A strong and sturdy goalkeeper who has been making waves in England for well on a decade now, Marcus Hahnemann is unlikely to see any playing time in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. However, the faith showed in the veteran by coach Bob Bradley is a testament to the net-minder’s strength of character and quick reflexes.
After playing with distinction at collegiate level in his native Washington – the same birth state as former USA goalkeeping great Kasey Keller – Hahnemann signed up with the Seattle Sounders, where he spent three seasons in the US second tier before moving on to MLS and the Colorado Rapids. He made 66 appearances in two seasons at the club before moving on to England, first with Fulham and loan spells at Rochdale before settling in at Reading, where he made 276 appearances for the club, including spells in the Premier League. A firm fan favourite at Reading, he moved on and spent the last season at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Hahnemann has suffered the misfortune of some stiff competition for a regular place in the USA team, behind at various times in his career such standouts as Keller, Brad Friedel and now Tim Howard. Even so, he has proved impressive when called upon by his country, making his first appearance in a US jersey in 1994. He was in the squad that won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1995 and was an unused sub in the FIFA World Cup finals in Germany in 2006.
