Andrew Tarbell seizes his Verde moment, may be needed with Brad Stuver injured

By now, every soccer fan in Austin, and most followers of Major League Soccer, know the Brad Stuver story. In so many ways, the 30-year-old career backup has become the face of Austin FC.

So it’s easy to forget that just a little more than a year ago, we all assumed that Stuver would be the backup for Andrew Tarbell. And on Saturday, in a 2-1 victory over Houston Dynamo FC, Tarbell finally got his Verde moment.

With his team trailing 1-0 and Stuver being transported to the hospital with a nasty cut on his right knee, Tarbell made four saves and provided the stability necessary to spark Austin’s comeback. 

“Life as a second goalkeeper is not easy,” said Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff, who presented Tarbell with the game ball. “You sit idle most days. Most times you're in the background, but when called upon today, he did a great job.”

Tarbell made two critical saves against Dynamo star Darwin Quintero in the 11th and 21st minutes, during a stretch when Houston sensed Austin was out of sorts following the stunning Sebastián Ferrera goal and Stuver injury in the opening five minutes.

Had it gotten anything less than Tarbell’s best, the Verde vibes might’ve taken a dip. The victory kept Austin in second place in all of MLS, and made it an early frontrunner with FC Dallas to take the coveted Copa Tejas trophy.

“It’s a big win for the team,” Tarbell said. “A big road win, a derby. We just have a fantastic team. I think we're deep in every position, so we're in a good spot right now. We're focused, we’re driven, we’re hungry. 

“So for me, it's just nice to be part of the group and be out there and grind with the guys and get a result.”

Not only has Tarbell been somewhat of an afterthought, but his first two appearances for Austin FC didn’t inspire much confidence. Last year, he conceded three goals while part of a rotated squad in Colorado, and earlier this month, he was in goal for the 2-1 extra time loss to San Antonio FC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

All the while, he’s had to watch Stuver become a fan favorite, hear the chants of “Stuuuu” at Q2 Stadium and know that he didn’t come to Austin to sit on the bench.

Tarbell has been a starter in MLS before. He got 29 starts for the San Jose Earthquakes in 2018, before he was traded to the Columbus Crew prior to the 2020 season. He even played a major role in the Crew’s run to the MLS Cup title that year, when he filled in for Eloy Room for a pair of playoff matches while the starter was sidelined due to a positive COVID-19 test.

When he signed for Austin as a free agent that offseason, it seemed like a no-brainer. And then Stuver beat him for the job during preseason, at least in part because of his ability to play with the ball at his feet, a skill Tarbell didn’t have to use as much at his previous stops.

“You’ve just got to wait for your opportunity,” he said. “It's sad that it's come this way, but that's the way the game goes. I hope Brad's OK. I hope he's ready to play this next game. He's a massive part of our team and the way we play, and he deserves to be playing fully. My job is just to be ready when called upon right now, and I will.”

At this point, it seems likely that Tarbell will be called upon Sunday against the LA Galaxy. While we don’t know the full extent of Stuver’s injury, both Wolff and Tarbell described it as “nasty,” and indicated that Stuver would require stitches.

It’s a big moment for Tarbell to showcase how much he’s improved his weaknesses. The way Austin plays requires a goalkeeper who is alert, brave and able to comfortably pass through pressure. Tarbell had at least one impressive passage around the 57th minute, as Verde attempted to draw Houston out of its defensive shape.

The stakes are high for goalkeepers who play that way, as moments like the one that ultimately put the Dynamo in the lead and Stuver in the hospital are sometimes part of the risk.

“We play high, ready to receive passes and start the attack,” Tarbell said. “Brad was doing what we train and what we do in every game — receive balls high out of our box, connect the game — and it's just unfortunate that sometimes it goes awry. (Ferreira) had an unbelievable shot, but that's part of the way we play. It's not going to change.”

If he does start, and if he can find a way to replicate his Houston performance against LA Galaxy on Sunday, Tarbell might just hear his own name shouted from the Q2 faithful. "Drewww" fits just fine.