PORTLAND, Ore. – Ninety minutes. Usually once a week. Sometimes twice. It’s the only thing that distinguishes a starting goalkeeper from their backup. In between, both players go through the same training, break down the same film, and when the team’s preparing for the next opponent, they both are part of teams’ seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills.
Before and after each game, the starter and backup occupy the same worlds. It’s only the 90 minutes between whistles that separate one goalkeeper from the other.
That may be why, to Britt Eckerstrom, the conversation feels off.