Next Generation: The 24 Best U24 Goalkeepers

cover photo of Ionut Radu belongs to Gareth Copley/Getty Images

1. Unai Simón, Spain (Athletic Bilbao) - 22
2. Ionut Radu, Romania (Parma / Italy) - 22 ^
3. Catalin Cabuz, Romania (FC Viitorul) - 23
4. Alex Meret, Italy (Napoli) - 22
5. Arnaud Bodart, Belgium (Standard Liège) - 21
6. Stefano Gori, Italy (AC Pisa) - 23

^ - on loan from Inter Milan

One to Watch: Ionut Radu. Since 1970, Inter have only had nine different starting goalkeepers, usually sporting a national team starter more times than not. It’s an amazing run that is a product of identifying talent at a young age, which they seem to have done yet again with Radu. Although Radu has already been on four loans in his professional career, it’s no real surprise that his agent is calling him the “future of Inter”. Radu was tied to Arsenal last summer and West Ham this past winter window but realistically Radu has a massive price tag if a club is serious about poaching the young Romanian. Current Inter starter, Samir Handanovic, turns 36 this summer so don’t be surprised if Radu doesn’t spend next season on loan and starts working up the ladder with Inter.

7. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy (AC Milan) - 21
8. Noam Baumann, Switzerland (FC Lugano) - 23
9. Iñaki Peña, Spain (Barcelona) - 20
10. Álvaro Fernández, Spain (SD Huesca) - 21
11. Dominik Kotarski, Croatia (Ajax / Netherlands) - 20
12. Per Kristian Bratveit, Norway (Djurgardens / Sweden) - 24

One to Watch: Dominik Kotarski. It may not come as a surprise that Ajax is loaded with young talent, even at the goalkeeping position. Kotarski has been featured as the starter for Ajax’s reserve side, playing in the second division in the Netherlands. The young Croatian has a nice blend of balance, patience, and looking comfortable off his line, which fits in nicely with Ajax’s front-footed style of play. It’s hard to predict André Onana’s time left with Ajax, as the current starter has already been linked to Barcelona and Chelsea, but if Kotarski is given the starting spot, don’t expect a shift in the responsibilities with the position.

13. Maarten Paes, Netherlands (FC Utrecht) - 21
14. Luca Zidane, France (Racing Santander / Spain) - 21 ^
15. Andriy Lunin, Ukraine (Real Oviedo / Spain) - 21 ^
16. André Onana, Cameroon (Ajax / Netherlands) - 23
17. Nordin Jackers, Belgium (Waasland-Beveren) - 22 *
18. Rok Vodisek, Slovenia (Genoa / Italy) - 21

^ - on loan from Real Madrid
* - on loan from Genk

One to Watch: Luca Zidane. It’s hard to overstate Real Madrid’s grip on the world’s elite goalkeeping. After offloading Keylor Navas to make room for Thibaut Courtois and French international Alphonse Areola, their youth core is equally as impressive with Lunin and Zidane waiting in the wings. Although Zidane can look a little sloppy with form, he possesses an impeccable rhythm to the game, almost as if he’s been watching the sport since day one. He still has some time to develop into a potential starter for Real Madrid but whether it’s there or another club, Zidane will be on a much bigger stage, sooner or later.

19. Jasper Schendelaar, Netherlands (AZ Alkmaar) - 19
20. Javier Belman, Spain (Real Madrid) - 21
21. Lucas Dias, France (Nîmes Olympique) - 20
22. Manuel Roffo, Argentina (Boca Juniors) - 19
23. Justin Bijlow, Netherlands (Feyenoord) - 22
24. Aaron Ramsdale, England (Bournemouth) - 21

One to Watch: Aaron Ramsdale. It’s not an easy time to be at Bournemouth, as the English youth international is experiencing first hand. Facing down relegating, Ramsdale has conceded 42 goals in 27 matches, although it’s not for a lack of talent. Ramsdale isn’t as explosive as some of his peers but he never looks out of depth, rarely creating a mistake from inexperience. A relegation battle is taxing for any player, young or old, and depending on how events play out, it could very well impact Ramsdale’s future, both with career opportunities and confidence in net.

Top USYNT Goalkeepers by Birth Year

Early in the week we dove into the top 100 American goalkeepers on the men’s side so to give some face time for the young guns coming up, here are the top eight goalkeepers from each birth year. Goalkeepers are ranked more on ceiling and potential and less about current form. Not every goalkeeper’s birth year is public so some of the goalkeepers may be placed up or down a year.

# - recently graduated

1995

1. Jane Campbell (Houston Dash)
2. Courtney Brosnan (Le Havre)
3. Lauren Clem (Uppsala)
4. Cassie Miller (PSV Eindhoven)
5. Mallory Geurts (Västerås BK30)
6. Danielle Rice (Assi)
7. Alison Jahansouz (Stanford) #
8. Hannah Seabert (Fortuna Hjorring)

1. Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge)
2. Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew)
3. Jesse Gonzalez (FC Dallas)
4. Todd Morton (Delaware) #
5. Bobby Edwards (Mount St. Mary's) #
6. Michael Nelson (Houston Dynamo)
7. Ben Lundgaard (Columbus Crew)
8. Rashid Nuhu (Fordham) #

1996

1. Casey Murphy (Montpellier)
2. Emily Boyd (Chicago Red Stars)
3. Lainey Burdett (Arizona) #
4. Ella Dederick (Washington State) #
5. Rachel Egyed (Maryland) #
6. Caroline Brockmeier (LSU) #
7. Kelsey Daugherty (UAB) #
8. Rachel Lusby (Portland) #

1. Jeff Caldwell (New York City FC)
2. Benjamin Machini (Burgos CF)
3. Evan Louro (New York Red Bulls)
4. Paul Christensen (Atlanta United 2)
5. Luis Barraza (Marquette) #
6. Mike Novotny (Hartford Athletic)
7. Ben Willis (Gonzaga) #
8 Ryan Cretens (UNC Wilmington) #

1997

1. Jalen Tompkins (Colorado)
2. Kaelyn Johns (Dayton)
3. Cosette Morche (Texas A&M)
4. Paige Simoneau (San Jose State) #
5. Devon Kerr (Ohio State) #
6. Lauren Rood (Stanford)
7. Hannah Luedtke (Butler)
8. Reilley Ott (Michigan State)

1. JT Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
2. Jonathan Klinsmann (Hertha BSC)
3. Justin vom Steeg (Los Angeles Galaxy)
4. Jimmy Slayton (Hartford)
5. Briley Guarneri (Colorado Mesa) #
6. Parker Siegfried (Ohio State)
7. Jacob Harris (Colgate)
8. Chase Gentry (Tulsa Roughnecks)

1998

1. Mikayla Krzeczowski (South Carolina)
2. Kaylie Collins (USC)
3. Jaelyn Cunningham (Illinois)
4. Brooke Heinsohn (Duke)
5. Mandy McGlynn (Virginia Tech)
6. Amanda Fitzgerald (Fairleigh Dickinson)
7. Abby Stapleton (Charlotte)
8. Amanda Dennis (Penn State)

1. Abraham Romero (Pachuca)
2. Kevin Silva (Hearts of Midlothian)
3. Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland)
4. Ben Hale (Furman)
5. Will Pulisic (Duke)
6. Matt Freese (Philadelphia Union)
7. Colin Shutler (Virginia)
8. Drew Romig (North Carolina)

1999 and Younger

1. Claudia Dickey (North Carolina)
2. Hillary Beall (Michigan)
3. Laurel Ivory (Virginia)
4. Brooke Bollinger (Florida State)
5. Lauren Brzykcy (UCLA)
6. Mackenzie Wood (Northwestern)
7. Hensley Hancuff (Villanova)
8. Angelina Anderson (California)

1. Carlos dos Santos (Benfica)
2. Eric Lopez (Los Angeles Galaxy II)
3. Nicolas Defreitas-Hansen (Everton)
4. Brady Scott (FC Köln)
5. Damian Las (Chicago Fire)
6. Luca Lewis (Torino)
7. Ethan Wady (Chelsea)
8. Sam Fowler (Washington)

cover photo from the Trentonian

Ten Possible Goalkeepers for the 2019 U20 World Cup

cover photo belongs to US Soccer

The 2019 U20 World Cup kicks off in Poland next spring but the US's journey through qualification starts in two months, with the first game on November 1st. And thanks to a more expansive approach to the goalkeeping position, USYNTs have seen a variety of talented goalkeepers come through camps over the past few years. With qualification just around the corner, let's survey the ten likeliest goalkeepers we could see in the fold for the U20s.

1. Justin Garces (UCLA) - The U17 World Cup veteran leads the pack. Garces has been the number one choice for the US for the last two years and there are no signs of anything changing. After training with Atlanta United this summer, Garces is currently sitting behind sophomore goalkeeper Cole Martinez at UCLA. Playing second fiddle isn’t ideal for a starter going into World Cup qualifying but Garces isn’t one to let his skills get rusty just because he’s not a number one. For a goalkeeper who will likely not even finish his four years at UCLA, Garces will undoubtedly be ready to play this November.

2. Brady Scott (FC Köln) - It’s been a while since an American goalkeeper has done well in Germany. Despite the lack of success, Brady Scott and Jonathan Klinsmann are holding their own in an intensely competitive setting. Over the last month and a half, Scott has earned four starts for FC Köln’s reserve side, allowing four goals in four games. It's hard to describe Scott’s “style” as it feels fairly undefined in a lot of ways (perhaps the result of Scott developing in two different goalkeeping environments). He isn’t particularly flashy, but he’s not slow. He’s not aggressive, but he’s not passive. He did well getting low on a few saves in his most recent game against SC Verl, but it’s also a part of his job to make those plays. At the end of the day, if he can be a consistent, stable force in net for the U20s, it'd be hard to ask for more from him.

photo from Bundesliga.com

3. Eric Lopez (Los Angeles Galaxy II) - Lopez’s stock has probably dropped a tad since this time last year. Lopez’s last two wins for LAGII came in September 2018 and August 2017. Admittedly, LAGII is a development side and not a team that strings together large win streaks. In spite of this, more should be expected from Lopez thus far. It isn’t easy when you’re in goal for one of the leakiest defenses but Lopez too frequently is caught overthinking a situation. If he can limit hesitations, sort out his feet in tight situations, and find a good run of form, he could not only contend for a roster spot but also the starting one as well.

4. Trey Muse (Indiana University) - After allowing only seven goals in 25 games last year - posting an unheard of 90.3% save percentage in his freshman year - Muse returns in goal after trailing in the Netherlands this summer. In the early stages of his sophomore year, Muse currently rides a three-game shutout streak as Indiana is the favorite in the Big Ten and on track to contend for another national title. If Muse can continue his success, #Q49 might quickly turn into #Q410.

5. CJ dos Santos (Benfica) - Dos Santos was one of the three goalkeepers for the last U17 World Cup roster but there’s a decent chance being overseas has removed him from the limelight of receiving a call-up for qualifying games. While Scott is earning first-team starts, dos Santos sits sandwiched between a number of Portuguese national team goalkeepers in Benfica’s youth ranks. So where dos Santos may not be earning as many headlines, he could very well take a similar route as Brad Friedel did, gradually grinding his way towards the top.

6. Brandon Austin (Tottenham) - The lanky goalkeeper relies heavily on his positioning and reactions, rarely daring to roam upfield. Time will tell how he completely develops but so far it’s been working, just recently having a positive showing in a 2-1 loss to Arsenal’s U23s. Perhaps the biggest question marks that come along with Austin’s game is with his dual citizenship. Austin was called into an English U19 camp back in April and the young goalkeeper’s eligibility to play for America is rumored to be in question.

7. Alex Budnik (Dartmouth) - Budnik has been a mainstay in USYNTs for the past few years, including making the 2017 U17 World Cup roster. Budnik hasn’t started for Dartmouth this season, but Dartmouth has conceded five goals in two games with two different goalkeepers. If the defensive woes continue, the freshman could easily see himself starting the Big Green and prove why he should be included on the U20 roster.

8. Quantrell Jones (UMBC) - Jones is one of, if not the, largest goalkeeper on the list. At 6’3” and 230 pounds, the DC United academy product is more of the traditional cut when it comes to classic USYNT goalkeepers. He's strong, with a solid frame, and quick reactions. While Jones has been in and out of camps with various USYNT, Jones is outside looking in with the U20s going forward. If Jones can crack the starting spot at UMBC, perhaps he’ll grab Ramos’ head, but until then we probably won’t hear from him again until he’s an upperclassman.

9. Johan Penaranda (Pittsburgh) - 2018 has been an eventful year for Penaranda. In February, he de-committed from the Naval Academy, announcing he’d be attending the University of Pittsburgh this fall. In the summer he won the U19 DA playoffs with NYCFC and followed up the trophy-finish with earning the starting spot for the Panthers. He hasn’t been exceptionally successful this early in but there’s still some time to wow Ramos into reminding him why he deserves another call-up.

photo belongs to NYCFC

10. Gabe Rosario (Huddersfield) - Admittedly Rosario’s tenure overseas hasn’t been stellar, notching just one point in five games and allowing 14 goals in the span for Reading’s U18 squad. But after watching what Rosario brings to the table, he holds his own when playing for one of the worst defenses in the league. He's quick and fights for the save, even if the scoreline is lopsided against his team. Rosario has since moved to Huddersfield where it looks like he’ll mostly play backup this season but the understated goalkeeper has an opportunity in front of him few goalkeepers his age even get a chance at.

Scouting Report: Five U20 Goalkeepers Worth Remembering

cover photo belongs to Getty Images

Eric Lopez - Los Angeles Galaxy 2, 18

Lopez has quietly risen to prominence out west. While a number of his peers are in Europe, Lopez shows us that the US can still develop their own goalkeepers. Lopez, who turns 19 in March, has a good frame and moves well in the box. He's shown positive strides in his 1v1 approach and continues to fight for time in a highly competitive environment with LAG2. If Lopez continues to round out his game, he'll be fighting for playing time against Zack Steffen and Ethan Horvath soon enough.

Carlos dos Santos - Benfica, 17

CJ dos Santos (SLBenfica & USA) highlights~ for pictures and videos from 2012-present use HASHTAG dosGK on instagram, Facebook, and twitter.

With the way dos Santos covers the goal frame, it's hard not to think of David de Gea. Dos Santos possesses a massive spring to propel himself like no other USYNT prospect. But unlike de Gea, dos Santos plays with such an aggressive mindset that he'll insert himself into almost any play that enters the box. It's a tough playstyle to master, one we haven't witnessed in the American scene since Kevin Hartman, but if dos Santos can find that perfect balance, he'll be a strong presence down the line.

Laurel Ivory - University of Virginia, 18

Last fall Ivory was with the University of Virginia and this spring she's with the U20s in their current World Cup Qualifying campaign. Ivory is akin to recently acquired Utah Royals goalkeeper, EJ Proctor (or Ethan Horvath for Ivory's male counterpart). Ivory stays close to her line, relying on her ability to read the game and react from the goal mouth. She doesn't get overwhelmed in unfamiliar scenarios and isn't afraid to challenge crosses in the box. While she's a little undersized for an ideal goalkeeper, she more than makes up for it with her balance, game knowledge, and self-confidence.

Nicolas Defreitas-Hansen - Everton, 16

Watch 16 year old Nicolas Defreitas-Hansen saves and distribution for USA and Everton academy team in the U18 Premier League.

When a sixteen-year-old is starting for a Premier League U18 team, it's a safe bet to say he's a pretty decent player. Defreitas-Hansen sits right around 6'0" and has a deceptively quick post-to-post time. Similar to Ivory, Defreitas-Hansen prefers to stand players up but does a great job of keeping his weight forward and his feet under him. Reportedly Defreitas-Hansen can also play for Brazil and Denmark but he's only represented the US thus far, making three appearances with the U16s.

Hillary Beall - University of Michigan, 19

With most tall goalkeepers, they struggle to move from side-to-side and to quickly drop to the ground. Fortunately for the University of Michigan, Beall has shown the agility to take her game past college. The 5'11" goalkeeper can move in the box and has strong hands to complement her play. Beall made seven starts her freshmen year and is poised to take over as the starter for the Wolverines in 2018.