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MLS: Top 5 Goalkeepers in league history

By Matt Coles

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - SEPTEMBER 11 : Nick Rimando #18 of Real Salt Lake waves to the crowd during warmups before their game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Rio Tinto Stadium on September 11, 2019 in Sandy, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - SEPTEMBER 11 : Nick Rimando #18 of Real Salt Lake waves to the crowd during warmups before their game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Rio Tinto Stadium on September 11, 2019 in Sandy, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /
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SAN JOSE, CA – MAY 17: Goalkeeper Pat Onstad of the San Jose Earthquake looks on against the Columbus Crew during the MLS match at Spartan Stadium on May 17, 2003, in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes defeated the Crew 4-3. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA – MAY 17: Goalkeeper Pat Onstad of the San Jose Earthquake looks on against the Columbus Crew during the MLS match at Spartan Stadium on May 17, 2003, in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes defeated the Crew 4-3. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /

3. Pat Onstad

Taking away the bronze medal from our list of the best ever goalkeepers to have played in Major League Soccer is the leading non-American and the first to win the coveted GKOTY award, Canada’s Pat Onstad.

The oldest player on our list at 52-years-old, Onstad’s career began at the Vancouver 86ers back in 1987, nearly a decade before Major League Soccer began, and more than 15 years before he featured in the league. He played for Winnipeg Fury, Toronto Blizzard, Toronto Rockets, Montreal Impact, Toronto Lynx and Rochester Raging Rhinos before his MLS bow in 2003.

MLS Career & Honours:

  • San Jose Earthquakes (2003-2005)
  • Houston Dynamo (2006-2010)
  • D.C. United (2011)

——————

  • MLS Goalkeeper of the Year – 2003, 2005
  • MLS Best XI – 2003, 2005
  • MLS Save of the Year – 2009

——————

  • MLS Cup – 2003, 2006, 2007
  • Supporters’ Shield – 2005
  • U.S. Open Cup – 1999
  • CONCACAF Gold Cup – 2000

However, long before he made his way into Major League Soccer, Onstad had already been a part of a side that had won one of the biggest competitions in the United States. He was in goal as the Rochester Raging Rhinos defeated Colorado Rapids in the final of the U.S. Open Cup in 1999, and to date, the Rhinos remain the only minor-league side to have lifted the domestic cup competitions since the inception of Major League Soccer.

The Canadian eventually made his way to MLS in 2003, at the age of 35, and he had instant success, being named Goalkeeper of the Year in his first campaign in the American top-flight. He took the award thanks to nine shutouts in 27 regular-season games, also breaking the San Jose Earthquakes club record in the process.

The ‘Quakes went on to win the MLS Cup that year as well, with Onstad playing in the final as the club defeated Chicago Fire to claim the title for the second time, following a success against the LA Galaxy two years earlier.

He would go on to break the single-season shutout record for San Jose for a second time in 2005, en route to a second MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award for his performances. He also received a nomination to the MLS Best XI for the second time, following his appearance in the XI in 2003 as well.

The 2005 campaign saw Onstad become the first shot-stopper to be crowned Goalkeeper of the Year on multiple occasions, along with already having become the first non-American to win the award when he did so in his rookie term in MLS. The ‘Quakes, in part down to Onstad’s performances, lifted the Supporters’ Shield in 2005 as well, in what would be the Canadian’s last season in San Jose. The side also became the first-ever team in MLS history to go the entirety of the regular season with an undefeated record on home soil.

HOUSTON – APRIL 17: Goalkeeper Pat Onstad #18 directs his defenders before a Chivas USA corner kick at Robertson Stadium on April 17, 2010, in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON – APRIL 17: Goalkeeper Pat Onstad #18 directs his defenders before a Chivas USA corner kick at Robertson Stadium on April 17, 2010, in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Along with the rest of the club and its operations, Onstad made the move to Houston with the newly-formed Dynamo, and the team had instant success, going on to win the MLS Cup in both of their first two seasons in Houston. The Canadian shot-stopper was influential in both successes, including saving the penalty that won the side the title against the New England Revolution in 2006.

He made 11 shutouts in the 2007 term, the second-highest single-season tally of his career following his GKOTY-winning season two years prior, before then setting a Dynamo record with ten saves in a single game against New England in March 2008.

Onstad then made a further ten shutouts in 2009, his third season with double-digit clean sheets in his MLS career. He won the first-ever MLS Save of the Year award that same year, after making a wonderful stop to deny Conor Casey from the penalty spot. He also presided over the longest shutout streak in the league that year, amassing nearly 500 minutes without conceding a goal.

Onstad played for Houston through to the conclusion of 2010, and after playing just three times for D.C. United the year after, as a 43-year-old, he retired from the professional game.

The Canadian ended his MLS career with 223 appearances in the regular season, along with a further 21 games in the post-season, which all came in a run of reaching the post-season in seven consecutive terms (three with SJ, four with HOU). A wonderful career from the Canadian international, and one that earns him the No.3 spot on our list of the best ever goalkeepers in MLS history.

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