Being a goalie in this sport is no easy task, especially at NYCFC last year. Standing between those posts for a full 90 minutes is an immense amount of pressure. A goalie needs to anchor the defenders, direct them and back them up when they need support.
There’s even more pressure on a goalie when he comes into an expansion team with no identity and an unbalanced defensive line, that pressure belonged to Josh Saunders. The 35-year old came over to the Big Apple in 2015 from Real Salt Lake with experience.
He’s a three-time MLS Cup winner and playing the majority of his career with the LA Galaxy, Saunders was the experienced keeper NYCFC needed.