Official announcement
U.S. roster
Marcus Hahnemann bio
SEATTLE – Marcus Hahnemann, a star goalkeeper for four seasons at Seattle Pacific who helped the Falcons win the 1993 NCAA Division II championship, is one of the 23 players to make the United States squad for the upcoming World Cup.
The 37-year-old Hahnemann is one of three goalkeepers kept by U.S. coach Bob Bradley when the squad was announced on Wednesday. Tim Howard and Brad Guzan are the others.
The U.S. opens World Cup group play on June 12 against England in Rustenberg, South Africa. Algeria and Slovenia are the other two teams in Group C. The U.S.-England games kicks off at 11:30 a.m. PDT.
This is Hahnemann's second straight time of making the U.S. World Cup team. He also was on the 2006 team of coach Bruce Arena that played in Germany, but did not see any action behind Howard and current Seattle Sounders star Kasey Keller. The Americans were knocked out in the group stage.
Hahnemann just recently completed his first season for Wolverhampton in the English Premier League. He started 25 of the Wanderers' 38 games, allowing 30 goals. Wolverhampton finished 15th in the 20-team league, going 9-18-11 for 38 points, and will remain in the EPL next season.
The 6-foot-3 Hahnemann lettered each of his four season at Seattle Pacific (1990-93). He was a three-time All-American. The Falcons compiled a 64-9-5 record with 46 shutouts during his four years as a starter. Hahnemann graduated from SPU in 1994 with a degree in physical education.
He started his pro career with the Seattle Sounders of what then was the A-League, and helped them win back-to-back championships (1995 and 96). Then it was on to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer in 1997 before signing with Fulham of the EPL in 1999. He joined Reading in 2002, which then was in the Football League Championship, one notch below the Premier League.
Hahnemann's performance helped Reading gain promotion to the EPL for the first time ever for the 2006-07 season. The Royals dropped back to the League Championship after the 08-09 campaign. Hahnemann eventually was released, and he signed with Wolverhampton last June.
Howard and Guzan also are EPL goalkeepers. Howard plays for Everton, which finished eighth this past season at 16-9-13 for 61 points. Guzan is between the pipes for Aston Villa, the sixth-place finisher at 17-8-13 for 64 points.
Howard is considered the top choice in goal for the Americans, but U.S. coach Bradley indicated during Wednesday's press conference announcing the team that Hahnemann is in the picture for a reason.
“We realize we have three good goalkeepers. Clearly, Timmy has established himself as our No. 1 goalkeeper,” Bradley said. “Marcus, over the second half of the season for Wolverhampton, played really well, played all their games. As a veteran, as much as he would have of course loved to play (Tuesday night in a 4-2 Cup tune-up loss to the Czech Republic in East Harttford, Conn.), we still felt it was important for Brad to get that game.”
