He's a keeper: Turns out G+ also loves Brad Stuver (and loves just one MLS goalkeeper more)
Only one MLS goalkeeper — who is currently platooning in the starting role — is above Brad Stuver in the current G+ tally for goalkeepers. But what does that mean exactly?
Who doesn't love Brad Stuver?
Since winning the starting job from presumptive opening day starter Andrew Tarbell in April 2021, Stuver's been a fixture in goal for Austin FC for the franchise's entire history, making 155 league appearances and getting 599 saves in those matches. Only a brief bout with COVID-19 and another with the goal apparatus in Houston sidelined him in the five years he's played with the team.
His first All-Star selection, and his performance during the week, made him one of the feel-good stories of Austin's turn as host, with Jon Arnold noting, in his excellent profile for MLSSoccer.com,
Austin have allowed the fewest goals this season (24) in the Western Conference with Stuver backstopping the team. The goalkeeper is also top five in several advanced metrics that measure a goalkeeper’s skill relative to the shots faced, including a Post-Shot Expected Goals minus Goals Allowed number of +4.6, good for fourth in the league.
And there's another metric that favors him. We recently visited goals added (G+) for outfield players, learning that it's a superstat that likes All-Star Guilherme Biro more than any other player in the squad. But goalkeepers have their own G+ measures, and Stuver's second on a list with some names you'll recognize as among the league's best by reputation alone.
Only Zack Steffen, splitting goalkeeping minutes with Nico Hansen for the Colorado Rapids this season, bests Stuver in the conglomorate of six categories (with shotstopping as the baseline and five other categories – claiming, fielding, handling, passing, and sweeping — sprinkled in). American Soccer Analysis provides an explainer here if you want to dig in a bit more.
The group up top includes fellow All-Star Dayne St. Clair, the Red Bulls' well-regarded Carlos Coronel, and RSL's Rafael Cabral, who outduelled Mexico's first-choice keeper (and 2025 All-Star starter) Luis Malagón in arguably the best Leagues Cup match so far.
Beyond that top group, including a Matt Freese who is a bit off his 2024 highs, there are still some good names in the second tier, including Portland's James Pantemis, who I can't not call "Jimmy Pants."
Beyond there, you have some surprises, including Sounders mainstay Stefan Frei and Whitecaps All-Star and Crossbar Challenge hero Yohei Takoaka slightly below Charlotte journeyman David Bingham (on his fourth MLS club since 2017) and slightly ahead of Portland's Maxime Crépeau (who lost the starting job to Jimmy Pants earlier in the season) and Orlando's Pedro Gallese.
Incidentally, Bingham only has 200 minutes so far this season, with last year's Goalkeeper of the Year, Kristijan Kahlina, still getting the Sir Minty's share of Charlotte's minutes but only registering a -0.98 G+ this season, putting him below Brad Guzan and the currently-injured Tarbell.
As with the outfield players, the goals added calculation attempts to give a picture of a player's entire on-field value, beyond the advanced goalkeeping metrics that FBref offers (including one that historically favors Stuver.)
That's an important metric because it looks at the cumulative xG of all shots heading toward goal off an attacker's foot, head, or in tribute to Gyasi Zardes, another body part, how many goals are expected to count from those shots, and how many of those don't go in based on work the goalkeeper is doing. The per 90 numbers flatter the Dynamo's Blake Gillingham, but the total number is arguably more important, showing the influence of an effective goalkeeper throughout the season.
Weirdly, FBref doesn't like Stuver's per-shot totals compared to other goalkeepers so far in 2025, but likes everything else about his game.
And as you can see, in comparing 2025 to 2024, he's been consistent over both seasons, while allowed to venture forth a little more offensively. (2025's in red; 2024's in blue.)
Yes, but what about the future?
Stuver is 34 and working on a master's degree in public policy from Oregon State's online program, so he's clearly thinking at least a little bit about life after soccer, though 34 is relatively young for a goalkeeper — especially one like Stuver who didn't log a ton of game miles before he jump-started his career in Austin after backup roles in Columbus and The Bronx.
Verde still does have, for the time being at least, an heir apparent in Damian Las, who is distinguishing himself among USL Championship keepers (even though FBref stats for USL-C are less robust, so we'll key on save percentage here):
The random tidbit that jumps out to me on this list: Las has a better save percentage than Bill Hamid, a USMNT-capped goalkeeper who won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2014 when playing with D.C. United (and who now finds himself with Miami FC).
It's conceivable that Austin FC sporting director Rodolfo Borrell declines to activate Stefan Cleveland's option for 2026 and readies a transition by bringing Las in to serve as Stuver's backup ... or it's also possible that Las is moved to an MLS team where he could more immediately challenge for a starting keeper role, though that's a possibly more tenuous situation than learning and growing in the system where he's developed prior to his two straight Louisville loan spells.
As Las clearly outgrew MLS Next Pro and needed the jump up in competition levels to get to USL, he may also be ready to challenge himself beyond USL this season — especially if his league-leading Louisville City (currently tied on points with the Charleston Battery atop the East) win a title this fall with him between the sticks.
Given the longevity of MLS goalkeepers and Stuver's performance, Borrell will certainly, automatically activate his 2026 option year and then ink what could be Stuver's last long-term contract with Austin (assuming a three-year deal with a fourth-year option, which seems in line with Borrell's past moves and appropriate for such a core player).
For all the questions remaining with the Verde roster — the lack of a true attacking midfielder, Owen Wolff's viability as an MLS lifer anchoring Austin vs. a valuable asset to flip to Europe for further roster building, the Brandon Vázquez/Myrto Uzuni front line dilemma – Stuver and Las provide the quintessential Good Problem to Have at one of the most key positions. (Even with the situation needing some management at season's end to have a clear course set for next season.)
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
We've got three questions answered from an expert on the Dynamo, and we've thrown in a link to the latest Emergency Podcast (which has a one-act play within).
Oh, and it's Verde All Day's birthday today!
Who doesn't love Brad Stuver?
Since winning the starting job from presumptive opening day starter Andrew Tarbell in April 2021, Stuver's been a fixture in goal for Austin FC for the franchise's entire history, making 155 league appearances and getting 599 saves in those matches. Only a brief bout with COVID-19 and another with the goal apparatus in Houston sidelined him in the five years he's played with the team.
His first All-Star selection, and his performance during the week, made him one of the feel-good stories of Austin's turn as host, with Jon Arnold noting, in his excellent profile for MLSSoccer.com,
Austin have allowed the fewest goals this season (24) in the Western Conference with Stuver backstopping the team. The goalkeeper is also top five in several advanced metrics that measure a goalkeeper’s skill relative to the shots faced, including a Post-Shot Expected Goals minus Goals Allowed number of +4.6, good for fourth in the league.
And there's another metric that favors him. We recently visited goals added (G+) for outfield players, learning that it's a superstat that likes All-Star Guilherme Biro more than any other player in the squad. But goalkeepers have their own G+ measures, and Stuver's second on a list with some names you'll recognize as among the league's best by reputation alone.
Only Zack Steffen, splitting goalkeeping minutes with Nico Hansen for the Colorado Rapids this season, bests Stuver in the conglomorate of six categories (with shotstopping as the baseline and five other categories – claiming, fielding, handling, passing, and sweeping — sprinkled in). American Soccer Analysis provides an explainer here if you want to dig in a bit more.
The group up top includes fellow All-Star Dayne St. Clair, the Red Bulls' well-regarded Carlos Coronel, and RSL's Rafael Cabral, who outduelled Mexico's first-choice keeper (and 2025 All-Star starter) Luis Malagón in arguably the best Leagues Cup match so far.
Beyond that top group, including a Matt Freese who is a bit off his 2024 highs, there are still some good names in the second tier, including Portland's James Pantemis, who I can't not call "Jimmy Pants."
Beyond there, you have some surprises, including Sounders mainstay Stefan Frei and Whitecaps All-Star and Crossbar Challenge hero Yohei Takoaka slightly below Charlotte journeyman David Bingham (on his fourth MLS club since 2017) and slightly ahead of Portland's Maxime Crépeau (who lost the starting job to Jimmy Pants earlier in the season) and Orlando's Pedro Gallese.
Incidentally, Bingham only has 200 minutes so far this season, with last year's Goalkeeper of the Year, Kristijan Kahlina, still getting the Sir Minty's share of Charlotte's minutes but only registering a -0.98 G+ this season, putting him below Brad Guzan and the currently-injured Tarbell.
As with the outfield players, the goals added calculation attempts to give a picture of a player's entire on-field value, beyond the advanced goalkeeping metrics that FBref offers (including one that historically favors Stuver.)
That's an important metric because it looks at the cumulative xG of all shots heading toward goal off an attacker's foot, head, or in tribute to Gyasi Zardes, another body part, how many goals are expected to count from those shots, and how many of those don't go in based on work the goalkeeper is doing. The per 90 numbers flatter the Dynamo's Blake Gillingham, but the total number is arguably more important, showing the influence of an effective goalkeeper throughout the season.
Weirdly, FBref doesn't like Stuver's per-shot totals compared to other goalkeepers so far in 2025, but likes everything else about his game.
And as you can see, in comparing 2025 to 2024, he's been consistent over both seasons, while allowed to venture forth a little more offensively. (2025's in red; 2024's in blue.)
Yes, but what about the future?
Stuver is 34 and working on a master's degree in public policy from Oregon State's online program, so he's clearly thinking at least a little bit about life after soccer, though 34 is relatively young for a goalkeeper — especially one like Stuver who didn't log a ton of game miles before he jump-started his career in Austin after backup roles in Columbus and The Bronx.
Verde still does have, for the time being at least, an heir apparent in Damian Las, who is distinguishing himself among USL Championship keepers (even though FBref stats for USL-C are less robust, so we'll key on save percentage here):
The random tidbit that jumps out to me on this list: Las has a better save percentage than Bill Hamid, a USMNT-capped goalkeeper who won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2014 when playing with D.C. United (and who now finds himself with Miami FC).
It's conceivable that Austin FC sporting director Rodolfo Borrell declines to activate Stefan Cleveland's option for 2026 and readies a transition by bringing Las in to serve as Stuver's backup ... or it's also possible that Las is moved to an MLS team where he could more immediately challenge for a starting keeper role, though that's a possibly more tenuous situation than learning and growing in the system where he's developed prior to his two straight Louisville loan spells.
As Las clearly outgrew MLS Next Pro and needed the jump up in competition levels to get to USL, he may also be ready to challenge himself beyond USL this season — especially if his league-leading Louisville City (currently tied on points with the Charleston Battery atop the East) win a title this fall with him between the sticks.
Given the longevity of MLS goalkeepers and Stuver's performance, Borrell will certainly, automatically activate his 2026 option year and then ink what could be Stuver's last long-term contract with Austin (assuming a three-year deal with a fourth-year option, which seems in line with Borrell's past moves and appropriate for such a core player).
For all the questions remaining with the Verde roster — the lack of a true attacking midfielder, Owen Wolff's viability as an MLS lifer anchoring Austin vs. a valuable asset to flip to Europe for further roster building, the Brandon Vázquez/Myrto Uzuni front line dilemma – Stuver and Las provide the quintessential Good Problem to Have at one of the most key positions. (Even with the situation needing some management at season's end to have a clear course set for next season.)
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
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