The U.S. national team’s top two goalies, Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel, are not ending the year on a positive note.
Keller’s Millwall lost to Derby 1-0 Dec. 16 at home to drop its fifth straight game and fall into a four-way tie for seventh place. Millwall, which now has lost five games at home this season, had led the English First Division much of the fall until its recent slide.
Meanwhile, Friedel’s Turkish club, Galatasaray, continues to have defensive problems, losing to Istanbul rival Besiktas 3-1 Dec. 17 at home and dropping to fourth place in the Turkish First Division.
Galatasaray, the defending Turkish champion, has been unable to solve in its problems along its backline. With Welsh striker Dean Saunders injured, Friedel was the only foreigner Scottish coach Graeme Souness used. He has been looking at a pair of Dutch defenders, Roda JC’s Johan De Kock and Feyenoord’s Ulrich Van Gobbel, as possible reinforcements.
Two other U.S. goalies fared better. Jurgen Sommer’s QPR moved up one spot to 17th in the English Premier League with a 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers Dec. 16. Mike Amannn was again in goal for Charlton in its 2-1 win at Barnsley that moved the London club into a tie for third place in the English First Division.
Finally, Ian Feuer returned to the starting lineup at Luton, but he endured a long afternoon in goal. Luton lost to Portsmouth 4-0 and fell into the basement of the English First Division.