Global Foxes: Kasey Keller

The Player - Kasey Keller

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller is the only Leicester City player to be inducted into the USA Soccer Hall of Fame. After playing for the University of Portland and Portland Timbers, he made over 200 appearances in four years for Millwall before signing for Martin O’Neill’s Leicester City in August 1996 for £900,000. 

He helped his newly-promoted club to top-ten finishes for each of his three seasons at Filbert Street, during which he also played in two League Cup Finals, (winning one) and in a UEFA Cup campaign. Whilst at Leicester Kasey won 21 of his 102 international caps. Kasey then spent two years in Spain with newly promoted Rayo Vallecano in La Liga before returning to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer in August 2001. 

He conceded the last-ever goal at Filbert Street when he was beaten by Leicester’s Matt Piper. He played every minute of every game for Tottenham in 2002/03 and 2003/04, although he did concede four goals to Leicester City at White Hart Lane in a 4-4 draw in February 2004. 

After two seasons at Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach between 2005 and 2007, Kasey spent a final season (2007/08) in England with Fulham in the Premier League, before returning to the USA with Seattle Sounders between 2009 and 2011. As an international, Kasey played in the World Cup Finals in 1990, 1998, 2002 and 2006. He was CONCACAF Gold Cup winner 2002, 2005, 2007. He also played in the USA’s 1996 Olympic team. 

The Country - USA 

Many attempts to establish soccer in the USA had already failed when two professional soccer leagues were established in 1967. These were the FIFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association and the unsanctioned National Professional Soccer League, which featured the ex-Leicester City star, Howard Riley, who played for Atlanta Chiefs. 

These merged in 1968 forming the North America Soccer League (NASL). This attracted ageing top players like Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, George Best and Johan Cruyff, not to mention the ex-Leicester City players Keith Weller, the Birch and Frank Worthington. It collapsed in 1984 due largely to over expansion. 

Its successor, Major League Soccer (MLS), was conceived as part of the USA’s successful bid to stage the 1994 World Cup Finals. Starting with 10 teams in 1996, it now consists of 20 teams, 17 from the USA and three from Canada. 

The season runs from March to December and, since the Designated Player Rule of 2007, has featured players like David Beckham, Thierry Henry and, currently, Steven Gerrard. Internationally the USA men’s team competed in the World Cup Finals in 1930, 1934, 1950, and then in every World Cup since 1990. 

Highlights included finishing third in 1930, defeating England in 1950, hosting the World Cup Finals in 1994, reaching the quarter-finals in 2002 and winning its group in 2010. They were finalists in the 2009 Confederations Cup and have won the CONCACAF Gold Cup five times between 1991 and 2013. In addition, the USA women’s team have won three World Cups, four Olympic Golds and are top of the FIFA Women’s World rankings.