They Work to Reach Same Goal : Soccer: Friedel and Keller long to be U.S. team’s top goalkeeper, and coach gives them both a shot.

Five years ago, in Florence and Rome, Kasey Keller sat on the bench and watched eight goals flash past Tony Meola as the United States lost all three of its World Cup games in the Italia ’90 tournament.

He didn’t complain.

One year ago, in Pontiac, Mich., Pasadena and Palo Alto, Brad Friedel sat on the bench and watched four goals flash past Tony Meola as the United States won one, tied one and lost two of its World Cup games in the USA ’94 tournament.

He didn’t complain.

Now, with Meola effectively removed as the United States’ goalkeeper, Keller and Friedel are engaged in a furious but friendly battle to take over the No. 1 position.

Neither wants to be on the bench at World Cup ’98 in France.

Going into today’s semifinal match against world champion Brazil in the America Cup tournament at Maldonado, Uruguay, the two goalies are, in horse racing terms, running neck and neck.

Both have been spectacular, which is one reason why the U.S. team has advanced further than it has in any international tournament in 65 years.

Steve Sampson, the coach who has brought about this sudden swift rise in U.S. fortunes, has brought out the best in his goalkeepers by alternating them in the last seven games.

Until today, that is.

Friedel, the former UCLA goalie whose two crucial penalty kick saves defeated Mexico in the quarterfinals Monday, again is the starter.

“I think it’s very important that prior to the [World Cup ‘98] qualifying phase next fall that I see both of them in top-flight competition, that they both have opportunities to show what they can do,” Sampson said. “The only way you can do that, in my mind, is to alternate them.

“However, my position now that we’re in the semifinals is that Brad played very well in the quarterfinals and Brad will start against Brazil. And if, God willing, we win that match and he continues to play well, then he’ll start in the final [Sunday in Montevideo].

“And if we don’t beat Brazil, then I intend to give Kasey Keller the third-place game [Saturday].

“By no stretch of the imagination is that making a decision on who I feel is the best goalkeeper. It’s really out of respect for Brad Friedel and what he has done for this national team over the last two or three years. He deserves the semifinal.

“But I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for Kasey Keller in the last five or six weeks. I think he’s truly an outstanding goalkeeper.”

Keller, likely to start for the U.S. Olympic team at next summer’s Atlanta Games, said he respects Sampson’s handling of the assignments.

“I was told before I came in that this is what we were going to be doing, so I really don’t have any problem with that,” he said. “I’m just glad there are no guessing games going on. That’s all I wanted. As long as I’m told the truth, then I’m happy.

“Maybe we’ve brought out a little bit of competition from each other. We’re both feeling good right now, and the team is playing extremely well in front of us, which always helps you gain a little bit of confidence. And if you can pull off a save or two, then I think it just continues to steamroll.”

Which is exactly what has happened.

“I think everyone wants to play every single minute, it doesn’t matter what position you are,” Friedel said, then acknowledged that the competition with Keller and, to a lesser extent, Juergen Sommer, might have helped all three.

“Everyone here thrives on competition or else they wouldn’t be here,” he said. “All I can say really is that Kasey, Juergen and myself get along great off the field. On the field, we all work as hard as we can. That’s just how it is.”

Tony DiCicco, the U.S. women’s national team coach and a former goalkeeper, said alternating goalkeepers was a good move by Sampson.

“It’s the right thing to do because he’s saying, ‘Here it is, guys. I’m putting you under the gun. I’m looking for a No. 1. You’re both solid goalkeepers. Show me that you belong there.’ And they’ve both responded.

“It’s going to be a very, very difficult call now. They’ve both made some outstanding plays.”

Defender Paul Caligiuri said the team has been impressed by the chemistry among Keller, Friedel and Sommer.

“I’ve never seen three goalkeepers get along off the field as well as these three,” he said. “They hang out together. They play cards. They socialize.

“When you see that the goalkeepers have good understanding, that they’re in sync with each other, that they’re accepting the situation, it puts us at ease as a team.”

The similarities might be one reason for their closeness.

Keller, 25, is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound former All-American from Lacey, Wash., and the University of Portland who plays for Millwall in the English first division. His transfer value in England has been rated at $3.2 million.

Friedel, 24, is a 6-4, 202-pound former All-American from Lakewood, Ohio, and UCLA who has just been signed by Sunderland in the English first division for $960,000.

Sommer, 26, is a 6-5, 215-pound former All-American from Naples, Fla., and Indiana University who plays for Luton Town in the English first division.

Milutin Soskic, former Olympic gold-medal winner and World Cup goalkeeper for Yugoslavia and now U.S. goalkeeping coach, said that all three have impressed him in Uruguay.

“I’ve watched the whole tournament,” Soskic said, “and in my opinion we have the best three goalkeepers in the tournament. Any of the three could play on any team in this tournament.”

However, their availability to the U.S. team once the English season begins is the subject of some debate, especially for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the regional championship, scheduled for Southern California in January.

That leaves the door open for another up-and-coming goalkeeper to establish his name in the interim or, perhaps, gives an old hand another chance.

In an interview that appeared in Wednesday’s edition of USA Today, Meola staked his claim.

“I’ve done a lot of work the past year,” he said. “I’m physically ready and mentally ready for the national team. I want to come back. I’m ready. I know I can play on the national team.

“The guys [Keller and Friedel] have played great, but no one has done what I’ve done over the past seven years.”

Sampson has not closed the door on Meola, but cautioned in a recent interview with Soccer America magazine that Meola would have to be playing for a far more upscale team than the third-division Long Island Rough Riders to have a chance to return.

And even then, would he be content to sit on the bench in France and not complain?