Scouting Report: Five U20 Goalkeepers Worth Remembering

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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.