USA goalkeeper discussion thread - Episode IV: No Hope

Freeze looks very confident. And that's something that's can't be said about any other American keeper now.

 

Has distributed well,with no disasters. He's ahead right now,but damn its a low bar these days.

 

Dang and here I was hoping Schulte would get the chance with the Nats and run away with it.

 

In terms of shot-stopping stats for the current half-season played, Freese is 3rd among Americans right now behind Sean Johnson and Zack Steffen, and 6th overall.

But Freese does appear to have the best career shot stopping numbers of any American currently in MLS (with a sufficient sample size). And as far as I can tell, he's also 2nd in the league among all active MLS keepers with at least 50 games played.

Career psxg/90 rankings, according to FBRef:

1. Burki: 0.26
2. Freese: 0.134
3. Frei: 0.13
4. Blake: 0.113
5. Stuver: 0.11
6. Kahlina: 0.09

Frei was at +0.18 two years ago, but he's now 39, and he's had much more average numbers the past couple years that have dragged his numbers down. Daniel's currently at +0.17, but he's played fewer than 50 games so I didn't include him.

Turner (+0.27) would be higher than any of those keepers, but his MLS numbers are now three years old at this point. Other American options are further down that list, including Schulte (+0.06), Callender (+0.03), Celentano (+0.03), and Brady (+0.01). Slonina's at -0.01 if you combine his MLS and Belgium numbers.

 

There’s something to be said about starting a guy who is playing well for his club.

Steffen would have been interesting also if not for his injury given he’s been at a very high level this year.

 

If all we needed from our GK was shot-stopping, Turner would be the top of the heap.

There's a reason that friggin' Arsenal signed him.

There's a reason that Lyon has signed him now.

But in 2025, more is asked of a goalkeeper than shot-stopping.
And those things aren't Turner's strong suit (playing with the ball at his feet, playing out of the back, etc. etc.).

I'm not convinced Steffen, Schulte, Freese, etc. are better than Turner. But at least we're trying somebody else in the role. Poch said he was going to this summer, and he is.

We'll see what happens the rest of this tournament. This board tends to go "all in" on some guy being the replacement for Turner, and when that guy has the audacity to make a mistake.................the board turns its back quickly.

 

All correct.

But you left off one very key piece of data. Turner's shot stopping has not been good enough over the last year plus. Hopefully he gets the starting job with Lyon but you can't keep trotting him out there based on old history.

 

It’s also nobody ripping the spot away from him.

Any American earns a starting place in a top 5 league they are taking the spot.

Just being a starter in MLS.. not the same thing.

 

Freese/Turner are in very similar spots career wise to where Turner/Steffen were 4 years ago.

 

He's nowhere near the shotstopper Turner was but simply being good with confidence on offense distributing the ball may be our best option.

 

Yeah I mean Turner in MLS in terms of player we have data for Petrovic is the only one better.

But he is very much one of the best American shot stoppers in the league currently. And not having the non traditional path Turner had he’s a bit stronger when it comes to the ball at his feet (not that he’s elite there or anything).

 

Whether he is as good as 2021 Turner isn't important as we don't have that Turner anymore. Exactly like comparing someone to 2021 Gio. Those guys are gone.

 

Well the question for Turner is if he can get it back at Lyon. Unlike Gio his problem isn’t injuries.

 

His problem is mental, until I see him get his confidence back I'm not a believer. And I was his very early fun, even before Matt Doyle.

 

Petrovic is interesting to track for comparison as well, especially if Turner ends up at Lyon next season. Like Turner, Petrovic's MLS shot-stopping numbers seemingly didn't translate in the Premier League in the season before last. Both were ranked near the bottom of the list among Premier League starters (albeit with a sample size of 17 and 22 starts, respectively, which very often doesn't end up being representative of the numbers you'll see over multiple seasons).

But Petrovic was loaned to Ligue 1 last season and ended up having top tier shot-stopping numbers there. His +0.32 was 4th best in the league last season according to FBref, and those numbers would have been 1st or 2nd best in the vast majority of prior Ligue 1 seasons.

 

its very clear who will be the #1 next summer...whoever is playing the best in may of 26 with their club.

 

Probably as it should be!

 

yeah the issue is just what if turner isn't playing and everyone else is having an average club season.

freese has been ok but he hasn't really been challenged

we know for this team to do anything the keeper is going to need to stand tall at some point.

 

Or whoever is playing.

 

Well it depends a lot on what that "average" season is looking like. But that said I will take an average keeper playing every week over a Turner who hasn't played much in two years and appears to really have lost his confidence.

 

No news about Lucas Perri and Matt Turner. Nothing signed. I am beginning to think this so-called "deal" for Turner to Lyon was merely speculative.

 

The French and Italian transfer windows haven't opened yet, so I don't think they would announce either deal until next month regardless.

The person who reported this story (Tom Bogert) has been just about the most reliable source for American club transfer news over the past 6 or 7 years. However, he previously worked for MLS's own website and then the Athletic, which he recently left, so it's possible he has less access now than he used to through those organizations. But he has enough of a track record that until he completely bungles a scoop, I'm inclined to trust him on this.

 

For Turner's sake... kinda wonder how much of a paycut he took.

 

by that logic if this were the world cup brian white would be our #9.

 

It's actually possible if Balogun and Pepi don't get healthy. After that it's a dice roll. Maybe Ferreira's back by then. Vasquez. White, Big Pat. The Red Baron. We seem to have a health hex on us. I need to watch Major League to remember how to get rid of a hex. We can all meet somewhere and rid ourselves of this destructive nonsense.