USA goalkeeper discussion thread - Episode IV: No Hope

We got a bunch of guys who are in European academies but never shapes out for them so maybe they come back to MLS or get lost in the shuffle abroad in Austrian 2nd division.

The likes of a say Hamid should have gone abroad by his mid 20s. I remember him having several training sessions abroad in the Premier League and even had Tim Howard as a reference if I'm not mistaken.

 

Brian Schwake for Nashville is one to watch. I've been very impressed with everything I've seen from him this year, including right now against Tigres. I think he's got as close to the whole package as we've got right now. I predict a meteoric rise.

 

I have never heard of him before. Kind of interesting how many players are popping this year and I don't a lot of them.

 

Schwake has knocked around lower leagues in Europe. I mean, really lower leagues. He was on the bench at Linlithgow Rose of the Scottish sixth tier at one point. Moved up and around Scotland and Spain. Came back to MLS and is doing fine for Nashville. He's not really a prospect, as he turns 25 soon. More like a keeper entering his prime getting into the mix. Is he better than Celentano, Brady, Schulte, Freese, etc.? I'm not sure. But he's on the radar now,.......................

 

Schwake sounds a bit like Collodi for CFD. I'm almost thinking I shouldn't even pay attention to keepers until they are at least 23 /24.

 

I feel so confident about Schwake that I'm going to make a bold prediction: He'll end up being our starting keeper some time next cycle. I've watched several Nashville games he's played in this year. He does well everything that Matt Turner does well, but even better in some aspects (fantastic kick saves, for one!). I think his positioning is good. His reactions are great. His aerial game isn't to die for, but he seems more confident and better at it than any of our other current keepers and he can successfully punch a damn ball out of danger. His footwork is mediocre (but better than Turner...prob about on par with Freese). Seems to be a good decision-maker and communicator from what I can tell.

 

Cross-posting from the MLS flavors thread:

 

Hope we don't lose him to Luxembourg.

 

What's the smallest country with a team and then the least populated? I tried to look it up but it seems to pull up ones who qualified for the WC which I didn't ask. Well I tried Grok and it came through! Montserrat is the least populated at around 4,353 people while San Marino is the smallest in land area at 24 mi (not sure what mi is - perhaps square miles?) Too bad Vatican City doesn't field a squad so we could have Monty Pythonesque games.

 

Boo. I tried to paste a photo Grok made of Cardinals playing soccer but it didn't work.

 

Guy really wants to start next month. Hopefully he pushes Freese to be at his tip top.

 

Turner v Freese

Both are pretty bad when they can’t use their hands. Slight edge to Turner, incredibly.
Turner is the better shot stopper at the moment, but Freese is no slouch.
Freese much better with rebound control. Turner refuses to catch anything and loves to punch the ball just anywhere. I see this as a major problem. Maybe I’m overreacting, but for me it’s reason enough to start Freese over Turner, at least until there’s progress in this aspect of goal keeping.
Turner seems to have regained his quickness, his best attribute. I would like to see him rebuild the rest of his game along with that.

 

Freese has started 14 of our last 16 games.

Turner got the game against Belgium, and its not like he performed in such a way as to knock Freese off of his perch.

I think Freese goes into the next camp as the #1. As long as he doesn't do anything to LOSE the job again Senegal and/or Germany, he'll be the World Cup starter.

 

This seems most likely (Freese keeping the #1 shirt). But Poch is a guy that wants to see competition in his squad, and will give minutes to the best competitor he and his staff see. So, while Freese is probably in pole position, he's by NO means the lock starter. I'm just really glad that Turner is regaining the form that brought him into the fold in the first place. At least we'll feel confident in our backup (despite the deficiencies in his game) should we need him.

 

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48680386/the-usmnt-goalkeeper-problem-2026-world-cup

 

I noticed that on the bench last night for Tigres in the CCC was former USYNTer and Dallas homegrown signing Antonio Carrera. Capped by the US at the U19, U20, and U23 level. Still only 22 years old, so we'll see how his development goes. He could become interesting or vanish. We know how it goes with young keepers.

[I don't think we ever found out what the transfer fee was when Dallas sold him to Tigres.]

Folks with great memories will remember that he was on the roster for the 2023 U20 World Cup team. Didn't play in that event, but did start games at the CONCACAF Championships that cycle (including the final). The other keepers on that World Cup roster were Slonina and Alex Borto.

You want to talk about how easy it is to get "Slonina'd" for young goalkeepers in Europe, consider Alex Borto. He's STILL at Fulham. He's been there since 2020 and is a backup for their reserve team. Where is this headed?

 

I cant see Turner starting either of the first 2 games.

Roldan has a pretty solid Legion of the Faithful, but its nothing compared to the Turner groupies.

 

I totally agree with you on this.

Freese had started a whole bunch of games in a row and won the job.
At some point, Poch did actually need to use somebody else in case of a Freese injury. So he gave Turner a game at the last camp.

I think what that did show us was that Turner was definitely the #2. Which, let's face it, wasn't so obvious prior to that. He hadn't gotten a cap since the Switzerland friendly debacle. Wasn't even called up to two of the fall camps.

I'm sure if we look at World Cup squad predictions from the fall, there were posters that didn't have Turner. Now everyone does.

 

Have you not seen our GK?

 

6 of one; half dozen of the others

I think there's little difference between our top 5 or 6 options.

............but Poch did need to pick one, and go with it. Give the guy a run. He did just that. Freese is the #1. Turner is the #2. Your guess is as good as mine on the #3.

The last keeper to get a cap other than Freese and Turner was???? Survey says? Zack Steffen at January 2025 camp.

 

I think there tends to be, in coaching circles, a belief that you can't just cycle through goalkeepers. Sort of like QBs in gridiron football, if you switch too much you'll wreck their confidence,

Or the other players' belief in them. A defense's belief in their GK is an underrated part of performance, I'd say. DCU just got a new goalkeeper this season, Sean Johnson, and just the 'I got this' vibes behind them seem to make the defense better.

 

Sometimes people act like the USMNT is an all-Pro team on paper.........................

I remember Bob Bradley saying his first task as USMNT boss was to identify his starting GK and CB duo, and give them as much time working together as possible. He had an easier selection at keeper than Poch.

There's very little chance that Poch will go this last half year of establishing Freese, and then switch to Turner for the WC itself. Freese hasn't done anything to lose the position.