A goalkeeper who played for the United States for 17 years and also was one of the leading Americans playing pro soccer in Europe during that time.
Keller played in the 1998 and 2006 World Cups and was a member of the United States squads at two others, but probably made his greatest mark on the national team in other events. He played in three of the United States’ six games in its run to the semifinals at the 1995 Copa America, three of the United States’ five games in its run to the semifinals at the 1999 Confederations Cup, and 31 World Cup qualifiers in 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005.
Keller played 102 full internationals for the United States between 1990 and 2007. He was captain of the United States team at the 1996 Olympic Games, and was chosen as the Honda Award winner in 1999 and 2005 and the USSF men’s athlete of the year in 1997, 1999 and 2005. He played in six CONCACAF Gold Cups, including winning that title in 2002 and 2005. Perhaps his most spectacular game ever in the nets was the victory over Brazil in the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Keller spent most of his club career in Europe, but returned to the United States for three MLS seasons at the end of his career, winning U.S. Open Cup titles with Seattle in all three of those years, 2009, 2010 and 2011. He was chosen to the MLS postseason Best XI in 2011, a year in which he also was the MLS goalkeeper of the year. He played 93 MLS regular-season games and six MLS playoff games. Earlier he had played 14 seasons in English professional leagues with Millwall, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur; three seasons in the German first division with Borussia Monchengladbach, two seasons in the Spanish first division with Rayo Vallecano and one season in the Western Soccer League.
Inducted in 2015.
