Kasey Keller, a World Cup legend and one of the finest goalkeepers in USA history, has admitted he did not want to play against Brazil in the 1998 Gold Cup semi-final. Despite arriving jet-lagged and hoping for a postponement due to rain, Keller produced a stunning performance, making 10 saves to keep a clean sheet in a historic 1-0 victory. Brazil legend Romario later called it the best goalkeeping display he had ever seen.
A Reluctant Start to a Historic Match
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star Sport via William Hill’s World Cup 2026 winner odds, Keller recalled the game. “It's still the only time we've beaten Brazil so I guess that's kind of a landmark. For me it was weird because I had just flown in because it was being played in a non-European window. So I think [Brad] Friedel played the group stage, and then I came in for the knockout stage. I'll be honest with you, I was a little jetlagged and there was rain in the morning in LA, and LA doesn't cope with rain very well. There was a possibility that the game would get postponed, and I was kind of hoping that it would get postponed to give me an extra day to get assimilated. And then after the game, I was very happy that it didn't get postponed.”
Romario’s Praise and a Dedicated Song
Keller’s heroics earned him rare acclaim from Romario, who said: “The best performance by a goalkeeper I have ever seen.” The performance also inspired synth-pop band Barcelona to write a song titled ‘Kasey Keller’, with lyrics including: “Kasey saves the day again, it's Brazil, one to nil. Thirty shots on goal, we both know you won't fail.”
Tournament Context and Legacy
The 1998 Gold Cup was hosted in Miami, Los Angeles, and Oakland. The USA topped a group containing Costa Rica and Cuba with two wins. Former Everton and Portsmouth midfielder Preki scored the only goal of the semi-final to beat Brazil. However, the USA lost the final 1-0 to Mexico after Luis Hernandez’s second-half goal. Keller played 102 times for the US, competing with Premier League icon Brad Friedel for the No.1 spot before Tim Howard emerged in the early 2000s. He kept his place for the 2006 World Cup, becoming the only player to feature in both the 1990 World Cup and the Germany tournament.
