Climbing the Ladder: Age just a state of mind for Rost

1) Age-Old Recipes

Bundesliga veteran Frank Rost now has two games under his belt for New York and — aside from Wednesday's rout at Colorado, where his defense was mostly to blame — he might finally settle the shaky goalkeeper position for the Red Bulls. He’s the second German international to play in MLS; hopefully his tenure with New York will turn out much better than the first’s.

Top 25 Oldest MLS Players – Regular Season Only

The 38-year-old also instantly became one of the oldest players in league history, and the fifth-oldest to debut. The list of the oldest players isn’t full of keepers, though, which may be surprising given how many current teams have turned to "experienced" netminders: Along with Rost, Pat Onstad, Kasey Keller and Faryd Mondragón have played this season, and all among the oldest players in MLS history.

However, that quartet represents half of the total of eight keepers in the top 25.

Apparently, wisdom does come with age. The vast majority of these players moved into a career in management, whether in MLS or abroad.

Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton, who’s been in the league for all but one season since 1996, will join the list with his next appearance. Meanwhile, FC Dallas’ Kevin Hartman is on track to enter next year.

2) Still Chasing the Cup

Speaking of experience, what do the following athletes all have in common?

• Detroit Lions placekicker Jason Hanson
• Los Angeles Angels outfielder Bobby Abreu
• Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash (and of course, Vancouver Whitecaps part-owner)
• Washington Capitals defenseman Roman Hamrlik

The answer? All four have played the most games in their respective leagues without playing for a league championship (among active players). To that list, add Chicago Fire midfielder Logan Pause.

Pause has made more than 200 regular-season appearances but has yet to play in an MLS Cup. That makes him the most experienced active player to never get on the field for the league’s biggest showcase. He had a chance at the 2003 MLS Cup as a rookie, but he didn’t get off the bench. (The Fire lost to San Jose.)

Columbus's Jeff Cunningham and Colorado's Pablo Mastroeni were atop the leaderboard until last season, when both saw action in the Cup at BMO Field. Cunningham was also the all-time leader, active or retired, a title that has now fallen back to Jason Kreis. The RSL boss and 1999 league MVP may have won it all as a coach, but despite playing in 305 regular-season games, he never took part in the final.

Most Games Played Without Playing in the MLS Cup: Active Players

Side note: Of these 10, only Thomas and Barrett have never played in a final of any kind with an MLS team. The other eight have seen action in a final, namely, the US Open Cup final.