Joseph Willis

Joseph Willis is an American goalkeeper born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1988. He began playing seriously in seventh grade, later helping Scott Gallagher win three consecutive state championships from 2004 to 2006. At the University of Denver, where he played from 2006 to 2010, Joseph Willis earned All-MPSF First Team honors three times and was named team MVP in 2008. D.C. United selected him in the third round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, and he developed as a deputy while making spot starts and Open Cup appearances. After moving to the Houston Dynamo in 2015, he initially served as a backup before taking the starting role in 2016. In 2018, Willis helped Houston win the U.S. Open Cup, saving two penalties in the semifinal shootout and keeping a clean sheet in the final. Nashville SC acquired him in November 2019, and he became a starter for the expansion club, recording nine clean sheets in its inaugural MLS season and continuing as a veteran presence.