US Goalkeeper discussion thread - Part III

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by ussoccer97531, Nov 15, 2017.

  1. deejay

    deejay Member+

    Feb 14, 2000
    Tarpon Springs, FL
    Club:
    Jorge Wilstermann
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    Number 3 GK for 2022 can go either one of two ways. If we go by experienced, been everywhere GK it would certainly have to be Guzan. If we go with young potential then there could be many potential keepers beyond Ochoa or Odunze. My money is on Guzan because both Steffen and Turner are comparatively young.
     
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  2. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Guzan is so done. I get that he likely wouldn't play at all, but he'd be there for "veteran presence" only because he's simply past making anything but a basic save and he's in the Brett Favre phase of his career where his decision making is still based on his old skills.
     
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  3. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't understand how Horvath is so far down the list. he has played in CCL games and done well. Other than Guzan who is on a rapid decline who else has? He should be done with his contract soon and able to move. I think he will quickly be judged to be #2 after moving unless he again is in a bench situation.
     
  4. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My money is on any goalkeeper who doesn't look like a geriatric polar bear with arthritis...
     
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  5. Ghost

    Ghost Member+

    Sep 5, 2001
    Has he played any for GB recently?
     
  6. VictoryWePredict4Thee

    VictoryWePredict4Thee BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Jul 4, 2019
    Does this really need Part 3 of a goal keeper discussion? Our Goalie is Steffen. End of discussion.
     
  7. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #3 is definitely a crapshoot. And how certain are we of Turner?
     
  8. butters59

    butters59 Member+

    Feb 22, 2013
    More than of Steffen.
     
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  9. deejay

    deejay Member+

    Feb 14, 2000
    Tarpon Springs, FL
    Club:
    Jorge Wilstermann
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    In the sense that he is 26 and seems on track to surpass Johnson and Hamid then, yes, we are certain. The issue seems to be, though, actually getting past the Johnson/Hamid level. Horvath, for instance, is at least in a larger European club and we could argue some of the same for him. However, as a function of starts given against teams from a top 5 league then Steffen is the only GK to have broken through both on cumulatively and for the last year. As many have noted, he is approximately on the same track as Howard or Freidel.
     
  10. deejay

    deejay Member+

    Feb 14, 2000
    Tarpon Springs, FL
    Club:
    Jorge Wilstermann
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    Just for review the Freidel/Howard/Steffen track is the following (ages are approximate since I didn't want to do the full math)

    European start
    Freidel (24) Howard (n/a) Steffen (20)

    MLS GK of the year
    Freidel (26) Howard (22) Steffen (24)

    Purchased by Major EPL club
    Freidel (26) Howard (24) Steffen (24)

    Starter for midtable EPL club
    Freidel (30) Howard (27) Steffen (n/a)
     
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  11. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pep on Steffen:
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  12. Peretz48

    Peretz48 Member+

    Nov 9, 2003
    Los Angeles
    Zack sadly did not pass the test vs. Chelsea. He got caught in no man's land on the Chelsea goal. That goes to decision making.

    We do not have the strongest group of GKs right now when we compare to other eras. Steffen is decent but not in the same class as the big three of recent years: Friedel, Howard and Keller. Turner's story is very uplifting given how he worked his way up but I just don't see him as a top level GK. Decent, but no more. After those two there's a drop off.
     
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  13. rashaverak1961

    New England Revolution
    United States
    Jul 23, 2017
    When the announcer calls out how badly out of position the keeper is as the play is developing...you know the play isn't going to end well.

    A bit of a brain fart...Steffen I'm sure could clearly see Ziyech flying down the middle and should have quickly shifted back to his line. He seemed frozen watching Werner.
     
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  14. TrueCrew

    TrueCrew Member+

    Dec 22, 2003
    Columbus, OH
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Without a doubt. Big brain fart. I seem to remember Howard making a gaffe in a CL match vs Porto. Got shipped out of Man U after, but recovered well.

    Agree that we are below Meola, Keller, Friedel, Howard level at GK.
     
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  15. butters59

    butters59 Member+

    Feb 22, 2013
    Steffen not in the same class as Guzan. Turner's ceiling is way above Guzan, he is probably at top Guzan level already.
     
  16. ifsteve

    ifsteve Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Jul 7, 2013
    MS and ID
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I have watched the replay of that goal over and over. Its easy in hindsight to see that Steffen should have just stayed home. BUT even if he had done that its going to be a 2 v 1 situation. The Man C back line got caught too far upfield and let Werner in behind them far too easily.

    Yes Steffen made the wrong initial decision. That comes from sitting on the bench and not getting minutes. You can't train for that very well. Give Chelsea some credit here too. That ball forward was damn near perfect. If it was just a bit more paced Steffen could have gotten to it. Had it been a tad less the back line may have recovered.

    Bottom line is that goal is not the best work by Steffen. For sure an error in decision making. But good grief its not like that was the worst thing a keeper has ever done. And the fact remains even had Zack stayed home that may well have still been a goal.
     
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  17. largegarlic

    largegarlic Member+

    Jul 2, 2007
    Yeah, I said the PBP thread yesterday that it's likely a goal anyhow, even if he stays on his line. The pass to Ziyech would still have been there, and Ziyech would still have been open. Now there would have been a chance that Ziyech shoots straight at Steffen if he's on the line, but it still would have been a relatively easy finish just to place it into a corner from that distance. Not that it was a good decision from Steffen, but it's probably not as consequential in the play as it might first appear.
     
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  18. VictoryWePredict4Thee

    VictoryWePredict4Thee BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Jul 4, 2019
    Steffen needs to go to another club. Being a backup is not good preparation for a World Cup, and his career at his age.
     
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  19. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    Of course it's not the worst decision a GK has ever made, but a guy at Man City simply does not get many mulligans, especially when the guy in front of him is one of the world's best and the budget is there to replace him with another of the world's best. The little chances you get to impress become big blown opportunities because of one poor decision that I think all of us chalk up to rust.

    But that's the sort of thing that could happen in a WCQ and cost us critical away points. Steffen's our "best" keeper, but I don't know that I will trust him on the day more than Turner.
     
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  20. VictoryWePredict4Thee

    VictoryWePredict4Thee BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Jul 4, 2019
    I recently said that Steffen is the man but I should keep an open mind. He has not won the job yet, and needs to earn the starting spot for the USMNT.
     
  21. gunnerfan7

    gunnerfan7 Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Jul 22, 2012
    Santa Cruz, California
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Perhaps it’s just a case of the “devil you know vs. the devil you don’t”, but I’d be more onboard the Turner train if I could see him play for the NT. We gotta see him play some of these upcoming games.
     
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  22. OWN(yewu)ED

    OWN(yewu)ED Member+

    Club: Venezia F.C.
    May 26, 2006
    chico, CA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think that FA Cup goal allowed put me firmly on the Turner number one shirt train He just feels safer back there. Steffen is becoming more of a middle-upper class mans version of bill hamid
     
  23. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    Barring injury, I'd put money on Turner being the starting keeper in the Gold Cup.
     
  24. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    I'm not sure I care at this point which guy we stick back there, sadly. Whichever choice we make, we're going to be running out the weakest goalie we've had for roughly 30 years. It's really weird that we're suddenly in a place where this is one of the weakest positions on the field for the current team. For my money, our situation in goal isn't much better than what we're dealing with at striker and left back. At least both of those positions have guys who are full-time starters on top 4 level clubs. I don't see a single goalkeeper in the program with a resume that's better than deeply mediocre. And I will never be impressed with Zach's choice to become a long-term backup on a club where he has no chance to win the starting spot just as he should be entering his prime years. Between him and Horvath our supposed top options don't seem to prioritize getting on the field very much.

    And honestly, I'm trying to figure out just what it is that Steffan brings to the table that keeps him above the fray and locked in. He's made multiple horrid passes from the back for both club and country, enough that his vaunted distribution advantage looks pretty sketchy to me and I am never comfortable when he has the ball at his feet. He's known to be a solid if unspectacular shot stopper. We just saw an example of his positioning over the weekend. I'm not sure we have better, but thinking this guy is somehow above reproach and locked in is a bit of a stretch for me and I say that as someone pretty solidly unconvinced by Turner. Maybe he really is just the best of a bad bunch and we should just get used to it. I think the sad truth may just be that no, Zach's not all that, but neither is anyone else at this time.
     
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  25. tomásbernal

    tomásbernal Member+

    Sep 4, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That was a quick change of opinion. I agree, though, that Steffen is number one but people should definitely keep an open mind about it. At some point, the rustiness factor (both for Horvath and to a slightly lesser degree Steffen) overtakes quality and a guy who's playing regularly and is in form, like Turner, becomes the top choice, regardless of who might be the better keeper in top form.
     
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