http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=265603&cc=5901 I've known for a long time that Brad was the best export we've ever had. Even better than Reyna, even though Claudio is a field player. Anyone disagree?
Wow--this is great news. The more respect US players get overseas, the better. Whether Brad is the best ever is hard to say -- going way back there is an argument for Billy Gonsalves, so it's tough comparison to make.
OMG U KNOW THAT THE BEST SOCCER PLAYERER EVA IS SO OBVIOUS!!!111 1 FREDDY ADUU HE IS BETTER HE COULD BEAT RONOLADOAA hehe, i loving doing that. Seriously, Donovan will be better though.
If Brad keeps this up for another 4 or 5 years, we might have to agree with you. Unless Adu becomes what we want him to become, and in that case all bets are off.
I have a hard time believing you when you say you knew for a long time that Brad was the best export we've ever had. Does that include the few years he spent not playing for Liverpool while Claudio, Kasey, and Earnie were playing regularly for their clubs? I'm by no means a Brad basher but I just found your statement a little odd. And as of now, yes he is the best export we've had.
How about Brad Friedel as the best Amercian goalkeeper? Right now I think so. How does Kasey Keller stack up against him. I think they were pretty even until the WC set them apart. They both had fantastic seasons in the EPL too.
Friedel had a fantastic season, Keller had a merely OK one by his standrads (granted he was playing behind an absolute sieve, but I won't go into that here)
He's already got the accent... Yeah, I think for now he's the best we've ever produced, though sometimes its hard to gauge since he's a keeper. I think McBride might be the best field player we've ever produced, but Donovan could pass him in a few years. Wynalda was so awesome though.
Keller is the best export we have ever had. He has been doing it for a longer time. Brad has had the best single year an American has had abroad. Don't forget Brad's time on the bench at Liverpool and his up and down play. Additionally, he was with the Crew for a time after playing in Turkey. I would say also Brad has had the best two consecutive years for an American abroad.
Very true. I am not to up on Blackburns defense but I do know that Kasey make his defense look better than they actually were.
Billy Gonsalves was the best American ever. http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/gonsalves.html Still, kudos to Friedel. A great goalkeeper, a great season.
Friedel is the best goalkeeper. The best soccer player ever is a close call between about twenty players- starting back with ol' Bert.
Thumbs up to Brad Friedel.This is what I`ve been clamouring for and that is meeting the competition and beating the *************** out of them.Brad,Freddy,Landon thumbs up to all`y`all for taking American soccer to the next level.
Just because he's picked up the accent? Some people are just natural mimmicks. I was in New Zealand only a couple of weeks and came back with some changed pronunciations (they're gone now.) Some people are just that way.
What makes me kind of sad is that US players do well abroad like Friedel and keller but most American kids probably don't ever get to see it! I myself can't afford Fox Sports World and I'm sure many others don't have it. I think Harkes was the first American I'd ever heard of when I was living in the UK. It's good we are making progress on the field!
In Friedel's defense, part of the reason he wasn't playing was out of his control. He had yet to receive his EU passport and Liverpool could only select three non-EU players in the 17-man squad, and with Berger, Smicer and Henchoz starting regularly, he wasn't even going to see the bench. And although the pre-Hyypia/Henchoz defense shoulders some of the blame, Friedel was pretty inconsistent at Anfield.
No i Think i read it in an interview or something where he said that he identified more with the Brits or something.
Where's the love for Keller? If I remember correctly, didn't Friedel get the starting job in WC02 because Keller got hurt? Obviously, with Friedel's recent accolades, he is the most accomplished American playing in Europe in recent memory, but Keller is just as good as Friedel IMO. Whoever plays in goal, whether it's Keller or Friedel, the US is better off in goal than a lot of countries, that's for damn sure.
Pouty Kids Wasn't Friedel the guy who whined about shortening his honeymoon or something when Keller started? As I understand it, both are divas. (Which is different than divahs, as in Graziani or Kovalenko.) Did you catch last week's EPL action? A reversal of fortune - Friedel gave up a howler, while Keller stuffed van Nistelrooy 5 times before finally caving in, thanks to the ludicrous Tottenham defense. Overall, I'd have to rate the careers of Keller & Friedel as a dead heat.
Re: Pouty Kids Indeed, Friedel whined even more back in 98' and managed to get a game aganist Yugoslavia. (No it wasn't just because the game didn't matter) So I don't want to hear anyone calling Keller a whiner unless you have Crybaby Brad in the same boat. For pure shot stopping Keller is still the best!