Portland Timbers Football Club Season Preview: Goalkeepers

In part one of my preview of the 2012 Portland Timbers, I am going to take a look at the goalkeepers on the team. I plan to talk about each position, some strengths and weaknesses for each player, and create a depth chart for each position.

The team signed Joe Bendik in the preseason to replace the retired Adin Brown. Bendik graduated from Clemson University and went to Norwegian club Sogndal, where he was in and out of the starting lineup two two years. Joe joined the team in the preseason, and was signed on February 24. Joe is a big, strong keeper, standing 6'3" and weighing 205 lbs, and he is only 22. I have admittedly only seen one half of action from Bendik so I can't really access him that well.

Jake Gleeson is in his third year with the Timbers organization, having won a national championship with the U-23 side in 2010. Jake started the 2011 season as the number three, but ended up seeing action in the second game of the season after Adin Brown was injured (following Troy Perkins' preseason injury of course). The young Kiwi proved he is the real deal, and ended the season as the clear number two. Jake is every bit as tall as Joe, with a little less bulk. He has shown that he has some amazing reflexes, great leaping ability, and is quick off his line. His distribution out of the back is average. While unfazed by the magnitude of the games under his belt, his decision making skills need the refinement that experience will bring, something the 21 year old will get by the bucketful as he leads the New Zealand Olympic team in London this summer.

Troy Perkins is the clear number one, bringing both the skill and the experience necessary to lead a defense and make huge saves. He showed his reflexes and quickness over and over as the season progressed, not only just with his kick save against Chicago that was runner-up for Save of the Year. Troy came to Portland via trade with DC United, sending Steve Cronin to the other coast. The team worked out a new deal and our netminder in the offseason, keeping him here for awhile. Troy is just a few months younger than Jack Jewsbury, who both will turn 31 this season, so he should have another of decade of clean sheets for the club.  Hopefully we get to see Troy start at least 40 games this year.

Depth Chart: 1. Perkins 2. Gleeson 3. Bendik