Brad Friedel

Friedel in the Tottenham Hotspur Training Dress (2011)

Howard Bradley "Brad" Friedel ( born May 18, 1971 in Lakewood, Ohio ) is an American soccer goalkeeper. The 82- times capped player took for the United States at three World Cups in part, belonged to the U.S. selection at the 1992 Olympics and holds in the English Premier League with 310 inserts the record for most games played in a row.

4.1 club title
4.2 Personal Awards

Club career

Training and first short exposures (up to 1997)

Friedel grew up in Bay Village, Ohio where he attended Westerly Elementary School, and later the Bay Middle School and finally the Bay High School. In his sporting activities he was interested in next to the football for tennis and basketball. In the latter sport, he managed to be appointed to the Student Selection of Ohio. From 1990, he attended UCLA in Los Angeles, where he was invited to trial the basketball selection of UCLA Bruins. Ultimately, however, he opted for the football section of the Bruins. Already in the first year of college, he won the championship with his team in the NCAA. In the two following years he established himself as the best college goalkeeper, won in two years, the award for the " First Team All American " and received the 1992 Hermann Trophy as the best university footballers.

One further academic career went Friedel, who was also the U.S. national team from 1992, not after, but instead planned a career as a professional footballer preferably at clubs in Europe. At the end of the 1994 World Cup, when he retired with the U.S. team in the second round, was Kevin Keegan, former head coach of Newcastle United, aware of him. Keegan signed him, but because of a lack of work permit for Friedel in England the agreement was invalid. At the beginning of 1995 Friedel was second behind goalkeeper Mogens Krogh in the Danish first division club Brøndby IF. He played ten games for the club before the exposure by about six months ended.

Beginning of the 1995/96 season he moved to the Turkish giants Galatasaray, who was cared for at this time the Scottish coach Graeme Souness. As this was Friedel a year in the metropolis on the Bosporus and won the season finale in two playoff games against Fenerbahce to the Turkish Cup. Then he returned to the U.S. and joined there in the ongoing first season of Major League Soccer club the Columbus Crew on. Friedel succeeded in the nine remaining games in which he suffered seven goals to oust the previous goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi from the grid. In the following season, Friedel was goalkeeper of the club and was also voted best goalkeeper in the MLS ( " MLS Goalkeeper of the Year" ), and named to the All-Star Team ( " MLS Best XI " ) selected.

Liverpool FC (1997-2000)

Shortly before Christmas 1997 Friedel moved to the Premier League for Liverpool. The former head coach Roy Evans had the Americans originally intended as a replacement man behind goalkeeper David James. After a series of weak Games by James Friedel was on 28 February 1998 in the match against Aston Villa for the first time in the starting lineup. Friedel fell in a row with loud commands to his people and leading by a physically aggressive style of play. However, frequent changes in the team's formation, also disabled it in the performance shown. The order the French coach Gerard Houllier advanced sports management of the club put him for weaknesses in the matches against Charlton Athletic in September 1998 and shortly thereafter only in athletic games and insignificant in the reserve team against Manchester United. After the change of James Aston Villa 's successor Sander Westerveld Vitesse Arnhem for new first-choice goalkeeper at the Reds was. With the exception of three compulsory bets in October 1999 due to an injury of Westerveld Friedel is no longer included in the 1999/2000 season to his disappointment. Finally he took in November 2000 used the opportunity for a free transfer switch to second division side Blackburn Rovers.

Blackburn Rovers (2000-2008)

In the Rovers Friedel was in competition with the established goalkeepers John Filan, Alan Kelly and Alan Miller. Head coach Graham Souness, who had already worked together successfully in Istanbul with Friedel, however, saw the signing of beginning a new strain force. Although Friedel could hardly distinguish because of the playful superiority of the team over other second-division teams in the 2000/ 01 season, he impressed in particular by a good performance in the match against FC Wimbledon and rose at the end of the season with Rovers as a table runner-up in the Premier League on.

His individual development as a safer and more responsive goalkeeper continued in England's top flight successfully continued. Due to its improved capabilities he helped the team the season 2001 /02 ended in the secure mid-table. In addition, the Rovers won the final of the League Cup with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur and Friedel was the best player of the match ( "Man of the Match" ) is selected. In the season 2002/ 03 he was in 15 games without conceding a goal and became an unpleasant opponent of penalty takers. At the end of the season as Blackburn qualified in sixth for participation in the UEFA Cup and he himself was of the representatives of the players' union PFA Team of the Year ( "PFA Team of the Year" ) is selected.

First sports setbacks with the team he suffered in the season 2003/ 04, as well as his achievements eased by the German newcomer Markus Babbel behind a sometimes disorganized -type defense series. As the first Blackburn goalkeeper ever at Charlton Athletic in the final minute he succeeded on 21 February 2004 a goal, but in the direct return, the winner of the Addicks to 3:2 followed.

With the help of Andy Todd and newcomer Ryan Nelsen in central defense also Friedel's defense services consolidated in the 2004/05 season under new coach Mark Hughes. Again remained Friedel in 15 league games without conceding a goal and showed especially in the two games against Manchester United extraordinary parades. In the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal pricked his services out despite the 0-3 defeat. In an increasingly better coordinated set defensive Friedel excelled in the 2005/06 season, in which he was required less frequently than before the intervention, with 16 league games without conceding its previous value.

The Rovers for the less successful season 2006/ 07 was for Friedel 's third consecutive season in which he was used in all league games. He held up four penalties taken and kept his team through a two-time rescue operation shortly before the end of the FA Cup second round against Arsenal before retirement.

The 2007/08 season, in which he showed consistently good performance in general, and an exceptionally good performance against Manchester United, was Friedel's last season at Blackburn Rovers. The now 37 -year-old goalkeeper was persuaded by an offer of his countryman and club owner Randy Lerner three-year contract to a premature move to Aston Villa. The contract required the resolution Rovers came after the receipt for a transfer fee of 2.5 million pounds of the Villans.

Aston Villa (2008-2011)

His debut for Aston Villa Friedel was on 14 August 2008 in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup against the Icelandic club FH Hafnarfjörður. Head coach Martin O'Neill pulled him in the following matches its internal association competitors Brad Guzan before, so Friedel successively came in the fourth season now in all league games of the Premier League action. In November 2008, he surpassed 167 League assignments in consecutive order the previous best of his former team-mate David James. Here Friedel benefited, that the Football Association for one, as the subsequent analysis of television images showed unauthorized expulsion refrained in the game against Liverpool of a lock.

In the 2009/10 season were by all goalkeepers in the Premier League compared to him only Petr Cech of Chelsea and Pepe Reina from Liverpool FC in more matches without conceding a goal. The in spite of its relatively high age athletes good performance led Friedel claims to be on a strict diet control and yoga exercises back. In particular memories his achievements remained in the 0-0 draw at Tottenham and the 1-0 derby win against Birmingham City. The season 2010/11 was for the Friedel now sixth season without missed League use may force he expanded successively his record to 275 matches in a row.

Tottenham Hotspur ( since 2011 )

On June 3, 2011 Aston Villa announced the change Friedel to Tottenham Hotspur. Friedel signed a two-year contract until the end of the 2012/13 season and put an instant success against the former goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and replacement keeper Carlo Cudicini. On April 21, 2012, he played his 300th Premier League game in consecutive order. The series ended after 310 use on 7 October 2012, as Tottenham's coach Andre Villas -Boas preferred the Frenchman Hugo Lloris in the match against Aston Villa. Despite the lost tribe square Friedel extended in December 2012 his contract until the summer of 2014. With the Spurs Friedel reached in the 2012/13 season the quarter-finals of the Europa League, resigned from there, however, against FC Basel.

Career in national teams of the United States

Having already been in the Olympic team of the United States since 1991 and had taken part in the Summer Games in Barcelona in the summer of 1992, he made his debut in September 1992 against Canada in the senior national team of the United States. Less than two years later he was in the squad for the 1994 World Cup in their own country and there spare man behind Tony Meola.

Although he showed good performance in the subsequent period and 1993 as main goalkeeper and 1995 was alternating with Kasey Keller at the Copa América tournament in goal, Friedel was also at the 1998 World Cup in France, first behind the cellar only substitute goalkeeper. Only in the third group game against Yugoslavia received over basement preference, but could not prevent the withdrawal by a 0:1 from the tournament.

As one of three "non- junior " Friedel took part in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and recorded there with the fourth - the best so far placement of a football team of the United States - a decent result. Also in the senior team he had in the meantime established itself as a goalkeeper before the basement. In this role, he completed all five games up to the quarter -finals of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. He stopped in the group stage each two penalties against South Korea (1-1) and Poland ( 1:3). In the next round against arch-rivals Mexico (2-0), he remained without conceding a goal. In the 0-1 defeat in the quarter- final against Germany, Friedel's last tournament use, he was with the headed goal by Michael Ballack in the 39th minute from close range without defensive ability.

In February 2005, Friedel announced his retirement from international football known; He had completed a total of 82 matches in a little over twelve years.