Clemente Lisi reports on the increasing number of imported MLS goalkeepers. He cites the Elias Sports Bureau’s stats that from 1998 to 2005, goalkeepers born inthe USA started 94 percent of MLS games. But over the years the percentage has dropped in a country known for producing high quality keepers (eg: Tony Meola, Brad Freidel, KaseyKeller and Tim Howard).
Going into Week 4 of the 2011 season, just 71 percent of the games featured a starting goalkeeper that was U.S.-born.
“I still believe we have a great stock of goalkeepers – young and old – being produced in this country,” said Columbus Crew starting keeper William Hesmer.“However, the young ones are now suffering more. They simply can’t get better if they aren’t playing meaningful games.”
The Philadelphia Union signed Colombianinternational Fayrd Mondragon for the 2011 season. In the 2011 MLS SuperDraft only one goalkeeper, U.S. U-20’s Zac MacMath from the University of Maryland, waschosen in the first round. MacMath sits on the bench for the Union while Mondragon is the starter.