World Cup GK Profile: Richard Kingson (Ghana)

Richard Kingson

Squad: Ghana
Squad No: 22
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 31
Birth Date: Jul 13, 1978
Birth Place: Accra, Ghana
Height: 6' 0'' (1.83m)
Weight: 192 lbs (87 kg)
Club: Wigan Athletic (England)
International Caps: 78
International Goals: 1

Club History
Wigan Athletic (ENG): 2008-2010
Birmingham (ENG): 2007-2008
Hammarby IF (SWE): 2007-2007
Ankaraspor (TUR): 2005-2007
Galatasaray (TUR): 2004-2005
Ankaraspor (TUR): 2003-2004
Antalyaspor (TUR): 2001-2002
Goztepespor (TUR): 1999-2001
Sakaryaspor (TUR): 1998-1999
Great Olympics (GHA): 1995-1998



from Wikipedia (full wiki)
Kingson is the starting goalkeeper of the Ghana national football team, and was called up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

He was voted as an All-Star Goalkeeper during the 2008 African Cup of Nations Tournament in Ghana. The Team of the Tournament was decided by the Technical Study Group (TSG) after careful observations of all the tournament's matches.

In 2008, he scored a goal for Ghana in a friendly - a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Tanzania.

As first-choice goalkeeper and team captain he was instrumental in leading Ghana to the final of the 2010 tournament, and was again selected for the all-star team along with Egypt custodian Essam El-Hadary.

World Cup GK Profile: Manuel Neuer (Germany)

Manuel Neuer

Squad: Germany
Squad No: 1
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 24
Birth Date: Mar 27, 1986
Birth Place: Gelsenkirchen, West Germany
Height: 6' 3" (1.90m)
Weight: 176 lbs (80 kg)
Club: Schalke 04 (Germany)
International Caps: 5

Club History
Schalke 04 (GER): 2005-



from Wikipedia (full wiki)
After progressing through the youth teams, Neuer made his U-21 debut on 15 August 2006 against the Netherlands. He won the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship with the Germany national under-21 football team in Sweden and kept a clean sheet in the final against England.

Neuer was called-up on 19 May 2009 to the senior Germany squad for a tour of Asia. He made his debut on this tour in a match against United Arab Emirates on 2 June. He played in the November friendly against the Ivory Coast that ended 2–2. Although he took responsibility for the first goal conceded, manager Joachim Löw refused to blame him and instead commended him for doing his best.

The shocking death of keeper Robert Enke in November 2009 saw him elevated as the second choice goalkeeper under René Adler. However, Adler suffered a serious rib injury which ruled out of the World Cup. Neuer was then called to become Germany's No.1 goalkeeper ahead of Tim Wiese and Hans-Jörg Butt for the upcoming tournament.

World Cup GK Profile: Mark Schwarzer (Australia)

Mark Schwarzer

Squad: Australia
Squad No: 1
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 37
Birth Date: Oct 6, 1972
Birth Place: Sydney, Australia
Height: 6' 5" (1.96m)
Weight: 217 lbs (98.4 kg)
Club: Fulham (England)
International Caps: 74

Club History
Middlesbrough (ENG): 1997-2008
Bradford City (ENG): 1996-1997
1. FC Kaiserslautern (GER): 1995-1996
Dynamo Dresden (GER): 1994-1995
Marconi Stallions (AUS): 1990-1994



from Wikipedia (full wiki)
Schwarzer made his international debut for Australia against Canada in Edmonton in a 1994 World Cup qualifier. He came on as a substitute for Milan Blagojevic after first-choice Robert Zabica was sent off 17 minutes into the match. In the return leg in Sydney, he covered himself in glory when he saved two penalties to send Australia to the final phase of qualifying against Argentina. Schwarzer did not play in these matches, and Australia were defeated 2–1 on aggregate.

He was instrumental in Australia's qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in the play-off against Uruguay. After Uruguay won the first leg 1–0 in Montevideo, Australia won 1–0 in Sydney. In the penalty shootout, Schwarzer saved two penalties to see Australia victorious 4–2.

At the World Cup Finals he played the first two games in Australia's group matches, conceding a controversial goal against Japan and two goals against Brazil. In the third match he was replaced by Zeljko Kalac, but after Kalac's disappointing performance he was reinstated for the Round of 16 match against Italy.

Even though he predicted the direction of the penalty kick, he was unable to save the penalty in the second round of the World Cup against Italy, which was scored by Francesco Totti in injury time and sent Australia out of the World Cup.

After the World Cup in 2006, he vowed to return for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He played in all of Australia's matches in the 2007 Asian Cup although he performed admirably against Oman in the 1–1 draw he made an error which led to a goal in the 3–1 loss to Iraq and could not match Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi during the penalty shootout which saw the Socceroos crash out of the competition in their debut at the tournament. Schwarzer said that the penalty-shootout in the Asian Cup quarter-finals was the first penalty-shootout in his career that he had ever lost.

World Cup GK Profile: Tim Howard (USA)

Tim Howard

Squad: United States of America
Squad Number: 1
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 31
Birth Date: Mar 6, 1979
Birth Place: North Brunswick, USA
Height: 6 ' 3" (1.91m)
Weight: 210 lbs (95.3 kg)
Club: Everton (England)
International Caps: 50



Club History
Manchester United (ENG): 2003-2006
New York Metro Stars (Red Bulls) (USA): 1998-2003



from Wikipedia (full  wiki >>)
Howard started for the United States national team in the 1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria and was a backup to Brad Friedel at the 2000 Summer Olympics. On March 10, 2002, he received his first senior cap, against Ecuador. On May 2, 2006, Howard was named as one of three goalkeepers on the U.S. roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, but served as a backup to Kasey Keller. Howard has become the team's first choice keeper under Bob Bradley and started in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, a 2–1 win over Mexico.

He was the starting keeper for the 2009 Confederations Cup, including the semifinal in which the U.S. upset Spain, then the number one-ranked team in the world. Howard's eight saves earned him his first clean sheet of the tournament and the first shutout of the Spanish side since 2007. Following the United States' second place finish in the tournament, Howard was awarded the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper.

World Cup GK Profile: Samir Handanovic (Slovenia)

Samir Handanovic
Squad: Slovenia
Squad Number: 22
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 25
Birth Date: Jul 14, 1984
Birth Place: Ljubljana
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 194 lbs (88 kg)
Club: Udinese (Italy)
International Caps: 38

Club History
Rimini (ITA): 2006-2007
Lazio (ITA): 2006-2006
Treviso (ITA): 2005-2006
Udinese (ITA): 2004-2005
BST Domzale (SVN): 2003-2004



from Wikipedia
Samir Handanovic, (born 14 July 1984) is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian club Udinese and the Slovenian national team.

Handanovic started his career at Domžale. He was signed by Udinese in summer 2004. He was on loan to Treviso in summer 2005, but in January 2006, he was exchanged with Matteo Sereni to Lazio.

In July 2006, he was loaned to Rimini, joining Rimini's other loaned players, Digão of AC Milan and Ahmed Barusso of A.S. Roma. The club finished 5th in the Serie B and conceded the 4th least number of goals in the league. He returned to Udinese in summer 2007, where he replaced Morgan De Sanctis, and signed a new and improved contract which will last until 30 June 2012. He signed the contract along teammates Asamoah Gyan and Fabio Quagliarella.

His elder cousin, Jasmin Handanovic played for FC Koper before moving to A.C. Mantova in 2007. They both play as goalkeepers for the Slovenian national team.

World Cup GK Profile: David James (England)

David James

Squad:  England
Squad Number: 1
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 39
Birth Date: Aug 1, 1970
Birth Place: Welwyn
Height: 6' 5" (1.96m)
Weight: 200 lbs (90.8 kg)
Club: Portsmouth
International Caps: 50

Club History
Manchester City (ENG): 2004-2006
West Ham United (ENG): 2001-2004
Aston Villa (ENG): 1999-2001
Liverpool (ENG): 1992-1999
Watford (ENG): 1990-1992



from Wikipedia (full wiki >>)
David Benjamin James is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the England national football team and is captain of English Football League Championship club Portsmouth.

As of 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League record of 536 appearances, having overtaken Gary Speed with 535. He has also been capped 50 times by England, having made his first appearance in 1997.

He gained a Football League Cup winner's medal with Liverpool in 1995, and an FA Cup winner's medal with Portsmouth in 2008 as well as runners-up medals with Aston Villa in 2000, Liverpool in 1996 and Portsmouth in 2010. In 2010, he became the oldest goalkeeper to appear in the FA Cup Final at 39.

James holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets.

World Cup GK Profile: Lounes Gaouaoui (Algeria)

Lounes Gaouaoui

Squad: Algeria
Squad Number: 1
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 32
Birth Date: Sep 28, 1977
Birth Place: Tizi Ouzou, Algeria
Height: 6' 2" (1.88m)
Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
Club: ASO Chlef (Algeria)
International Caps: 48

Club History
ASO Chlef (ALG): 2009-2010
USM Annaba (ALG): 2008-2009
WA Tlemcen (ALG): 2006-2008
JS Kabylie (ALG): 1999-2006


from Wikipedia
Lounès Gaouaoui is an Algerian football player who is currently playing for ASO Chlef. He is a goalkeeper known for spectacular leaping abilities.


He was a member of the Algerian national team that lost in the quarter-finals at the 2004 African Cup of Nations. He was until recently Algeria's first-choice goalkeeper but an attack of appendicitis forced him to miss his country's World Cup qualification playoff against Egypt and the 2010 African Cup of Nations which both saw Faouzi Chaouchi replace him. He is however still hopeful of regaining his spot as No.1 for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals.