Kasey Keller

Lore & Background

Keller was born in Olympia, Washington, and attended North Thurston High School in Lacey. He played college soccer at the University of Portland under head coach Clive Charles. He helped lead the team to the NCAA men's soccer final four as a freshman in 1988. He earned first team All American as a senior and was the 1991 Adidas Goalkeeper of the Year. During the 1989 college off-season, he played for the Portland Timbers of the Western Soccer Alliance and was selected league MVP that year. In 1989, he split his time between the Portland Timbers and the U.S. U-20 national team, which finished fourth at the 1989 FIFA U-20 World Cup; Keller was awarded the tournament's Silver Ball.

In Their Own Story

The roar of the Home Depot Center crowd faded into a dull hum as Kasey Keller wiped sweat from his brow, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the grass. He stood tall in front of the net, gloves raised, eyes locked on the penalty spot. The opposing striker took a deep breath, but Keller didn't flinch; he had faced this moment hundreds of times. As the ball was struck, time seemed to slow, and with a explosive dive, his fingertips parried the shot just wide of the post, sealing another chapter in LA Galaxy history.

Reader's Guide

Keller never played for LA Galaxy. He played for Millwall (1992–1996), Leicester City (1996–1999), Rayo Vallecano (1999–2001), Tottenham Hotspur (2001–2004), Southampton (loan, 2004), Borussia Mönchengladbach (2005–2007), Fulham (2007–2008), and Seattle Sounders FC (2009–2011). He won the 1997 League Cup with Leicester City, and three U.S. Open Cup titles with Seattle Sounders FC (2009, 2010, 2011). He was named TheCup.us Player of the Tournament in 2009 and won MLS Save of the Year in 2010.

Did You Know?

• Keller was the first American goalkeeper to become a regular in the German Bundesliga, the English Premier League, and the Spanish La Liga.
• He wrote a paper on Millwall's hooligans while studying for a sociology degree by correspondence during his time with the club.
• Keller lived in Haus Donk, a castle in Tönisvorst, near Mönchengladbach, during his time with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
• At age 41 years and 306 days, he became the oldest player in U.S. Open Cup history at the time, a record later surpassed by Marcus Hahnemann and Claudio Muñoz.