MLS: Top 5 goalkeepers in the league right now

There have been some wonderful players over the 25-year history of MLS, but who ranks in the top five of the current crop of goalkeepers?

Here at MLS Multiplex, we have gone over the statistics, the awards won, the games played, the goals scored and the shutouts made to work out who we think are the best five players in the seven major positions in Major League Soccer right now.

We have gone through the all-time lists, which saw us crown Tony Meola, Carlos Bocanegra, Chad Marshall, Preki, Landon Donovan, Chris Armas and Chris Wondolowski as the best-ever players in MLS history at their respective positions, but what about the current crop of MLS stars?

We start with the goalkeepers, as we did with the all-time lists, and there are several leading men between the sticks in the American top-flight in 2020. The likes of David Bingham, Steve Clark and LAFC new-boy Kenneth Vermeer all get mentions, but who makes it into our top five?

5. Tyler Miller

The first man to take a place on our list of the best goalkeepers to currently ply their trade in Major League Soccer is the new Minnesota United No.1, Tyler Miller.

Before making his debut in the American top-flight in 2016, the shot-stopper spent four years at Northwestern University, where he played 77 times for the Wildcats, finishing his stint there as the school’s record shutout holder. He then moved to Germany, signing for SVN Zweibrucken before returning to the States with Seattle Sounders 2, the USL Championship side now known as Tacoma Defiance.

MLS Career & Honours:

• Seattle Sounders (2016-2017)
• Los Angeles FC (2018-2019)
• Minnesota United (2020-)

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• MLS Cup – 2016
• Supporters’ Shield – 2019

Miller made the move up to the Sounders first team in 2016, but only went on to play twice for the club over the following two seasons. He did take an MLS Cup winners’ medal after the franchise defeated Toronto FC in the MLS Cup final in his first year with the club.

The shot-stopper was then selected by Los Angeles FC with the first selection in the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft. The ‘keeper made his debut against his former club in the season-opening fixture, with the MLS new-boys taking the victory.

After keeping ten clean sheets in his first season in the black and gold, Miller was called up to the United States Men’s National Team for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup but did not spend a minute on the pitch, remaining on the bench for all six of the country’s fixtures in the tournament.

After returning to LAFC, the net-minder continued to keep clean sheets, as the franchise went on to lift the Supporters’ Shield trophy in just their second campaign in the league. However, following the term, Miller was traded to Minnesota United, where he has immediately become the club’s first-choice ‘keeper.

He may only be into his third proper season in Major League Soccer, but after two high-quality seasons with LAFC, and with a solid defence in front of him at Allianz Arena, Miller could be the man to take the top spot on the shutouts list in 2020, when the season gets back underway.