THE QUESTION: Which American player with a career abroad has been most successful ? Matthew Braine and Aaron West of Goal.com USA fight it out...

Matthew Braine: While there have been several great Americans that have paved the European trail, Aston Villa's Brad Friedel is the best of the bunch for a number of reasons. His longevity alone speaks volumes. He broke David James' Premier League record for consecutive games played in November, eclipsing his 166 straight, and continues to play at an extremely high level well into his late thirties. There have been many solid players in Europe from the States, but Friedel in my opinion, stands alone at the top of that mountain

Aaron West: I find it tough to argue against Friedel, but in my opinion, Tim Howard may be the one player to challenge him for best European-based American. While Howard has not been playing as long as Friedel, I believe he is more talented than Brad. In addition, Tim holds the distinction of having played for one of the biggest clubs in the world, Manchester United, while Friedel never achieved a move to one of the "big" clubs.

Braine: Do your research, sir, Friedel was brought over by Liverpool and played about 30 games for the Reds. True, he did not truly succeed until Blackburn, but once he moved to Rovers he became a complete stalwart and club icon. He was named to the Premier League Team of the Season in 2002-03 and was voted the Blackburn Players of the Year. He has been just as good as Timmy over the past few years and is currently anchoring a top four club. Let's not forget that he also scored a goal in open play back in 2004. Noteworthy in its own right.

West: Ah, I did forget about his largely forgettable 25 games in three years for Liverpool. Friedel has had a stellar past few years, but he's well past his 30s, typically a goalkeeper's prime. Apart from some up-and-down early performances for the Red Devils, Tim Howard's play has been excellent in the EPL, especially considering the fact that given his relatively young age as a goalkeeper, he won't even hit his prime for another three or four years. Let's not forget Howard's inclusion in the PFA Best XI in his first season with United, and the not-so-insignificant fact that he replaced French legend Fabien Barthez as the first-choice 'keeper when he first arrived.

Braine: There is no question that Howard could dethrone Friedel in the future, but this debate focuses on best of all time and currently, with his accomplishments, you'd have to say Friedel. An argument can be made for Kasey Keller, who had a stellar career with both Millwall and Leicester City and who knows what Altidore, Adu, and Bradley's futures hold. Yet based on Friedel's last 8 seasons alone, he has been an absolute beast between the posts. His clean sheet numbers are exceptional, as he's tallied 15 + clean sheets multiple times in a season. Friedel also started for Blackburn and helped then win the 2002 Worthington (now Carling) Cup. Howard has yet to lead his club to a cup final.


West: While Keller does have a strong case, and you could also arguably throw Brian McBride in the mix, I maintain that Tim Howard is the strongest competitor against the juggernaut that is Brad Friedel. With his steady play and ability to produce miracle saves, he helped Everton to top six finishes and UEFA Cup places in the last two years. He has indeed led his club to a cup final, helping guide Manchester United to the world's oldest soccer competition in the world, a little trophy called the F.A. Cup in 2004. His success in that tournament made him the first American player to win the F.A. Cup, a trophy much more respected than the Carling Cup, which is overrun by Arsene Wenger's youngsters, Premier League reserve sides and lower-league hopefuls.

Braine: Looks like further research would be helpful to the both of us. McBride could be argued but I think he might have come over a bit too late (28). The good thing about the case for Friedel is that he has perennially been one of the top keepers in the Premier League for nearly 10 years. Howard may hit that mark, however, he is currently only at half that. Friedel has already established a legacy at Blackburn and his model of consistency and ironman type attitude have certainly cemented his place not only amongst great American keepers, but keepers in England as well. Still, at age 37, Friedel is helping Villa compete with Arsenal for a top four spot. If Howard is accomplishing the same feats at his age, then we can rehash this discussion, but for now, I don't see how Big Brad goes ahead of anyone. By the way, Howard is becoming an Everton legend in his own right. He nearly topped Neville Southall's clean sheet record last season.

West: I think you may be right, more research couldn't hurt at all. I have the utmost respect for Friedel, which is why I have such a tough time arguing against him at this point. Friedel is a legend in his own right with his longevity and proven track record of consistent performance. I believe Tim to be the better player overall, but he has a ways to go before he can challenge Brad's overall career. While Friedel is in the midst of an incredible top-four run with Villa, I think most of the credit must go to Martin O'Neill, American owner Randy Lerner and the boardroom at Villa Park for placing an emphasis on improving drastically by mixing young, exciting talent like Gabby Agbonlahor with experienced warhorses such as Friedel. By the same token, Timmy Howard must be praised for his work at cash-strapped Everton, where David Moyes struggles to bring in the talent to place in front of the immensely skilled American 'keeper.

Braine: Agreed. Villa is definitely powered by their attack but, Friedel isn't a bad guy to have at the backstop. Everton have been hit with a rash of injuries lately (Yakubu, Saha) but Howard's back four (Lescott, Jagielka, Yobo, Neville/Hibbert) have remained consistent. I believe that Howard can eclipse Friedel some day and take the crown from Big Brad. For now though, although there have been many fine Americans (Harkes, Keller, Reyna, McBride, and of course, Roy Wegerle, a legend in his own right) I do believe, in this financial, TV rights, globalization, world, Friedel has excelled immensely and deserves the nod as greatest American to play in Europe.

My vote goes for the guy in the pic Aston Villa's Brad Friedel

 

I think it's george W Bush. He's right now in the top 5 of the NDSA ( National Duck the Shoe Association )