Kasey Keller

As the final whistle fell upon the hallowed ground of CenturyLink Field in Seattle Wednesday night, so too did the alarm on the end of the professional career of goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

                                                     photo courtesy "prostamerika.com"

If one were to throw a dart on a map of the world, they would most likely come across a place with American players. More precise geographic pinpointing would lead to Europe and a slew of the best the U.S. has to offer, from top goalkeepers like Tim Howard and Marcus Hahnemann to great playmakers a la Clint Dempsey. It wasn't always this way. In 1992, Keller signed with famed east London side Millwall, spurning a string of American goalkeepers and players to go overseas including Tim howard, who moved to Manchester United in 2003. Keller would go on to become the first American keeper to act as a regular starter in the English Premier League, Spain's La Liga, and the German Bundesliga.

Keller wore the captain's armband for Borrusia Monchengladbach in 2006, marking the second time an American has done so in the central European country. The selection of Keller to lead the squad is reflective of what kind of player he has come to be known over the course of his expansive career. Named U.S. soccer player of the year three times, Keller is beloved by Americans. However, the true mark of a great player is gaining respect in a variety of arenas, which Keller certainly did. He helped Fulham avoid relegation in the famed near-disaster season of 2008 and won a league cup with Leicester City in 1997.

Goalkeepers are asked to lead quietly, occasionally gaining attention for big saves or impressive cleansheets. However, more often than not, they are noted for their mishaps and forgotten for everything else. On this day, though, as folks wake up in Monchengladbach or Seattle or London, they will most certainly remember the legend, the hero, the wall:

Kasey Keller

video courtesy ussoccer.com