’s Brad Guzan and Everton’s Tim Howard, are veteran goalkeepers.

They’re the latest in a line of legends that includes Brad Friedel, who played at Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Tottenham Hotspur and Villa; Kasey Keller, who also played for Tottenham and had a short spell at Fulham as well; and Tony Meola, who held the starting position for nearly two decades from the late 80s to the early 2000s.

Howard, however, is already thirty-seven-years-old and leave the Premier League after thirteen years to join the Colorado Rapids this summer.  Despite his record-breaking performance at World Cup 2014, he is unlikely to reestablish himself as the nation’s No1 after a year-long hiatus from international football.

Guzan is only thirty-one, but is domed for certain relegation with Villa in a nightmarish season at Villa Park, the worst possible preparation for the Copa American Centenario in the United States this summer.

Howard and Guzan have been the natural No1 and No2 for some time now, but Jurgen Klinsmann has already been casting a wide net in search of a replacement for the near future.  Most likely, the two will duke it out for the starting position this summer, but beyond their safe hands, where is the future of American goalkeeping?  Lets run down the potential back-ups to Howard and Guzan this summer and their long-term replacements.

David Bingham

David Bingham, the sister of former US Women’s National Team goalkeeper Kimberly, grew up in a family of American goalkeepers.  He recently earned his first cap for the National Team after a breakout 2015 season and has emerged as a potential long-term solution to the nation’s goalkeeping problem.

The twenty-five-year-old played ever minute of the 2015 Major League Soccer season for the San Jose Earthquakes and was a pivotal part of the joint-third best defense in the league.  He grew into the position and kept thirteen clean sheets.

Bingham received his first-call up to the national team for their January camp and won his first cap in a 1-0 win against Canada.  He was one of four goalkeepers to receive a call-up for the US’ upcoming pair of World Cup Qualifying matches against Guatemala.

Although Klinsmann has been vocal about wanting to see upcoming national team players ply their trade in Europe, Bingham told Football Every Day’s sister side, QuakesTalk.com, that he felt no pressure to move to Europe despite his growing status with the national team.

“There’s always ways to get into the national team pool, they best thing for me to do right now is have a good season with San Jose and to focus on that,” he said. “You can’t focus on the national team because then you lose focus of what gets you there.”

But is it possible for Bingham to develop into Klinsmann’s starting goalkeeper at San Jose?  The last starting goalkeeper for the national team was Meola in the the nineties.

Long-term, Bingham will have to maintain his excellent form to get his head above the rest of the pack, and in the near-term, he appears to be closing in on the last goalkeeper slot in Klinsmann’s Copa America roster this summer.

William Yarborough

At age twenty-seven, William Yarbrough is still a young goalkeeper but has a wealth of experience under his belt.  The dual Mexican-American goalkeeper won back-to-back Liga MX titles in Mexico with Club Leon, in which he was a pivotal part and fully committed himself to the US National Team in 2015.

In spring of last year, he won his first cap in a friendly against Switzerland and kept a clean sheet in his substitute appearance against Mexico in April.  He is slightly quirky, having a custom-made glove for his right hand that has four holes for his five digits, but is well-regarded for his excellent foot skills.  With his latest call-up this month, he will duke it out with Bingham for a chance to join the national team squad for Copa America.

Bill Hamid

DC United’s twenty-five-year-old goalkeeper is a promising potential for the near future and has the experience to step into goal in a pinch this summer.  He was the 2014 goalkeeper of the year in Major League Soccer and tallied eight shutouts last season.

He spent time with the Under-18 and U-20 Youth National Teams early in his career and has been around the national team squad since 2011. He served as a backup for Howard from 2011 to 2012, but more recently dropped behind Guzan and Nick Rimando in the pecking order, missing out on the 2014 World Cup.

However, he has only actually made two appearances for the national team and it is questionable whether he can make that big jump while playing Stateside.

Hamid was called up to Klinsmann’s January training camp in Los Angeles, but withdrew from the roster after having surgery on a knee injury.  The injury will keep him sidelined until late spring, seriously jeopardizing his chances of making the Copa America squad.

Honorable Mentions:

Nick Rimando

As a thirty-six-year-old MLS veteran, Nick Rimando would be the status quo choice for the US’ third in line at the Copa America this summer, but hasn’t been called up to the national team since last October and Klinsmann appears to be moving on.

Ethan Horvath

Ethan Horvath is a highly touted twenty-year-old stopper that plies his trade in Norway and has played at the youth national team levels.  He was due to join the US Under-20 side at the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand last year, but his club Molde wouldn’t release him for the tournament.  Definitely one for the future.

Sean Johnson

Chicago Fire keeper Sean Johnson has won five national team caps since 2011 and his latest call-up was in February, but first has to establish himself as one of MLS’ top goalkeepers before setting his sights on the national team.

Luis Robles

The New York Red Bulls’ Luis Robles has been one of the best goalkeepers in MLS since 2012, but is reaching the peak of his powers and has only ever made two appearances for the national team.  His last call-up was in January and he is a long-shot to make the Copa America squad.

Cody Cropper

Cody Cropper, twenty-three-years-old, was a part of Klinsmann’s training camp at Stanford ahead of the 2014 World Cup, but hasn’t been around the national team much since.  He plays for Milton Keynes Dons in the English Championship and is yet to earn his first cap for the national team.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.