As we are more than halfway through the season, it is time to break down and discuss who could win the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award. The race has been too close to call so far, with multiple strong contenders that have all proved to be solid options for the award.
It is hard to assess which keepers deserve to be ahead in this race; the stats at the goalkeeper position do lie when trying to break down individual performance.
Stats like clean sheets do not tell the whole story in terms of the keeper’s performance. A clean sheet can happen with little to no chances from the opposition if their attack is failing to create opportunities in the final third.
These keepers are performing well and keeping their teams in the playoff hunt or the reason why they favored in the table.
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Top Contenders for the Award
Kristijan Kahlina’s stats jump off the page as he leads the MLS in a few statistics this season. His 91 goals saved this season have been a bright spot for a Charlotte team that is fighting for its playoff chances every single week.
His passing percentage is also high at 82 percent. We have seen teams lose games because of bad passing out of the back, as one of the favorites on this list experienced at the national level.
The big negative about him is that he has given up 37 goals so far this season. You can’t blame all of them on him when you add all of the stats together. His goals saved and against prove he is always under pressure due to his defense.
Matt Freese is another player to consider as a contender this season for the award, as his play for club and country has put his name up there with the best in the league.
Freese is tremendous in clutch situations this season, especially in shootouts, where he proved how good he can be. His goal saved average is average with the majority of the league at 71, while only giving up 27 goals so far this year, which is one of the lower totals for keepers that have started 24 or more games.
His pass accuracy is also good this season at 78 percent, despite his struggles in the Gold Cup, where his passing led to a goal against him. He has been good playing out of the back this season.
Other contenders are Brad Stuver for Austin and John Pulskamp for Sporting Kansas City. Stuver is playing for an Austin team in contention for the MLS Cup this season, thanks to a Western Conference that his flipped upside down as he has been a huge key in what Austin is building.
Pulskamp has seen a lot of shots at him this season, which has made his stats look more impressive this year despite his team’s poor performance this season.
Why we won’t see a repeat this Season
Roman Burki, the Swiss goalkeeper for St. Louis, had a phenomenal season in front of the net in 2024 that earned him Goalkeeper of the Year honors.
This season appears to be different, with Burki struggling to be on the field for St Louis compared to last season. With only 17 games played compared to the 25 that is the average amongst top contenders for the award, it will be difficult to see a real path for Burki.
St Louis is also at the very bottom of the Western Standings as the second-worst team in the conference.
The biggest factor is the previously mentioned lack of games played; his stats could be the best in the league, but with a small sample size, it would be difficult to give him the award over other deserving players.
Main Photo
Credit IMAGO/Icon Sportswire
Recording Date 25.07.2025