It's a shame we can have 100+ posts when a kid plays 20 minutes or only makes the bench, yet Brad rarely gets a mentioned anymore. Class through and through and our most respected export of all time. Congrats on the extension.
Agreed. I think it's almost to the point where it's a given that Brad will give a solid effort each time out. The longest tenured keeper in the BPL, and a Blackburn legend. The BBC story on this linked the story about his original signing back in 2000. I found this line particularly amusing: "Friedel, who had not played for Liverpool in over a year, fell in the pecking order at Anfield behind Sander Westerveld and Pegguy Arphexad." Bet they're glad they made that decision.
It's probably because whether posters and moderators on this board want to admit it or not, the vast majority of the traffic on these boards are for players that either are actively in the national team pool or potentially will have an impact on the national team. Once you've retired from the national team, you're just another player.
Yeah. I'd add that in terms of the game day forum, seems like keeper threads never get a lot of attention unless the player in question makes a glaring error.
Weird to say, but..."back in the day" (meaning '03 and '04) before this huge influx of Yanks to England, Friedel was the Rock Star of PbP threads. When he was winning PFA keeper of the year, and standing on his head to keep Rovers from losing, his threads would get up to 10+ pages.
Look at all the blokes (regardless of who they root for, and funny to see all the Liverpool fans pissed they let him go so easily) respond to this news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/F9318481?thread=5067568&show=50 Anyone know of his managerial aspirations? I am sure they are there - he would make a fantastic coach. Afterall, he already has the accent.
Friedel is the best US keeper, and a tremendous advocate for soccer in the US. His soccer academy in Ohio is a massive boost for soccer in this state, and hopefully a model for development of young talent across the country.
I alreadly like Friedel just because he was a Yank doing very well in a top league, but his Columbus academy sealed the deal. He's doing as much as any active Yank to help push soccer's development in the states. His academy set-up is exactly what this country needs more of (free, selective acadmies based on talent, not having rich parents). It's nice to see him so highly respected by Blackburn fans, they even talk about cloning him (lol). Brad doesn't need to be discussed much, he's steady, we know he's rarely going to make any serious error. He's just cash-money. Speaking of cash-money, how much is Brad making these days?
Exactly--it's not just opening an academy in the States (which, in itself, is fantastic). But opening up a venue whose goal is to diversify the modes of access to top training and development is pure class.
If Becks can do as much as Friedel in making US soccer more credible he will have been a success, but a very expensive one, he's ripped you off a bit in my opinion.
I don't think Becks has done anything to make US soccer more credible. He's made soccer in the US more visible, but that doesn't stop lots of people from saying "Look at Beckham, playing pub league footy" or whatever. Visibility does not confer credibility. Friedel, on the other hand, when his deal will be up, will have been a club stalwart and fan favorite for a decade. Add that to his work with the academy and the respect he's earned among his peers (and pundits) in the Prem, and I think we'll see that in the long run Friedel will have done more for US soccer (in terms of credibility). Now, I like Beckham. Really. But I don't think he's on track to do what Brad's been doing--for lots of reasons, really.
Beckham's career did not start in the US, he is just as respected as Brad Friedel infact he's done more, although i would take him in a mili second for England, he may be old but he's better than what we've had since Seamam.