“As one door closes…”
Tim Howard will not play another game for the US National Team until September 2015 due to spending more time with his family. With this brings on an old saying, “As one door closes, another one opens.” There are many keepers that could replace Howard for the time-being. There are two backups to Howard that usually get called up every match; Nick Rimando and Brad Guzan, who are regulars for the national team. These two have been great for their respective clubs (Aston Villa, Real Salt Lake) but neither starts over Howard. This will be a great time for both to finally shine under the national spotlight that they have been longing for. There is still one spot open since three keepers must be selected for a roster. This is just a shortlist of possible third-string keepers, or even a replacement for when Howard is out. Some are young, some are in their prime in terms of “Keeper Years.”
“…another one opens.”
Bill Hamid, D.C. United
Hamid has had an excellent year for D.C. United, in which time he’s solidified himself as the best keeper in the Eastern Conference in this Major League Soccer season. With a 74% save percentage, a goals against average of 1.21, and 72 saves, there isn’t a keeper in the East besides Luis Robles who is nearly as reliable. He was voted to the MLS All-Star team and is a home-grown talent for D.C. United. He still has a lot of learning to do, but he can really be a regular on the national team in the next few years. With the number one out, he can finally get his chance to prove himself in a friendly.
Luis Robles, New York Red Bulls
Robles hasn’t had the greatest year, but then again his club hasn’t either. He leads the MLS in shots with 124, with a 66% save percentage. Not the greatest numbers, but a keeper can only do so much if the back-line fails to do its job. Robles is a great keeper overall, in fact he has made an appearance for the national team before in 2009. With a good back-line, Robles can be a stunning keeper. Last season, RBNY won the Supporter’s Shield, which is awarded to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season. Last season, he had a much better back-line. This season is has gone under many changes. Any keeper with have trouble saving shots if he has over five come to him a game. Robles still can still be a great keeper and has many years left ahead of him. Robles is 30 years of age, but that’s not that old in “Keeper Years”. Brad Friedel is still at Tottenham and he’s 43.
Cody Cropper, Southampton Football Club
He’s still a young keeper with years to go before he becomes a starter anywhere. He’s currently at Southampton in England, and has yet to play in any match for the first team. He’s a product of the famed Southampton Youth Academy and is the third-string keeper for the club as well. Going out on loan to a League One, Championship or even an MLS side would benefit him greatly in his development. He has had a call-up to the national team, but did not play. He could be the next “Big One” for the US, possibly following Tim Howard after he fully retires from international competition. He could make the Olympic squad in 2016 and make a name for himself there to get his name on the map.
Steve Clark, Columbus Crew
Clark is in his first season in MLS, and hasn’t done a bad job in it either. He played for Hønefoss BK in Norway for a few seasons before returning home after his club was relegated to the second division. He has a 70% save percentage this season with 106 shots fired on him. The Crew haven’t had much to cheer about this past season, but he has been a rather intriguing figure on this team. He wasn’t very well known up until this past season by anyone. He started right off the bat for the Crew, and made a good impact. He’s showing promising signs that he could be their keeper for years to come, along with having a great future in MLS.
Sean Johnson, Chicago Fire
Johnson has been considered the “future” for a good amount of time. He hasn’t had the best season with the Fire, which will affect if he’s called up, but he still has a tremendous saving ability. He’s got amazing athleticism, one of the most crucial skills that a keeper needs. It’s leading up to be one of the worst seasons Johnson has had, but in the past he’s been rather brilliant. He still has a way to go before he can start or get some playing time for the national team, but he is a person to watch. It would not be surprising if a few European teams attempt to sign him. He has played for the national team before, but is not a consistent call-up. However, this could be his time to shine.
These are just a few players that could be on the call-up sheet for the next match against the Czech Republic next month. All could be very worthy keepers in the future for this country as the US has a reputation for producing great keepers like Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan, and of course, Tim Howard. They can carry on the tradition that this country is known for doing in this sport.
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