FanPost

Scouting/Ranking World Cup Squad Possibilities Part 1: Goalkeepers

The World Cup is only just over two years away. And we are about a year and a half away from knowing if the United States will be competing for the top prize in soccer come November of 2022. I am going to make a scouting report/ranking of the top players in each position in the next few days. I will revisit these rankings at the end of World Cup qualification if we make it to the World Cup. Each position is going to have 10 players ranked on their talent and what I feel their chances are of making the World Cup.

In this first article we have the goalkeepers. The USMNT have a few proven options at keeper that could come in and fit into the squad quite well. But, without further ado, here are the top ten goalkeepers trying to earn a spot on the 2022 World Cup roster.

10. Jesse Gonzalez

Caps: 1

Current Club: FC Dallas?

Age: 25

When I started this research, I had Jesse Gonzalez ranked sixth on this list. However, on August 6th, FC Dallas and the MLS suspended Gonzalez after a report of domestic abuse. Gonzalez was becoming one of the best keepers in MLS. He has spent his entire career with FC Dallas who has played for 101 times in MLS and kept 31 clean sheets. He made his lone appearance for the USA in 2019 in the friendly against Ecuador. He played the entire 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet. He is one of the best keepers in MLS and its hard to believe he only has one senior team appearance. Depending on how the investigation goes, looking into the domestic abuse, he could move up this list or be taken off of it all together.

Chance to make World Cup squad: 0% (for now)

9. Jonathan Klinsmann

Caps: 0

Current Club: N/A

Age: 23

Being this low down on the list is not good, especially for goalkeepers. The son of former USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann decided to play for the USA instead of for Germany. When Jurgen Klinsmann was still the coach, Jonathan was making progress and playing quite frequently for the youth teams. That has since died down a bit. Bayern Munich signed him as a youth player, but he only lasted a season. He came to the United States where he played for youth teams until he went to college where he played for UC Berkeley. In July of 2017, Hertha Berlin signed him. In the 19/20 season, he was loaned out to Swedish side FC St. Gallen. He made exactly 0 league appearances. He did make 2 appearances in the Swiss Cup, allowing only one goal in their first game (a 4-1 win) before receiving a red card in the 31st minute of the next game where his side lost 2-0 (however, he did not concede either of those goals). Do not expect to see Klinsmann anywhere near the USMNT World Cup squad.

Chance to make World Cup squad: 0%

8. David Ochoa

Caps: 0

Current Club: Real Salt Lake

Age: 19

David Ochoa is a name on the come up for the USA. The 19-year-old is owned by Real Salt Lake but has been loaned out to their USL side the Real Monarchs. In the 2019 USL season, Ochoa made 16 appearances, conceding 22 and keeping 4 clean sheets. He spent time training with the first team at RSL and spend some time on international duty with USA youth teams. He was loaned again for the 2020 USL season, but he returned to RSL went the season was postponed due to COVID and RSL seems keen to give the youngster a shot to at least make the squad. If this were just a list of exciting young USA prospects, Ochoa would be higher on this list but don’t expect the youngster to make World Cup squad this time around.

Chance to make World Cup squad: 1%

7. Matt Turner

Caps: 0

Current Club: New England Revolution

Age: 26

Matt Turner is already 26 and has no caps for the USA. Considering that the keepers in front of him are younger and already have caps, he probably will not get much of a look, but that does not mean that he is bad at his job. At the MLS is back tournament, he made 4 appearances. He kept two clean sheets in the group stage and allowed one goal before his team was knocked out by the Philadelphia Union by a score of 1-0. In the 2019 MLS season he started the season not even making the squad before eventually making 20 appearances, conceding 27 goals, and keeping 6 clean sheets. He spent a lot of time playing lower tier soccer before making his breakthrough with the New England Revolution. That is probably why he never received a look from the USMNT team. I do not expect him to make the squad, but he is still young for a goalkeeper so maybe one day he will get his USMNT breakthrough.

Chance of making World Cup squad: 1%

6. Tyler Miller

Caps: 0

Current Club: Minnesota United

Age: 27

Another solid goalkeeper who peaked just a little late, Tyler Miller currently plays for MLS side Minnesota United. At the MLS is back tournament, he made 6 (keeping only 1 clean sheet) as his side made it all the way to the semi-finals. In the 2019 MLS season, Miller made 28 appearances in the competition while allowing 28 goals and keeping 9 clean sheets. He did concede six goals in just two games in the MLS playoffs, but he went up against LAFC and the Seattle Sounders. He spent time with the Seattle Sounders second team before being taken by LAFC in the MLS expansion draft in 2018. LAFC then sold him to Minnesota where he has really made a name for himself as one of the best goalkeepers in MLS. He has work to do and being 27, his time might have already past to be a keeper for the national team, but never say never.

Chance to make World Cup squad: 2%

5. Sean Johnson

Caps: 8

Current Club: New York City FC

Age: 31

Sean Johnson is the first goalkeeper on the list so far who has made somewhat of a name for himself to USMNT fans. Currently playing for New York City FC, Johnson also played for the Chicago Fire and Atlanta United in MLS before finally settling in New York. He has been in New York for three and a half years. He played 29 MLS matches in 2019 and kept 7 clean sheets. Johnson also has a slight history with the USMNT. He made his international debut all the way back in 2011. He has 8 appearances to show for it, but he has been called up to the US squad on numerous occasions. Of his eight games with the USMNT, only two of them have been competitive matches (Gold Cup 2019 and 2013) and he has only played the full 90 minutes on three occasions. He made an appearance in 2020 as the USA beat Costa Rica 1-0 before the world was shutdown by the COVID pandemic. Maybe an appearance this year bodes well for his World Cup hopes but it’s a long shot for him to make the squad with the experience the guys in front of him have.

Chance to make World Cup squad: 25%

4. Ethan Horvath

Caps: 4

Current Club: Club Brugge

Age: 25

Ethan Horvath has arguably been the most hyped American goalkeeper outside of the guy who is #1 on this list. Ethan Horvath made his move to Club Brugge in 2017. In the 18/19 Club Brugge secured Champions League qualification in which Horvath played the last three group games against Monaco, Borussia Dortmund, and Atletico Madrid. He kept a clean sheet in all 3 games securing two 0-0 draws and an emphatic 4-0 over Monaco. That helped him secure the starting spot for his club for the second half of the season. In 19/20 things turned sour. He made just two league appearances and one cup appearance before being replaced by his backup. He did not make it back into the squad for the remainder of the season. The 2020/21 Belgian season has just kicked off. In the first two games he has yet to make an appearance. If he can secure a move and get regular starting minutes to get his confidence back, he has a great shot to be the #2 or #3 keeper for the USMNT at the next World Cup.

Chance to make World Cup squad: 50%

3. Bill Hamid

Caps: 7

Current Club: DC United

Age: 29

Bill Hamid is another keeper who has really made his name known to USMNT fans with just a limited number of appearances. He has only played 7 times for the Stars and Stripes but most of you will know who he is. He spent the young years of his career with DC United before going back and forth between DC United and FC Midtjylland. He finally settled in MLS and has been solid ever since. His team struggled at MLS is back and he kept no clean sheets as his DC United were eliminated after just 3 games. In the 2019 MLS season, Hamid made 33 appearances and kept 14(!!) clean sheets. Of his seven appearances for his club, only one has come in a competitive match (a 3-0 win over Nicaragua in Gold Cup 2017). Bill Hamid has a strong case to be made to be the US #2 as he is an experienced goalkeeper with excellent shot stopping abilities. The two guys in front of him just have more experience playing for the USA, especially in big, competitive, international matches. The only goalkeeper I can see taking his spot is Horvath. We will have to see if Berhalter chooses experience or young talent to be the USA #3 come World Cup time in 2022.

Chance to make World Cup squad: 50%

2. Brad Guzan

Caps: 64

Current Club: Atlanta United

Age: 35

Brad Guzan is the oldest, and by far the most experienced goalkeeper on the list. He has 47 more international appearances than the next most capped keeper on the list and he has showed up and showed out in so many games for club and country. Most US fans will recognize him as a Premier League player who played at Aston Villa for five seasons before joining Middlesbrough for a year and then revitalized his career at Atlanta United. He has now been at Atlanta for three seasons and is back to being a top keeper. In the 2019 MLS season, he made 34 league appearances and kept 14 clean sheets for his side. It helps that Atlanta United has been one of the most dominant sides in MLS since joining the league, but Guzan has done his part to contribute to that. He made his USA senior team debut back in 2006 and has been 64 times in total. This is the first World Cup in which he will not have to compete with Tim Howard to be the starting goalkeeper, but he will probably still end up the #2 goalkeeper if he makes the squad for the next World Cup. He will be 38 by the time the 2022 World Cup kicks off but Tim Howard was 36 in 2014. If Guzan keeps up the good work, he will most likely be on the USA squad.

Chance to make World Cup squad: 85%

1. Zack Steffen

Caps: 17

Current Club: Manchester City

Age: 25

At #1 on the list, it is the only guy who be #1. Zack Steffen has been the most hyped goalkeeper since Tim Howard, and he will most definitely be the USA #1 barring any injuries at the time of the World Cup. He bounced around a lot as a youngster but find a home in Columbus in MLS. After two and a half years with the club, he made the big news transfer to Manchester City. With no real way to get playing time behind Ederson, Manchester City loaned him out to Bundesliga outfit Fortuna Dusseldorf for the 2019/20 season. He made 17 appearances, conceded 36 goals, and kept only two clean sheets with one of the worst Bundesliga teams. He bailed out his defense as much as he could but he goal was constantly peppered and his defenders left him out to dry far too often. He spent the second half of the season injured and returned to Manchester City for medical reasons. Manchester City have said that he will have the chance to be their #2 behind Ederson, but it would probably be better for him to secure another loan where first team minutes will not be so hard to come by. He has made only 17 appearances for the USA so far, and only has six competitive matches under his belt. He will undoubtedly be on the World Cup squad if he can stay healthy and will probably be the USA starting goalkeeper for years to come.

Chance to make World Cup squad: 99.99%

This is how I see the World Cup squad shaking out at the goalkeeper position as we stand in 2020. If you have other opinions, please leave them in the comments!



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