End of Year NCAA Goalkeeper Rankings - Women's 2016

cover photo belongs to Katlyn Alapati/The Stanford Daily

Welcome back to Everybody Soccer's second annual NCAA Goalkeeper Rankings. We saw a number of the 2015 seniors do well in their first professional season - including the number three ranked senior earning Goalkeeper of the Year in Norway - and there aren't any lower expectations for this year's class. You can compare the lists to the 2016 preseason rankings if you're interested in seeing who has jumped up the rankings.

Seniors

1. Jane Campbell (Stanford) - 21
2. Sammy Jo Prudhomme (USC) - 22
3. Kailen Sheridan (Clemson, Canadian) - 21
4. Lindsey Harris (North Carolina) - 23
5. Emily Armstrong (Connecticut) - 21
6. Ashton McKeown (Long Beach State) - 22
7. Hope Sabadash (Southeastern Louisiana, Canadian) - 21
8. Hannah Seabert (Pepperdine) - 21
9. Sydney Drinkwater (Florida Atlantic) - 22
10. Lillie Ehlert (Stephen F. Austin) - 21

Bill says: The most known goalkeepers in this class are Campbell, Sheridan, and Sabadash, all of which were listed on the preseason Hermann trophy watch list. Even though they didn't make the final shortlist, don't be surprised to hear their names called at the NWSL draft in January. Prudhomme (National Champion) and Harris (semifinalist with UNC) saw their stock jump this postseason with some fairly clutch performances. McKeown (SoCal FC) and Drinkwater (Florida Krush) spent time in the WPSL this summer and will look to make the jump to the professional game in 2017.

Juniors

1. EJ Proctor (Duke) - 20
2. Emily Boyd (California) - 20
3. Lauren Clem (Northwestern) - 20
4. Katie Hatziyianis (Binghamton) - 20
5. Kat Elliott (South Florida) - 21
6. Caitlyn Clem (Wisconsin) - 22
7. Casey Murphy (Rutgers) - 20
8. Taylor Sebolao (Towson) - 21
9. Cassie Miller (Florida State) - 21
10. Miranda Horn (George Washington) - 20

Bill says: Proctor sets the standard for the group. Despite the lack height, she's rounded out the rest of her game to the point where she was a big reason why Duke returned Elite Eight for their second straight year. Clem was named first team all-conference in the always competitive Big Ten. Cassidy Murphy is probably the most notable name on the list after spending this fall with the U20 team at the World Cup but her performances can be streaky at times.

Sophomores

1. Jalen Tompkins (Colorado) - 19
2. Alexis Smith (UC Davis) - 20
3. Lainey Burdett (Arizona) - 20
4. Ella Dederick (Washington State) - 20
5. Charlee Pruitt (Loyola Marymount) - 20
6. Rose Chandler (Penn State) - 20
7. Olivia Swenson (North Dakota) - 19
8. Sarah Le Beau (Auburn) - 20
9. Samantha Leshnak (North Carolina) - 19
10. Amanda Poertner (Idaho) - 20

Bill says:  Tompkins had quite possibly the save of the season to secure a win against Washington. Le Beau and Swenson rightfully earned second team all-conference in their respective conferences. While a few goalkeepers missed the season this year, they shouldn't be overlooked moving forward. Portner was named the Big Sky's Goalkeeper of the Year as a freshman in 2015 but was sidelined this fall with an injury. Leshnak (behind senior Lindsey Harris) and Chandler (who was with the U20s) sat as well but both should be an active piece to their teams for 2017.

Freshmen

1. Amanda McGlynn (Virginia Tech) - 18
2. Brooke Heinsohn (Duke) - 18
3. Rylee Foster (West Virginia, Canadian) - 18
4. Mikayla Krzeczowski (South Carolina) - 18
5. Brittany Wilson (Denver) - 19
6. Teagan Micah (UCLA, Australian) - 19
7. Evangeline Soucie (Kentucky) - 18
8. Carly Nelson (Utah) - 18
9. Amanda Knaub (Monmouth) - 18
10. Haley Smith (Illinois State) - 18

Bill says: The freshmen group boasts some international flare with Foster (Canada) and Micah (Australia) making their names known early into their collegiate careers. Wilson and Krzeczowski share USYNT ties but McGlynn's performance this year for the Hokies was really outstanding. McGlynn, who graduated high school a year early, started 16 games in the ACC with .753 save percentage.

Cody Cropper v. Mexico - 04.22.15

This is a write up of an old game I did for the now defunct blog, back in April of 2015. Some additions were made but for the most part, the writeup remains the same.

Like any good US soccer fan, I’ve been tracking the next great bald goalkeeper, Minnesota native Cody Cropper, for a couple of years. In 2013, I watched him make two bizarre blunders in one play against France in the Toulon tournament. Later I saw him struggle against Mexico in the 2013 U20 Championship and tried my best to ignore some late game extracurricular activities. When the U20 World Cup came, he displayed some impressive saves against Ghana but gave up some goals that were head scratchers. He then followed that game by conceding another four goals against Spain, tallying eight in the two first games. He returned to Southampton soon after, where he looked a step behind when they played Chelsea in a 4-1 loss. A year later Cropper opened up against the Brazil U23’s by gifting the opposition with a free goal in the very early minutes of the match. So needless to say, when I heard he played great against Mexico in the #tresacero match, I was anxious to watch the highlights.

Some great saves to stunt the Mexican attack but what can we learn from the outing? Let’s take a look at three plays in the game.

0:33 - Cropper correctly skips his eyes ahead on the cross and is ready for the header. The header never comes so he takes shorts strides with his feet in rhythm to set himself for the next shot. As the shot comes, his hands hiccup, a result of habitually throwing your hands forward and slightly upward as the shot comes. He gets down for the save - a very good one at that - but the redirection in hand movement is not ideal. Goalkeepers should look to minimize excessive movement as much as they can as this is a good example of it.

3:15 - This play is similar in execution as the early save but with opposite implications. Watch as his hands go from thighs-to-textbook position (in front, holding an invisible ball) and then back to his thighs. While this would technically count as “excessive movement”, the reason he is doing this is, most likely, because he is trying to break a bad habit and start a good one. Ideally, the hands are in front for the pre-shot set so he only has to move his arms to make the save, not his arms and hands. His alternating between right and wrong shows their is a mental battle going on to be keen on correct technique. The resulting save has nothing to do with his hands, but it’s still a very good sign for development. However, the other thing to note on the play is that he hardly gets off the ground to make the save. This is a result of diving with just your upper body and lacking, in this case, and shuffle and a spring.

3:55 - An excessive high line on crossing situations causes more problems than solves them and we see Cropper backpedal to the goal to find the correct position. The scramble in the box pulls and hesitates Cropper, an expected movement given the circumstance. The bouncing ball is redirected by a head and the goalkeeper’s best attribute comes into action: strength. He dives, not falls, with one leg to keep the shutout. Is it correct technique? Definitely not. His right leg should not collapse on such a wide shut. But is it a phenomenal save that he can build off of? Absolutely if he is mindful of working on his technique.

The US U20s and U17s have historically struggled to field goalkeepers that go on to have successful careers. The USYNTs rely on pure athleticism to hold down the fort, which we have seen time and time again isn’t enough. The big question for Cropper now is where does he go from here? Optimism points to the fact that Cropper, still only 22, has years to develop and is clearly improving in a multitude of ways. The flip side is doubtful that he can successfully adhere to correct technique and not solely rely on his strength. Still, the hope that a bald man starts for the USMNT is a strong possibility for now.

Update: Cropper has signed with the New England Revolution after being released by MK Dons, where he had a polarizing time for fans. Some ups and some downs, both seen below.

@letsallsoccer Cropper made some nice saves -> https://t.co/5ab4lDPzY6

— Over There (@socceroverthere) April 3, 2016

Fifteen Goalkeepers We Don't Know Enough About

cover photo from tottenhamhotspur.com

All around the world there are goalkeepers with American ties playing in professional leagues. Some of them are at the end of their careers while others are passing on the college route to sign with a team. It's easy to have higher expectations for players who are getting an early start on their professional career but realistically a large majority of them aren't going to make it. In any case, the allure of being in a great environment - whether it's receiving USYNT call ups, playing for well known clubs, or simply signing professionally before their peers do - raises a lot of questions about a player.

There are three reasons why we may have question marks for a goalkeeper: we might not know how good they are currently due to low exposure, we might not know how they'll develop, or another country might be vying for a dual-citizen as well. There are no expectations on these goalkeepers, seeing as there's no guarantee from playing in any environment, but we are very interested in their future. Here are fifteen goalkeepers we don't know enough about yet.

1. Kaeli Anne Schmidt, 21 - Barcelona

It's not often you see a goalkeeper playing abroad at such a early age on the women's side. Schmidt has not only left St. Mary's to do so, but she went to Barcelona of all places. She signed an amateur contract for last year and was listed on Barcelona's UEFA Champions League roster. It's not clear if Schmidt is still at Barcelona this season or if she's moved on elsewhere.

Since she was on an amateur contract, Barcelona wouldn't permit an interview but Kai Edwards, who coached her at St. Mary's, commended Schmidt's style. "Kaeli has incredible feet. Not just for a goal keeper but for a field player. Kaeli allows a team to play from the back with skill and advance tactics. She is an imposing goalkeeper at about 6'0 and she understands the game well."

2. Brandon Austin, 17 - Tottenham

With his father being born in the US Virgin Islands, there are two main questions for Austin at the moment. First, how soon is he exactly to represent the US? It could take time for him to be eligible or it might be right away. Second, and perhaps more importantly, is he more interest in playing for England instead?

3. Alejandro Iturbe Encabo, 13 - Atletico Madrid

He's thirteen and is rumored to have ties to the midwest. Possibly the loosest claim to American citizenship but it's Atletico Madrid so needless to say he's worth the early interest if the rumors are true, although we have many years to wait to see anything from him.

Will Pulisic, pictured with Dortmund teammates, on the left

4. Will Pulisic, 18 - Dortmund

Sure, sure we all know Pulisic is currently at Dortmund but it's not common practice for the Bundesliga to snipe incoming Duke freshmen. Pulisic did well with the U17s but that also doesn't warrant direction placement into Dortmund. There's no doubt he's getting topnotch training so the finished stage of Pulisic will be very interesting.

5. Carlos dos Santos, 16 - Benfica

Thankfully dos Santos has already shown interest in the US by playing for the U17s. However Dos Santos is in the same boat as Pulisic: we know he's good but there's a lot of developing that goes on from 16-20. Benfica hasn't been a magic pill for USYNT players in the past and now we're waiting to see if Benfica is a good fit for Carlos.

6. Benjamin Machini, 20 - Barakaldo CF (Spain)

Machini helped RCD Mallorca earn promotion last year and now he is on loan with Barakaldo (third division Spain). The Swedish-American goalkeeper is a typical product of a Spanish club: great with his distribution and light on his feet. Machini is a little undersized but looking at Rimando's career, it may suit the US very well. (I spoke to Machini earlier this year in a brief interview.)

7. Nicolas Defreitas-Hansen, 15 - Weston FC (Florida)

It's not often a fifteen year old is called into a U17 camp. The worry here is that if a player is playing up a year or two, especially at goalkeeper, it's because of his physical ability and not because of his his technique. Hopefully he is getting the correct training appropriate to him and not just reps on making him a better athlete.

Defreitas-Hansen with the U14s, top right

8. Benny Diaz, 17 - Queretaro

The U19s have done a wonderful job of bringing in a variety of players and not just the same names over and over. Diaz went to Queretaro in 2015 and was then called up for the Slovakia Cup with the U19s in April of this year. The US hasn't had great success with Mexican-American goalkeepers siding with the US in the past so this is definitely a rare pick up.

9. Christian Hererra, 19 - Pachuca

The 6'7" goalkeeper was loaned to Pachuca from Real Salt Lake in February earlier this year and... that's about it. Similar to Defreitas-Hansen, Hererra is in need of very specific training. You cannot train a 6'7" goalkeeper the same as a 5'10" or even a 6'3" goalkeeper. The Mexican-American hasn't made much of a peep on loan, which could be really good or an unpleasant surprise for RSL when he returns from loan. Hererra has also been involved with Mexico's YNT program as well, which could be cause for concern.

10. Matias Reynares, 17 - Fort Lauderdale Strikers

Reynares joined Fort Lauderdale before the start of this season and was then brought into a U19 camp in September. It's an odd progression for the youngster but coming from a premier Uruguayan club, clubs are going to take the gamble on the goalkeeper. Reynares turns eighteen later this month and if you're interested in watching him as a 14 year old goalkeeper, you're in luck. Otherwise, we don't really know how he plays.

11. Carlos Avilez, 17 - FC Dallas

Avilez was called into USYNT camps fairly regularly up until early 2015 and hasn't been involved since. The 2017 graduate hasn't signed to a college yet, implying that he's looking to skip the collegiate game completely. If FC Dallas gets a USL side going for 2017, we could very well see Avilez on the field.

12. Bakary Sanyang, 22 - Pfeddersheim (Germany)

It's in a pretty low tier in Germany but Sanyang, who was born in New York, has been sent on loan to earn some time on the field. He's a little bit older than the rest of the goalkeepers on this list but he's still the age of a college senior playing professionally in Germany.

Nicholas Ammeter

13. Nicholas Ammeter, 17 - FC Aarau (Switzerland)

Ammeter was with Switzerland's U16s last fall but he hasn't made too much noise with the first team. He's still young and we don't have clue on his development but he was born in New York so he may be worth keeping an eye on down the line.

14. Luis Zamudio, 18 - Club America

Zamudio is a Sueño MLS product and apparently stood out so well that Club America has kept him on for a second year. It doesn't look like he's first in the depth chart but if America is looking to keep him around, it's at least a little promising.

15. Alex Stimac, 20 - Pro Patria (Italy)

The USMNT hasn't had much success with Sammarinese goalkeepers in the past but Stimac could potentially change that. He's playing in the fourth tier in Italy although no starts to his name yet.

Top 24 Goalkeepers Under 24 - July 2016

Cover photo belongs to Tim Heitman / USA TODAY Sports

It's only two years until the 2018 World Cup and the US might need to turn to some rising talent to advance out of the group stage in Russia. Here are twenty-four names to keep an eye out for down the line. Some share dual-citizenship with another country but until they're officially cap-tied, they'll stay on the list. Specifically Sanchez, Gonzalez, Romero (Mexico), Sylvestre (Haiti), Danny Rogers (Ireland), and Machini (Spain, Netherlands).

24 Under 24

1. Ethan Horvath (Molde FK / Norway.1) - 21.1
2. Richard Sanchez (Tigres UANL / Mexico.1) - 22.3
3. Jon Kempin (Swope Park Rangers / USA.3) - 23.3
4. Jesse Gonzalez (FC Dallas / USA.1) - 21.2
5. Brian Sylvestre (Carolina RailHawks / USA.3) - 23.6
6. Zack Steffen (SC Freiburg / Germany.1) - 21.3

No surprise that Horvath tops the list. Sanchez has been awfully quiet in Mexico. He was called into Mexico's U23s in February and hasn't made news outside of a pretty adorable coaching video. Kempin just recently notched a 1-0 shutout last week (some nice saves here). Gonzalez has had an up and down season with FC Dallas. Sylvestre only has three starts with Carolina this year while Steffen earned 14 with Freiburg's reserve squad.

7. Cody Cropper (Free Agent / None) - 23.4
8. Alex Bono (Toronto FC II  / USA.3) - 22.3
9. Abraham Romero (Pachuca / Mexico.1) - 18.4
10. Danny Rogers (Aberdeen FC / Scotland.1) - 22.3
11. Eric Klenofsky (Monmouth / USA.N) - 21.8
12. Jeff Caldwell (Virginia / USA.N) - 20.4

Still no word on Cropper and where he'll land. Some say Atlanta while others are hoping he returns to Minnesota. Bono has most recently taken over for an injured Clint Irwin with Toronto FC's first squad and earned his first MLS start last week. Romero was with Mexico's U20s in June but appears to have picked up a injury. Rogers, who shares Irish nationality, started for premier Scottish club Falkirk 35 times last season. Klenofsky and Caldwell are spending the summer with the New York Red Bulls U23s and the Seattle Sounders U23s, respectively. Caldwell was coincidentally named a top PDL prospect by the PDL themselves.

13. Devin Perales (Rio Grande Valley FC / USA.3) - 23.3
14. Benjamin Machini (RCD Mallorca B / Spain.3) - 19.8
15. Wade Hamilton (Portland Timbers / USA.1) - 21.8
16. William Pulisic (Duke / USA.N) - 18.3
17. Tyler Miller (Seattle Sounders II / USA.3) - 23.3
18. JT Marcinkowski (Georgetown / USA.N) - 19.2

Perales is splitting time in Rio Grande Valley after a good season with Austin. Machini helped Mallorca get promoted to Spain's third division after winning their league. Both Hamilton and Miller are getting groomed by their respective clubs with plenty of time with the USL reserves and making the bench on MLS game days. Pulisic has signed with Duke but will train with Dortmund. He will either look to sign overseas or return to Duke a year late, in the fall of 2017. Marcinkowski is currently with the US U20s and is entering his sophomore year at Georgetown.

19. Austin Rogers (Besa Kavajë / Albania.2) - 20.9
20. Alec Ferrell (Wake Forest / USA.N) - 22.3
21. Matt Bersano (Seattle Sounders II / USA.3) - 23.8
22. Mason Stajduhar (Orlando City SC / USA.1) - 18.6
23. Justin Vom Steeg (UC Santa Barbara / USA.N) - 19.3
24. Kevin Silva (UCLA / USA.N) - 18.5

Rogers had a successful season overseas in Albania and somehow ended up in Mongolia's premier league all-star game. Ferrell enters his senior year at Wake Forest. Bersano and Stajduhar have yet to make the field this season but are likely in the plans down the line with their respective clubs. Vom Steeg is spending his summer with Ventura Fusion before starting his sophomore year at UCSB. Silva looks to solve UCLA's goalkeepers woes for this next fall. 

Best of the Rest

25. Keith Cardona (Indy Eleven / USA.2) - 23.7
26. Andrew Tarbell (San Jose Earthquakes / USA.1) - 22.8
27. Alexandros Tabakis (Charleston Battery / USA.3) - 23.6
28. Paul Blanchette (Burlingame Dragons FC / USA.4) - 22.3
29. Travis Worra (DC United / USA.1) - 23.3
30. Brenden Alfery (Pittsburgh Riverhounds / USA.3) - 22.2
31. Arie Ammann (Penn State / USA.N) - 19.8
32. Tomas Gomez (Rochester Rhinos / USA.3) - 23.2
33. Matt Turner (Richmond Kickers / USA.3) - 22.1
34. Luis Barraza (Marquette / USA.N) - 19.7
35. Bobby Edwards (Saint Joseph's / USA.N) - 20.5
36. Nathan Steinwascher (Detroit City FC / USA.4) - 23.5
37. Ricky Brown (Colgate / USA.N) - 21.5
38. Jeff Gal (Lidköpings FK / Sweden.4) - 23.3
39. Grayson Rector (Belmont / USA.N) - 21.9
40. Mauricio Vargas (Pittsburgh Riverhounds / USA.3) - 23.9
41. Austin Aviza (Syracuse / USA.N) - 19.4
42. Bennett Sneddon (Los Angeles Galaxy II / USA.3) - 19.3
43. Nick Ciraldo (Cleveland State / USA.N) - 21.3
44. Charlie Horton (Richmond Kickers / USA.3) - 21.8
45. Lee Johnston (San Antonio FC / USA.3) - 23.7
46. Colin Hanley (Niagara / USA.N) - 19.7
47. Ben Lundgaard (Virginia Tech / USA.N) - 20.8
48. Jonathan Klinsmann (California / USA.N) - 19.4
49. Josh Cohen (OC Blues FC / USA.3) - 23.9
50. Paul Christensen (Portland / USA.N) - 20.3