Brad Friedel, the near-40-year-old keeper of Aston Villa, managed a shutout against the

 assembled global attackers of Manchester City on Saturday. He rode his luck a couple of times, but this was also quite a performance for the American.

His enduring agility in getting down in a split second to clear a shot around his ankles is matched, still, by his ability to stay alert and concentrate solely on keeping the ball out of his net when panic sets in around him. The shutout Saturday was as much a mental as a physical feat for Friedel.

Two days earlier, an English judge declared Friedel bankrupt because of debts totaling almost £5 million, or $8 million, related to his soccer academy business in the United States.

Friedel, the thinking man’s goalkeeper, was doing what any big-name player should do. He may be pushing back Father Time and his retirement date from top-tier soccer, but he was ahead of the game in terms of mapping out a future.

Way back in 2003, he held summer camps in his native Lorain County in northern Ohio.

He spoke eloquently of the need for something more than just summer camps for the rich Americans. “Soccer in America,” he said, “is a mid- to upper-class sport. I want to change that.” His grand plan was to scout for prospects in 16 states and 16 different countries.

Friedel’s talent spotters looked for kids whose parents couldn’t afford $35,000 a year for full-time residential soccer and schooling at the 28-acre, or 11-hectare, site his academy established in Lorain County. The concept was find the talents, nurture them free of charge, and change the way the United States treats soccer.

One obvious flaw was that the boss, the brain behind the scheme, was otherwise engaged in England. The longer he could string out his own career, worth £40,000 per week in the Premier League of a top European soccer country, the less time he could be hands-on at his own Premier Soccer Academies in the United States. A spokesman for Friedel said last Friday the bankruptcy was a technical issue that would be sorted out in a matter of days. It stemmed from accusations of unpaid property taxes at the academy in Ohio and from reported difficulties in getting the corporate fund-raisers to recommit to the plan.

Time will tell whether Friedel, a model pro in his game, can turn his academy around. At 39 — he will turn 40 in May — his priorities have to be his family, with two young daughters, his home in England, and, perhaps surprising even to him, his continuing ability to sustain his performances for Aston Villa.

Friedel amassed 82 international appearances in his time as the United States’ No. 1 goalie. His ongoing record is an extraordinary unbroken run of 251 appearances between the goalposts for his last two clubs, Blackburn Rovers and Villa. It defies age, defies injuries and defies considerable turmoil at a club that lost its team manager at the start of this season.

Villa’s U.S. owner, Randy Lerner, had not seen eye to eye with Martin O’Neill, who was then coach. The team finished close to the top last season, and O’Neill wanted to spend on new players to make a run for the Champions League, but Lerner decided that spending in the downturn was a folly.

The team pays £70 million in wages per season and the owner wants to whittle that bill down. It has a deficit on players bought against players sold, which soon will be against UEFA rules on financial controls on club’s spending more than their income.

But Lerner’s choice of a new team manager, the experienced Frenchman Gerard Houllier, courted disaster. Houllier and Friedel spent time together, and not always harmoniously so, in their time as manager and goalkeeper at Liverpool a decade ago.

And the coach had differences of opinion, differences of style from the departed O’Neill, that caused unrest among the senior pros at Villa.

To everyone’s surprise, not to mention shock, Lerner came out spending in the January transfer window to stave off the calamity that relegation from the Premier League would pose. He sanctioned the £7 million purchase of Jean Makoun, a 27-year-old Cameroon midfielder from Lyon, a team formerly coached by Houllier. But a far bigger buy, costing an initial £18 million with further payments if targets are reached, took the English striker Darren Bent to Villa last week.

In his debut, Bent scored with his only shot of the entire match against Manchester City. It was a typical poacher’s goal. Bent’s qualities include single-mindedness, swiftness, readiness to prey on the hint of an error.

He got one chance, when City’s 23-year-old goalie Joe Hart failed to clear a low shot decisively. Quicker than all around him, Bent saw that chance and from six yards pounced on it.

After spending 90 minutes in which he was often as visible as a ghost, Bent did what Villa has gambled so much on him doing. Villa thereafter clung on with what Houllier described as its mental strength, its spirit of sacrifice.

Friedel sacrificed nothing on Saturday. He shut out Manchester City, and he shut out his personal problems back in the States. That, with respect, was more than a hat trick.
 

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Ben,

I received this picture today sent by the team doctor who is in the picture with
JT and one of JT's good buddies named Cam. Cam is from Indiana.
Overall JT's national squad was 2-1 and the other team was 3-0 while in
Guadalajara. JT started all 3 of his games, feeling as though he played well in
2 of the 3.
The coaches were very complimentary as well as constructive in what
he needed to work on which he said he did in today's game. He feels as though
he is leaving camp on a high note. He has had an unbelievable time and appears
to have adjusted well to the weather, altitude, language, food and all while in
Mexico. He did say he is looking forward to being home tomorrow for caesar
salad. And I am sure by Monday he will wish he was back there.

Just thought you may enjoy knowing how he did on this trip with the National
Team. He is signed up for the Core Program in San Diego and will soon register for NTC at Cal State East Bay.

Lorraine