CHULA VISTA, Calif. – It’s a fresh start for Zac MacMath.
The goalkeeper, on loan with the Colorado Rapids from the Philadelphia Union this season, said so himself from Rapids’ preseason camp in San Diego.
“I would consider it a fresh start, absolutely,” MacMath told MLSsoccer.com on Wednesday following training. “Obviously there was a few issues at Philly, and it’s kind of like moving away from home again, and getting a fresh start, away from everyone that I knew there and [I’m] looking forward to starting a new chapter here.”
MacMath was drafted by the Union in 2011, and backed up Colombian veteran Faryd Mondragon his rookie season, though he also made a handful of appearances that year. The starter in Philly in 2012 and 2013, MacMath’s status appeared to be in flux last season, as the Union traded up to select another goalkeeper, Andre Blake, first overall in the MLS SuperDraft, and then signed Algerian international Rais Mbolhi following the World Cup.
Despite the addition of the two goalkeepers, MacMath still started 29 league games in 2014, but it appeared he would no longer be the starter for the coming season. And while he’s happy about the change of scenery, he said he’s looking only to this season, and not yet ahead to what the future beyond 2015 may hold.
Based on his experience, does that mean the 23-year-old is the Rapids’ No. 1 at this point in the preseason? With two other young goalkeepers on the roster with starting experience in Clint Irwin and John Berner, it looks like an all-out battle is on for the starting spot, and the newcomer to the group is just fine with that.
“Between the three of us, Clint, John Berner and I, it’s really fierce competition,” MacMath said. “All of us are young goalkeepers that have a lot of energy and are trying to make each other better each day. And that’s healthy. Regardless of who ends up as the No. 1, playing each weekend, I think whoever’s best will be playing and help the team win, and that’s all we can ask for.”
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Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni agreed that there is no starter in goal in place at this point, but preseason games would give the staff a better sense of who will start the season opener, which will coincidentally be against Philadelphia on Mar. 7 at PPL Park.
“They’ve been battling really hard, and we have quite a few games in the preseason to look at how they perform. I think in training it’s hard for me myself to be able to assess them,” he said to MLSsoccer.com.
“But obviously working alongside Chris Sharpe, the goalie coach, he’s given us feedback every day, how their handling goes and you see them in the small-sided games. But the most important thing for me is their ability to command their box when there’s something riding on the game.“
