GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!!

By:  Matt Carlson

You guys love goals.  The top five most viewed videos of all-time on this site are goals.  Interviews, news items, Alex Morgan in body paint – nothing else even comes close.  You love you some goals.  By contrast, goalkeeping videos don’t get as much love.  Unless it is a penalty shot save, goalkeeping highlights typically are much lower on the views.  Even assists get more looks than impressive shot stopping.   It’s not a surprise, I suppose.  I’m guilty of the same mentality.  Maybe American goalkeepers have been so good in the last fifteen years, USMNT fans have gotten used to it.  Maybe USMNT fans have been so desperate for a world class scorer that we are conditioned to view all goals scored by an American over and over and over to see if we have finally found our talisman.  Maybe it is just the simple fact that good goalkeeping is generally boring.

Because of goals and assists, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have been getting most of the attention from USMNT soccer fans right now.  Their play has even spawned debates over who is the better player, with fans taking sides akin to ‘tweens joining Team Edward or Team Jacob.   In all the excitement, however, many USMNT fans seem to have forgotten about another player who has also been playing at a high level in England and for a much longer time.  CONTINUE READING AFTER THE JUMP.

Two weekends ago, while Donovan was getting his sixth assist in his final Premier League game of his loan with Everton and Dempsey was rattling the crossbar with a thirty yard swerving missile leading to an own goal against Stoke, the longest tenured American in the Premier League was between the pipes for Tottenham’s shutout of Newcastle.  Brad Friedel, who will be forty-one on May 18, made a full stretch fingertip save of a free kick and an impressive reaction save belying his age to preserve the shut out.   The shutout put Spurs ten points clear of Arsenal for third place, which is a Champions League spot, and they still have an outside chance at the Premier League title.  No other American is having this level of individual or team success this season, yet Friedel is getting very little attention by comparison.

I think we forget about Friedel a bit because he retired from international football in 2005.  We know he is not on the radar for a call up, so he has gotten less of our interest in the last seven years.  Although nearing the end of his career, Friedel is not just hanging in there biding his time until they give him his gold watch. He’s having a great season.   As an example, he stopped thirteen shots against Fulham earlier this year earning Man of the Match honors.   Friedel has made the fifth most saves in the Premier League this season, but Spurs have the third lowest goals against and are on pace to give up fewer goals than last season.  Friedel has ten Premier League clean sheets, one behind league leader Joe Hart of Manchester City. For his career, Friedel has 126 shutouts in the Premier League which is eighth all-time and third among active keepers. Spurs’ goalkeeping coach, Tony Parks, toldtottenhamspurs.com that “for a 40-year old man to play at the level he plays at is phenomenal.” To give some context to what Friedel is doing this season, it is important to remember that Friedel was out of contract at end of 2010-2011 season and Aston Villa reportedly only offered him an incentive based one-year contract. Friedel took a pass and moved to Spurs on a free transfer in a move seen by many as him going to Spurs to be a backup. So, unwanted and aging at the end of last season, this season Friedel is again among the best in the league.

In addition to his success this season, Friedel is also on the verge of achieving an amazing personal milestone.  Friedel has made 299 consecutive Premier League starts at keeper and is on pace to make it 300 against Arsenal this coming Sunday.  To put this in perspective, the next longest streak is held by former England International, David James, at a measly 166 matches.  James is not in the Premier League this season and is not likely to close the gap on Friedel anytime soon.  Tottenham goalkeeping legend, Pat Jennings, who played until he was 41, recently told the Spurs website, “Brad has been unbelievable.  At this age, to be on a run of approaching 300 matches without missing a game is fantastic.  I don’t think anyone will ever get near that record.”  In case you were wondering, the oldest goalkeeper to play in the Premier League was John Burridge at 43 years, 163 days. Friedel is on a two-year contract with Tottenham, so who knows?


There have been many successful Americans abroad over the years.  Currently, Dempsey is making it happen, Donovan has twice left Everton sad at his departure, and Howard is an outstanding keeper who is making his own mark, but I think that Friedel has had the best club career of any American abroad, to date.  I know Friedel has not played for top sides and he does not have many trophies, but the fact that he has maintained his position as a starting keeper in the Premier League for so long, particularly when the league is short of patience for goalkeeping mistakes, is strong evidence.  Friedel is getting up there, so we may not have much longer to appreciate him.  Yes, goals are more fun, but, perhaps, one of the reasons that they are is because there are people like Brad Friedel out there preventing goals from being scored.  Friedel is somewhat a victim of his own success when it comes to attention as it can be argued that the better keeper you are the less exciting your performances are.  So, spare a moment to look in on the Spurs’ match this Sunday and wherever you are watching give a clap for Friedel.  Hopefully, you will be bored to death.