Brad Friedel
Encyclopedia
Bradley Howard Friedel (born May 18, 1971) is an American
soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur
in the Premier League.
He played 82 games for the United States national team
between 1992 and 2005, and represented his country at three FIFA World Cup
tournaments. He is the current holder of the Premier League record for most consecutive appearances with 278 (as of 10 September 2011), a feat he achieved during spells at Blackburn Rovers
, Aston Villa
, and Tottenham Hotspur
.
He is also officially Aston Villa's oldest ever player, a record he achieved on 1 February 2011 by playing in the club's Premier League fixture away at Manchester United
. Friedel's age of 39 years and 259 days surpassed the previous record held by Ernie Callaghan
who last played for Villa against Grimsby Town
in April 1947, aged 39 years and 257 days. Friedel's last appearance for Villa was on 22 May 2011 in a 1–0 home win against Liverpool
, aged 40 years and 4 days.
, where he attended Westerly Elementary School, Bay Middle School and Bay High School
. Growing up, Friedel played several sports, including soccer, basketball
and tennis
and excelled in all three. He earned Bay High's Outstanding Athlete of the Year award in 1989. As an All-State basketball player in Ohio, he was invited to try out as a walk-on for UCLA's basketball team in 1990. He began as a forward on his youth soccer team before moving into goal. Friedel graduated from Bay High in 1989.
Friedel played college soccer
at the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA). In 1990, he backstopped the Bruins to the NCAA championship
. He was selected as the first team All American goalkeeper
in 1991 and 1992 and won the Hermann Trophy
in 1992 as the top collegiate soccer player. SoccerAmerica
magazine named Friedel to its College Team of the Century
.
, but was denied a work permit
, the first in several such failed attempts to move to England. Instead, Friedel signed a contract with the United States Soccer Federation
to play exclusively with the United States national team
as it prepared for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
. Following the end of the cup, Friedel began searching for a professional club.
Friedel was signed by manager Kevin Keegan
of Newcastle United
, but was again denied a work permit. While awaiting approval from the British authorities, he practiced with Newcastle as an on loan player from USSF
. When the work permit was not approved, Friedel negotiated a loan from USSF to Danish Superliga
club Brøndby IF
. He stayed at the club for several months in 1995, as back-up to Mogens Krogh
, without playing any games. Friedel remained with Brøndby until he returned to the U.S. to rejoin the national team, then preparing for the 1995 U.S. Cup
and Copa America
.
After the two tournaments, Friedel attempted a third time to join an English club, this time Sunderland
. However, when Friedel again failed to receive a British work permit, his agent negotiated a $1.1 million transfer from USSF to leading Turkish team Galatasaray
in 1995. Galatasaray were managed by Friedel's future Blackburn manager Graeme Souness
. In July 1996, following the end of the Turkish season, Friedel moved to the Columbus Crew
of MLS
. As he arrived mid-season, he initially served as a back up to starter Bo Oshoniyi
, but by the end of the season, had managed to play nine games in which he conceded only 7 goals. In February 1997, he signed a three year contract with the Crew as he was named the team's starter. That season he was selected to the MLS Best XI
and named the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
.
worth £1.7 million in 1997. On December 23, 1997, Liverpool gained a work permit for Friedel on appeal after the first request was denied. He made his debut against Aston Villa
on February 28, 1998. While Friedel had some initial success with the Reds, he soon had a difficult time, managing just over thirty games in almost three years, including two appearances in the UEFA Cup, as he sat behind first David James
and later Sander Westerveld
.
by Graeme Souness
on a free transfer in November 2000 after a work permit was secured.
Friedel had consistent performances ever since joining during Rovers' promotion winning 2000–01 season
. His assured performances ensured Blackburn's return to the Premiership and helped keep them there in the years after.
Memorable performances for Blackburn include playing against Tottenham Hotspur
in the League Cup Final in late 2002 when he was named Man of the Match
. In a 2–1 win over Arsenal
at Highbury
, Friedel made several immense saves and was only beaten by a deflected free kick. A stunning performance away at Southampton
, also in late 2002, prompted Gordon Strachan
to liken him to Superman
, "Friedel must have got changed in a telephone box. I wouldn't be surprised if when he takes his shirt off there's a blue jersey with an `S' on underneath it."
At the end of the 2002–03 season
, Friedel's 15 shutouts earned him Blackburn's Player of the Year award as well as selection to the Premiership Starting XI. On February 21, 2004, in an away game against Charlton Athletic
, Friedel scored a goal from open play in the 90th minute, from a corner kick. Friedel's goal equalized the game at 2–2, but seconds later Charlton scored again through Claus Jensen
and went on to win the match 3–2. He became the second goalkeeper in Premier League history (excluding own goals) to score after Peter Schmeichel
for Aston Villa
in 2001. Another memorable Friedel performance for Blackburn came against Sheffield United
on September 9, 2006, in the Barclays Premier League
. Friedel saved two penalties and made a number of other smart saves, earning Man of the Match honors.
Friedel extended his contract with Blackburn Rovers on April 14, 2006, stating his love for the club as a reason. Two years later, on February 5, 2008, he again signed an extension to his Rovers contract stating that "I am delighted to have extended the agreement. It was not a difficult decision to make. Blackburn Rovers is home to me. This is my club and I have a special affinity with it." He would, however, leave the club at the end of the season to join Aston Villa.
if an offer was accepted, with Manchester City
reportedly interested in signing the American. The club accepted a transfer bid for Friedel, thought to be in the region of £2.5 million, subject to the club themselves having a bid accepted for a replacement goalkeeper.
Aston Villa were holding talks with Brad Friedel on July 25. Friedel signed a three-year contract with Aston Villa the day after. Friedel was unveiled at half time during Aston Villa's Intertoto Cup
match against Odense
.
He made his debut against Reading
on August 2 at the Madejski Stadium
. Just ten minutes in the hosts were awarded a penalty which Friedel then saved. His competitive debut came in the UEFA Cup
second qualifying round, first leg against Hafnarfjordur away from home. Villa won the match 4–1. Friedel played his first Premiership match for Aston Villa on August 17, 2008, the first match for Aston Villa in the season 2008–09
, in which Villa beat Manchester City 4–2 at home.
He broke the record for continuous games played in the Premier League on November 30, 2008, after his 167th finished in a 0–0 draw with Fulham
. He was sent off against former club Liverpool at Anfield
by referee Martin Atkinson
. Liverpool were awarded a penalty that Steven Gerrard
converted against Villa's second choice goalkeeper, Brad Guzan
. Friedel's red card, which he received on the Sunday beforehand, was overturned by the FA on March 24, meaning that he was able to continue his streak of consecutive Premiership appearances. On January 16, 2011, he reached the landmark of 250 consecutive league games.
Friedel became the oldest player to ever play for Aston Villa following the 3–1 loss to Manchester United on 1 February 2011.
. This meant that Friedel further extended his run of consecutive games in the Premier League after his transfer from Aston Villa.
in 1992, a game in which he managed to keep a clean sheet. He was the first choice goalkeeper for the U.S 1992 Olympic
team; however, he was unable to beat out Tony Meola
as first choice keeper for the U.S. team at the 1994 World Cup
. His chance came, and Friedel made his World Cup debut in the 1998 World Cup
where he conceded one goal as the U.S. lost to Yugoslavia. He lived up to his growing reputation in the 2002 World Cup
as the U.S. went on a surprising run to the quarterfinals, which included a 3–2 victory over Portugal
in group play and a 2–0 second-round win over arch-rival Mexico
before a loss to Germany
(the eventual runner-up). He also became the first keeper to save two penalty kicks during regular play (as opposed to penalty shootouts
) in a World Cup finals tournament since 1974. He was dubbed "The Human Wall" by fans during the spectacular 2002 World Cup run.
Friedel announced his retirement from international football on February 7, 2005. In 2006, Friedel broke ground on his dream project, Premier Soccer Academies, a $10,000,000 project that will emulate player development facilities found worldwide, located in Lorain, Ohio
. The mission of Premier Soccer Academies is to provide athletes with world-class coaching and facilities regardless of their socioeconomic background.
Though raised in the Midwestern
state of Ohio
, Friedel developed a slight English accent having lived in the north of the country for more than a decade. "The English don't think I have an accent at all. They think I sound American. And Americans think I sound English. I think I'm caught in the middle."
Friedel is a fan of the Cleveland Browns
, an American football team which Aston Villa chairman Randy Lerner
also owns.
He also names former American international goalkeeper Tim Harris
as his all-time football hero. Friedel credits Harris as "the person who started my journey."
|1994–95
||Brøndby
||Superliga
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|1995–96
||Galatasaray
||Süper Lig||30||0||7||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||37||0
|-
|1996||rowspan="2"|Columbus Crew
||rowspan="2"|Major League Soccer
||9||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||12||0
|-
|1997||29||0||0||0||4||0||0||0||33||0
|-
|1997–98
||rowspan="3"|Liverpool
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||11||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||11||0
|-
|1998–99
||12||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0||2||0||16||0
|-
|1999-00||2||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0||colspan="2"|-||4||0
|-
|2000–01
||rowspan="8"|Blackburn Rovers
||First Division
||28||0||6||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||34||0
|-
|2001–02
||rowspan="11"|Premier League||36||0||3||0||6||0||colspan="2"|-||45||0
|-
|2002–03
||37||0||3||0||3||0||4||0||47||0
|-
|2003–04
||36||1||1||0||1||0||2||0||40||1
|-
|2004–05
||38||0||7||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||45||0
|-
|2005–06
||38||0||2||0||6||0||colspan="2"|-||46||0
|-
|2006–07
||38||0||6||0||1||0||8||0||53||0
|-
|2007–08||38||0||1||0||3||0||5||0||47||0
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="3"|Aston Villa
||38||0||3||0||0||0||5||0||46||0
|-
|2009–10||38||0||3||0||1||0||0||0||42||0
|-
|2010–11
||38||0||3||0||2||0||0||0||43||0
|-
|2011–12
||rowspa="1"n|Tottenham Hotspur
||10||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||0
|-
0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
30||0||7||0||0||0||0||0||37||0
38||0||0||0||7||0||0||0||45||0
436||1||38||0||27||0||26||0||527||1
504||1||45||0||34||0||26||0||609||1
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in the Premier League.
He played 82 games for the United States national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
between 1992 and 2005, and represented his country at three FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
tournaments. He is the current holder of the Premier League record for most consecutive appearances with 278 (as of 10 September 2011), a feat he achieved during spells at Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, and Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
.
He is also officially Aston Villa's oldest ever player, a record he achieved on 1 February 2011 by playing in the club's Premier League fixture away at Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. Friedel's age of 39 years and 259 days surpassed the previous record held by Ernie Callaghan
Ernie Callaghan
Ernie "Mush" Callaghan was an Association footballer in England. He played for several small clubs before being signed for Aston Villa F.C. in 1930...
who last played for Villa against Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
in April 1947, aged 39 years and 257 days. Friedel's last appearance for Villa was on 22 May 2011 in a 1–0 home win against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, aged 40 years and 4 days.
Youth and college
Born in Lakewood, Ohio, Friedel grew up in Bay VillageBay Village, Ohio
-Education:Bay High School was awarded the blue ribbon award in the school year of 2010-11.Newsweek magazine placed Bay High School 793rd in its 2009 ranking of the top 1,500 U.S...
, where he attended Westerly Elementary School, Bay Middle School and Bay High School
Bay High School (Bay Village, Ohio)
Bay High School is a public high school located in Bay Village, Ohio, west of Cleveland, Ohio. Bay High has been included in Newsweek Magazine's Best High Schools in America list since 2006. Bay High was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the Ohio Department of Education in 2010.The school...
. Growing up, Friedel played several sports, including soccer, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and excelled in all three. He earned Bay High's Outstanding Athlete of the Year award in 1989. As an All-State basketball player in Ohio, he was invited to try out as a walk-on for UCLA's basketball team in 1990. He began as a forward on his youth soccer team before moving into goal. Friedel graduated from Bay High in 1989.
Friedel played college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
(UCLA). In 1990, he backstopped the Bruins to the NCAA championship
NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
The NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
. He was selected as the first team All American goalkeeper
Division I First-Team All-American (soccer)
The Division I First-Team All-Americans are the best eleven U.S. college soccer players as selected by the NCAA.-1970–1983:From 1970 to 1983 the NCAA only named defenders and forwards in addition to one goalkeeper.-1983–present:...
in 1991 and 1992 and won the Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
in 1992 as the top collegiate soccer player. SoccerAmerica
Soccer America Magazine
Soccer America Magazine is a national American magazine devoted to soccer founded in the early 1970s and is still being published. Its primary focus is soccer in the United States, but it also covers the international game extensively. It was begun by publisher Clay Berling during a period of...
magazine named Friedel to its College Team of the Century
Soccer America College Team of the Century
The Soccer America College Team of the Century were chosen by the editors of the American periodical Soccer America to comprise, as one men's and one women's eleven-member side divided each as one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders, and three forwards, the best players of collegiate...
.
Early career
Friedel left UCLA early to pursue a professional career. He began by attempting to sign with Nottingham Forest under Brian CloughBrian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, but was denied a work permit
Work permit (United Kingdom)
The UK Work Permit scheme was an immigration category used to encourage skilled workers to enter the United Kingdom up till November 2008, when it was replaced by the points-based immigration system...
, the first in several such failed attempts to move to England. Instead, Friedel signed a contract with the United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
to play exclusively with the United States national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
as it prepared for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. Following the end of the cup, Friedel began searching for a professional club.
Friedel was signed by manager Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
of Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, but was again denied a work permit. While awaiting approval from the British authorities, he practiced with Newcastle as an on loan player from USSF
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
. When the work permit was not approved, Friedel negotiated a loan from USSF to Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
club Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
. He stayed at the club for several months in 1995, as back-up to Mogens Krogh
Mogens Krogh
Mogens Krogh is a Danish retired professional football player who is currently the goalkeeper coach for the youth teams of Brøndby IF...
, without playing any games. Friedel remained with Brøndby until he returned to the U.S. to rejoin the national team, then preparing for the 1995 U.S. Cup
1995 U.S. Cup
The 1995 U.S. Cup was a four nation invitational tournament organized by the United States Soccer Federation in June 1995. USSF began the U.S. Cup in 1992 and it was played annually until 2000, except for the World Cup years of 1994 and 1998. The cup used a round-robin format in which the team...
and Copa America
Copa América 1995
The 1995 Copa América football tournament was staged in Uruguay. It was won by Uruguay, who beat Brazil 5-3 in the penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the final. All 10 CONMEBOL members took part, with Mexico and the USA invited in order to reach 12 teams....
.
After the two tournaments, Friedel attempted a third time to join an English club, this time Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. However, when Friedel again failed to receive a British work permit, his agent negotiated a $1.1 million transfer from USSF to leading Turkish team Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
in 1995. Galatasaray were managed by Friedel's future Blackburn manager Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
. In July 1996, following the end of the Turkish season, Friedel moved to the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
of MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. As he arrived mid-season, he initially served as a back up to starter Bo Oshoniyi
Bo Oshoniyi
Adegboyega "Bo" Oshoniyi is an American soccer goalkeeper who last played for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer.- Career :...
, but by the end of the season, had managed to play nine games in which he conceded only 7 goals. In February 1997, he signed a three year contract with the Crew as he was named the team's starter. That season he was selected to the MLS Best XI
MLS Best XI
The MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
and named the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award
In the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Goalkeeper of the Year Award since its inception in 1996. Here is a list of recipients:-Winners:-External links:*...
.
Liverpool
Friedel completed a transfer to LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
worth £1.7 million in 1997. On December 23, 1997, Liverpool gained a work permit for Friedel on appeal after the first request was denied. He made his debut against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
on February 28, 1998. While Friedel had some initial success with the Reds, he soon had a difficult time, managing just over thirty games in almost three years, including two appearances in the UEFA Cup, as he sat behind first David James
David James (footballer)
David Benjamin James is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City.On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs on the 14th May 2011...
and later Sander Westerveld
Sander Westerveld
Sander Westerveld is a Dutch professional football goalkeeper. He left Sparta Rotterdam at the end of the 2007–08 Eredivisie season to play for Monza, and is currently playing for South African Premier Soccer League club Ajax Cape Town....
.
Blackburn Rovers
He was signed to Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
by Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
on a free transfer in November 2000 after a work permit was secured.
Friedel had consistent performances ever since joining during Rovers' promotion winning 2000–01 season
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
. His assured performances ensured Blackburn's return to the Premiership and helped keep them there in the years after.
Memorable performances for Blackburn include playing against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in the League Cup Final in late 2002 when he was named Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
. In a 2–1 win over Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at Highbury
Highbury
- Early Highbury :The area now known as Islington was part of the larger manor of Tolentone, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tolentone was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Road. The manor house was situated by what is now...
, Friedel made several immense saves and was only beaten by a deflected free kick. A stunning performance away at Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, also in late 2002, prompted Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
to liken him to Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, "Friedel must have got changed in a telephone box. I wouldn't be surprised if when he takes his shirt off there's a blue jersey with an `S' on underneath it."
At the end of the 2002–03 season
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
, Friedel's 15 shutouts earned him Blackburn's Player of the Year award as well as selection to the Premiership Starting XI. On February 21, 2004, in an away game against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, Friedel scored a goal from open play in the 90th minute, from a corner kick. Friedel's goal equalized the game at 2–2, but seconds later Charlton scored again through Claus Jensen
Claus Jensen
Claus William Jensen is a former Danish professional footballer, who played as a midfielder. Jensen played more than 40 games and scored 8 goals for the Denmark national football team, and represented Denmark at the 2002 World Cup and 2004 European Championship tournaments. He is the cousin of AaB...
and went on to win the match 3–2. He became the second goalkeeper in Premier League history (excluding own goals) to score after Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
for Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in 2001. Another memorable Friedel performance for Blackburn came against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
on September 9, 2006, in the Barclays Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
. Friedel saved two penalties and made a number of other smart saves, earning Man of the Match honors.
Friedel extended his contract with Blackburn Rovers on April 14, 2006, stating his love for the club as a reason. Two years later, on February 5, 2008, he again signed an extension to his Rovers contract stating that "I am delighted to have extended the agreement. It was not a difficult decision to make. Blackburn Rovers is home to me. This is my club and I have a special affinity with it." He would, however, leave the club at the end of the season to join Aston Villa.
Aston Villa
Friedel had asked Blackburn Rovers for permission to let him speak with Aston VillaAston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
if an offer was accepted, with Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
reportedly interested in signing the American. The club accepted a transfer bid for Friedel, thought to be in the region of £2.5 million, subject to the club themselves having a bid accepted for a replacement goalkeeper.
Aston Villa were holding talks with Brad Friedel on July 25. Friedel signed a three-year contract with Aston Villa the day after. Friedel was unveiled at half time during Aston Villa's Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
match against Odense
Odense BK
Odense Boldklub is a Danish professional football club based in the town of Odense. The club has won three Danish championships and five Danish Cup trophies. OB play in the Danish Superliga and their home field is TRE-FOR Park in Odense on Funen...
.
He made his debut against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
on August 2 at the Madejski Stadium
Madejski Stadium
The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon...
. Just ten minutes in the hosts were awarded a penalty which Friedel then saved. His competitive debut came in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
second qualifying round, first leg against Hafnarfjordur away from home. Villa won the match 4–1. Friedel played his first Premiership match for Aston Villa on August 17, 2008, the first match for Aston Villa in the season 2008–09
Premier League 2008–09
The 2008–09 Premier League season was the seventeenth since its establishment in 1992. Manchester United became champions for the eleventh time on the penultimate weekend of the season, defending their crown after winning their tenth Premier League title on the final day of the previous season...
, in which Villa beat Manchester City 4–2 at home.
He broke the record for continuous games played in the Premier League on November 30, 2008, after his 167th finished in a 0–0 draw with Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. He was sent off against former club Liverpool at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
by referee Martin Atkinson
Martin Atkinson
-Europe and international:On 13 October 2007, Atkinson refereed a group C qualifier for Euro 2008 between Moldova and Turkey. The game in the Moldovan capital Chişinău ended a 1–1 draw, with the referee showing two yellow cards....
. Liverpool were awarded a penalty that Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
converted against Villa's second choice goalkeeper, Brad Guzan
Brad Guzan
Bradley Edwin "Brad" Guzan is an American soccer player who plays for Aston Villa of the Premier League.-Early Career:...
. Friedel's red card, which he received on the Sunday beforehand, was overturned by the FA on March 24, meaning that he was able to continue his streak of consecutive Premiership appearances. On January 16, 2011, he reached the landmark of 250 consecutive league games.
Friedel became the oldest player to ever play for Aston Villa following the 3–1 loss to Manchester United on 1 February 2011.
Tottenham Hotspur
Friedel's contract with Aston Villa expired after the 2010–11 season. On 3 June 2011, Tottenham Hotspur announced that they had signed Friedel on a two year-deal. On August 22, 2011, Friedel started in goal for Tottenham at Old Trafford against Manchester United, after Tottenham's first home fixture of the season against Everton the previous week was rescheduled due to rioting in North London2011 England riots
Between 6 and 10 August 2011, several London boroughs and districts of cities and towns across England suffered widespread rioting, looting and arson....
. This meant that Friedel further extended his run of consecutive games in the Premier League after his transfer from Aston Villa.
International career
Friedel is the third most-capped goalkeeper in U.S. national team history and gained his first international cap against CanadaCanada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
in 1992, a game in which he managed to keep a clean sheet. He was the first choice goalkeeper for the U.S 1992 Olympic
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
team; however, he was unable to beat out Tony Meola
Tony Meola
Antonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors...
as first choice keeper for the U.S. team at the 1994 World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. His chance came, and Friedel made his World Cup debut in the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
where he conceded one goal as the U.S. lost to Yugoslavia. He lived up to his growing reputation in the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
as the U.S. went on a surprising run to the quarterfinals, which included a 3–2 victory over Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
in group play and a 2–0 second-round win over arch-rival Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
before a loss to Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
(the eventual runner-up). He also became the first keeper to save two penalty kicks during regular play (as opposed to penalty shootouts
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
) in a World Cup finals tournament since 1974. He was dubbed "The Human Wall" by fans during the spectacular 2002 World Cup run.
Friedel announced his retirement from international football on February 7, 2005. In 2006, Friedel broke ground on his dream project, Premier Soccer Academies, a $10,000,000 project that will emulate player development facilities found worldwide, located in Lorain, Ohio
Lorain, Ohio
Lorain is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River, about 30 miles west of Cleveland....
. The mission of Premier Soccer Academies is to provide athletes with world-class coaching and facilities regardless of their socioeconomic background.
Personal life
Friedel and his wife Tracy have two daughters, Izabella and Allegra.Though raised in the Midwestern
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
state of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Friedel developed a slight English accent having lived in the north of the country for more than a decade. "The English don't think I have an accent at all. They think I sound American. And Americans think I sound English. I think I'm caught in the middle."
Friedel is a fan of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, an American football team which Aston Villa chairman Randy Lerner
Randy Lerner
Randolph D. Lerner is an American entrepreneur and sports team owner.Lerner has been the owner of the American football team, the Cleveland Browns, of the National Football League since October 2002, and the Chairman of Aston Villa Football Club of the English Premier League since 2006...
also owns.
He also names former American international goalkeeper Tim Harris
Tim Harris (soccer)
Tim Harris is an English football manager. He is currently Director of Football at Newport County.Harris was a professional football player for several clubs, including Shrewsbury, Newport County, Cheltenham, Redditch and as a goalkeeper for Gloucester City in the late 1970s...
as his all-time football hero. Friedel credits Harris as "the person who started my journey."
Club
|-|1994–95
Danish Superliga 1994-95
The 1994-95 Danish Superliga season was the 5th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
||Brøndby
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
||Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
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|-
|1995–96
Turkish First Football League 1995-96
-Overview:It was performed in 18 teams, and Fenerbahçe S.K. won the championship. The season was notable for Graeme Souness's season-long cameo as the manager of Galatasary.-League table:-References:*...
||Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
||Süper Lig||30||0||7||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||37||0
|-
|1996||rowspan="2"|Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
||rowspan="2"|Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
||9||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||12||0
|-
|1997||29||0||0||0||4||0||0||0||33||0
|-
|1997–98
FA Premier League 1997-98
The FA Premier League 1997-98 season saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991, and also become only the second team to win the 'double' of the FA Cup and league title twice...
||rowspan="3"|Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||11||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||11||0
|-
|1998–99
FA Premier League 1998-99
The 1998–99 FA Premier League season was the seventh season of the Premier League, the top division of English football, since its establishment in 1992. The season will always be remembered as the one in which Manchester United won a unique treble of the league title, the FA Cup and the European Cup...
||12||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0||2||0||16||0
|-
|1999-00||2||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0||colspan="2"|-||4||0
|-
|2000–01
The Football League 2000-01
-Overview:The 2000–2001 season was the 101st completed season of the The Football League.- First Division playoffs :-First Division :...
||rowspan="8"|Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||28||0||6||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||34||0
|-
|2001–02
FA Premier League 2001-02
The 2001–02 FA Premier League season was the tenth season of the competition. It began with a new sponsor, Barclaycard, and was titled the FA Barclaycard Premiership, replacing the previous sponsor, Carling...
||rowspan="11"|Premier League||36||0||3||0||6||0||colspan="2"|-||45||0
|-
|2002–03
FA Premier League 2002-03
The 2002–03 FA Premier League was the eleventh season of the Premier League, the top division in English football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003...
||37||0||3||0||3||0||4||0||47||0
|-
|2003–04
FA Premier League 2003-04
The 2003–04 FA Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Premier League. In the end, Arsenal went through the season without a single defeat – only the second ever team to do so and were crowned champions once more, at the expense of Chelsea, who had spent heavily throughout the...
||36||1||1||0||1||0||2||0||40||1
|-
|2004–05
FA Premier League 2004-05
The 2004–05 season of the FA Premier League began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season....
||38||0||7||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||45||0
|-
|2005–06
FA Premier League 2005-06
The 2005–06 season of the FA Premier League began on 13 August 2005, and concluded on 7 May 2006. The season saw Chelsea F.C retain their title after defeating Manchester United 3–0 at Stamford Bridge towards the end of April...
||38||0||2||0||6||0||colspan="2"|-||46||0
|-
|2006–07
FA Premier League 2006-07
The 2006–07 FA Premier League was the fifteenth season of the FA Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 19 August 2006 and concluded on 13 May 2007....
||38||0||6||0||1||0||8||0||53||0
|-
|2007–08||38||0||1||0||3||0||5||0||47||0
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="3"|Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
||38||0||3||0||0||0||5||0||46||0
|-
|2009–10||38||0||3||0||1||0||0||0||42||0
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Aston Villa F.C. season
The 2010–11 Aston Villa F.C. season was Aston Villa's 136th professional season; their 100th season in the top-flight; and their 23rd consecutive season in the top flight of English football, the Premier League. It was also the first season under French manager Gérard Houllier, who was appointed...
||38||0||3||0||2||0||0||0||43||0
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. season
The 2011-12 season will be Tottenham Hotspurs 20th season in the Premier League. It will be their 34th successive season in the top division of the English football league system....
||rowspa="1"n|Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
||10||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||0
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0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
30||0||7||0||0||0||0||0||37||0
38||0||0||0||7||0||0||0||45||0
436||1||38||0||27||0||26||0||527||1
504||1||45||0||34||0||26||0||609||1
Blackburn Rovers
- League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 20022002 Football League Cup FinalThe 2002 Worthington Cup Final was played between Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Sunday, 24 February 2002. Blackburn won the match 2–1.... - Blackburn Rovers Player of the Year: 2002–03
International
- Bronze medal at 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup with the U.S.
Individual
- PFA Team of the YearPFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
: 2002–03 - Barclays Merit Award: 2008–09 (Most consecutive Premier League appearances – 176 (as of 27 January 2009))
- U.S. Soccer Athlete of the YearU.S. Soccer Athlete of the YearThe U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year is given by the United States Soccer Federation to the American soccer players judged best in the calendar year. It is the longest running major American soccer award...
– 2002 - MLS Goalkeeper of the Year – 1997
- Andy Gray's Premiership Team of the Decade (2000–2009) as the starting goalkeeper.
UCLA
- NCAANational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Champion: 1990 - First Team All AmericanDivision I First-Team All-American (soccer)The Division I First-Team All-Americans are the best eleven U.S. college soccer players as selected by the NCAA.-1970–1983:From 1970 to 1983 the NCAA only named defenders and forwards in addition to one goalkeeper.-1983–present:...
: 1991, 1992 (Top University Goalkeeper) - Hermann TrophyHermann TrophyThe Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
: 1992 (University Player of the Year)