Is Keller moving up?

[Mississippi Flash]

It sounds like Keller is having a good season with Spurs. Could he be #1 right now?

[peledre]

Keller, Friedel, and now, Howard are probably a dead heat right now.

[sch2383]

Howard looks the best right now, but thats only because he has a defense infront of him (espically compared to Spurs and B'burn).

[roarksown1]

If I were Bruce right now, this would be my pecking order, based on current form.

1) Keller
2) Howard
3) Friedel

Keller gets the nod over Howard simply on experience and the fact that the defense in front of him is nowhere near as solid as Howard's. Friedel is just having a bad year. I hope he can turn it around.

[russ]

I don't think he cares right now.It's very likely an MLS keeper will play the minnow round,and the semi-final round starts toward the end of the EPL season.

He can wait and see.

Three Prem keepers (two in top form the other betrayed by his defense) vying for No.1.SVE doesn't even have this "problem".

Note to England posters:Not slagging anyone,but really,he doesn't have that problem,does he?

[striker]

Originally posted by roarksown1
If I were Bruce right now, this would be my pecking order, based on current form.

1) Keller
2) Howard
3) Friedel



What does current form mean? Form in the past week, or form in the past month? How quickly we forget about some of the (big) mistakes made by each of our beloved keepers in the last few weeks!

[prk166]

Dusty Huddock should be number regardless of form. He has the best hair cut / mouastache combo in the game right now!

[sch2383]

Originally posted by russ
I don't think he cares right now.It's very likely an MLS keeper will play the minnow round,and the semi-final round starts toward the end of the EPL season.

He can wait and see.

Three Prem keepers (two in top form the other betrayed by his defense) vying for No.1.SVE doesn't even have this "problem".

Note to England posters:Not slagging anyone,but really,he doesn't have that problem,does he?

I was reading the Guardian's matchtracker for the Turkey-England game and the guy wrote "David James looked out of place and confused, why this suddenly deserves a comment I'm not sure."

[RevPOWA]

too close to call

[milkduds]

As Striker noted, Friedel and Keller have each had some embarrassing moments very recently - Anelka put one through Friedel's legs from a tight angle, and Keller had an even uglier gaffe just over a week ago. I wouldn't be surprised if by the time 2006 rolls around Howard is the undisputed #1. I would not have thought that a couple months ago.

Having said all that - if Bruce wanted me to pick his goalkeeeper for a game that really mattered right now I would go with Friedel, Keller, Howard - in that order.

If Euro guys are out of the picture, I would go with Hartman, Walker, and Brown - in that order.

[highlander]

http://www.soccertimes.com/oped/2003/oct31.htm

My favorite part of this article is this:

"Keller's recent success can also be contributed to his excellent training at Spurs, where he works under goalkeeper coach Pat Jennings .

The former Arsenal, Tottenham and Northern Ireland goalie was brilliant in his time and is passing on his vast experience to the American."

Pat Jennings was a player that took up soccer rather late in his youth and literally taught himself how to play the position. My biggest memories of him were when he would do something completely unconventional and explain afterward that he did had simply done what made sense to him. Example: He had a habit of coming out for crosses and catching them one-handed. His explaination was that his hands were so big that he thought that catching the ball one-handed was often the safest way for him to catch it (he did have huge, huge hands).

I would love to watch Pat Jennings, with his "Do what works" approach to the position, interacting with Kasey Keller as his coach. Perhaps one reason the relationship is working because Pat Jennings knows enough not to get in the way of and interfere with a veteran goalkeeper who has already established his approach to the position.

Regardless, it is great for US soccer that Kasey finally appears to be getting some defensive help at Spurs. It is a lot easier to tell how well he is playing and a lot easier for him to build on his performances. Kasey is just turning 34. Aren't the early to mid thirties often a goalkeeper's peak? This season may end up being the best season of Kasey's career. Just in time for qualifying if we can get him away from his club for a qualifier. No easy task!

[russ]

Originally posted by sch2383
I was reading the Guardian's matchtracker for the Turkey-England game and the guy wrote "David James looked out of place and confused, why this suddenly deserves a comment I'm not sure."

Naughty lads there at the Guardian....

:)

[Prenn]

Originally posted by sch2383
I was reading the Guardian's matchtracker for the Turkey-England game and the guy wrote "David James looked out of place and confused, why this suddenly deserves a comment I'm not sure."

Nope...

What a shot from Tuncay, who positions himself under a ball dropping 30 yards out, swivels his hips and unleashes an absolute purler that misses England's goal by this much. James was in no-man's-land looking confused, although why that's suddenly worthy of comment I'll never know.

Also

Okan sends Nihat skipping into the penalty area down the right; the Turkish forward hammers the ball into Campbell's shin and watches it spoon up and sizzle towards the net. But a wonderful save from James saves the day.

If Keller's number one for the States then you can stop your goalkeeper gloating right now because I'd take James over Keller any day of the week. I'd also take Friedel and Howard over Keller any day of the week so there you go.

[russ]

Who's gloating?Just made a statement.

Gordon Banks,Ray Clemence, Peter Shilton,David Seaman,........ Calamity.

Bit like freefalling off Mt.Everest ,that....

Furthermore,I wasn't just referring to James,I was referring to depth as well.

And I still think we won't see any of the three US EPLers even in the now home-and-home prelim round.

[flanoverseas]

Originally posted by Prenn
If Keller's number one for the States then you can stop your goalkeeper gloating right now because I'd take James over Keller any day of the week. I'd also take Friedel and Howard over Keller any day of the week so there you go. Well you sure told him, didn't you. How can anyone dispute the fact that James is better now?

[sch2383]

Originally posted by Prenn
Nope...



Also



If Keller's number one for the States then you can stop your goalkeeper gloating right now because I'd take James over Keller any day of the week. I'd also take Friedel and Howard over Keller any day of the week so there you go.

I was close enough, espcially since it was a few weeks ago.

[soccerfan]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=282031&cc=5901

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- The United States will start World Cup qualifying in June under a revised format created by soccer's governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean.



there is plenty of time to see who is number one, with a June start my bet is a Euro keeper for sure

[russ]

Depends on who we draw in the home-and-home.

[soccerfan]

Originally posted by russ
Depends on who we draw in the home-and-home.

it begins in the middle of MLS season, pretty easy bet most Euro based players will be picked since they in the offseason

[sch2383]

The way things are going, it looks like Brad and Kasey will have had a few more weeks off before WCQ then Timmy.