Kasey's chase I know this is being discussed elsewhere on the boards, but I thought I'd post the link here, too, since we've had past discussions about Keller, team chemistry and all that.
It's hard to know what to think of this exactly. On the one hand, Keller is a very talented keeper, and a competitive guy with a great deal of pride. Additionally, I would guess that he sorely wanted the opportunity to come up big at the WC to get Spurs' attention, since it would be hard for Hoddle to continue to make him sit after making a big splash in Korea. At the very least, a big WC might have generated some interest from other teams, and possibly gotten him a transfer elsewhere. On the other hand; Whatever else you can say about the guy, and it's considerable, he does have a well-earned reputation for whining and pouting. Add to that the fact that what he is really saying here is "Bruce Arena lied to me". And that one is going to be a hard sell, because, frankly, Arena is a players' coach, and everybody who has ever played for him says. without exception, that the thing they liked best about the guy is that he looks you in the eye and tells you where you stand. I'm not saying that this stuff didn't happen. I obviously don't know one way or the other. What we can say for certain is that, if it did happen this way, it was completely out of character for BA. But nobody, not Arena, not Sir Alex, not Andrulis, NOBODY would have pulled Friedel after the way he played the first couple of games. It would have been lunacy. "Gee, Bruce, Friedel has been over the moon, the world soccer press is slobbering all over themselves; why have you chosen to bench him at this point in favor of a second-rate teams' second string Keeper?" "Well, I want to be fair to everybody. Fat Tony will start after that." What I do believe is what Arena said before, during and after the WC, namely that it was his original intention to alternate keepers. But when Friedel came out smokin, he stayed with him. It was the right decision, and Keller ought to just shut up. He only makes himself look selfish and sour.
In soccer, as in hockey, when it comes to goalkeeping, you go with the hot hand. Friedel had it...Keller came into camp brokey and had just healed. Bruce was right to stay with Brad. Just my 2 cents.