San Antonio FC has gone from having three starting-caliber goalkeepers at the beginning of 2022 to having only one with no backup on the bench a week ago.
Cristian Bonilla secured the starting spot for the first three matches of the season before unexpectedly retiring on March 31, then San Antonio legend Matt Cardone retired after a cameo on July 2. That leaves Jordan Farr, who took on the starting role after Bonilla left, as the only senior goalkeeper on the roster, with 17-year-old Jude Bosshardt — signed to a USL Academy contract — on the bench just in case.
“We’ve been very proactive in identifying the right person for what we seek,” SAFC head coach Alen Marcina told The Striker. “We're not just going to bring anybody in for the sake of bringing somebody in. It has to be the right fit from a character fit, from a performance fit and fulfilling the needs.”
Marcina has alluded to the search for a new goalkeeper multiple times, dating back to the 2-0 home win over Charleston Battery on July 2 that turned out to be Cardone’s swan song. At the very least, he’s been aware of the need for reinforcement at the position even if that hasn’t come in yet.
“Things don’t just happen like, you know, click the finger and here it is,” Marcina said. “It's making sure it's the right people, and when it is and everything aligns, then we'll have another ‘keeper in here.”
As for the senior goalkeeper already on the books, Farr has performed very well since taking over for Bonilla. He boasts a 77.6% save percentage and has a tally of nine clean sheets which is tied for the most in the league. He was also named the USL-C's Player of the Month for April and won its Save of the Week contest six times in the 17 weeks he’s been eligible.
While Farr’s impressive contributions are great for SAFC, they also complicate the search for a new goalkeeper. Barring a blockbuster signing, whoever comes in is definitely the backup, unlike when the starting position was up for grabs at the start of the year.
“For a ‘keeper, sometimes you’ve got to be patient and be a great professional,” Marcina said. “We've been very fortunate since 2020, we've had great goalkeepers, all top human beings, top professionals. This is why we want to make sure we identify the right person.”
Marcina kept his cards close to his chest in terms of what kinds of qualities he wants in the new goalkeeper, trotting out the standard “high-performance, high-character individual” description he uses for every player.
However, Marcina did say there’s a decision to be made about whether to bring a player in on a short- or medium-term contract. He specified the former would last for about a month, while the latter would be for the rest of the season, and a player could start with a short-term contract then get an extension through the end of the season if things go well.
SAFC's search might be farther along than it lets on too, with goalkeeper-turned-agent Cody Laurendi saying the club has returned a call.
They returned a call…stay tuned
— Cody Laurendi (@CLaurendi23) August 4, 2022
For now, though, SAFC is relying on Farr not picking up an injury or suspension. That was especially important for the match on July 27, a 2-0 win away to Las Vegas Lights FC, for which Bosshardt was injured and Marcina admitted he didn’t have a plan if Farr had to leave the game. Bosshardt was available on the bench again for Saturday's 1-1 draw at home against LA Galaxy II.
Farr said it’s difficult being the only senior goalkeeper, but he can’t hold back for fear of getting injured or sent off and leaving the team even thinner at the position.
“Almost every athlete at this level knows the minute you start pulling out of things, where you start going 50%, 75%, anything less than 100%, especially on game days, it's a higher chance of getting hurt,” Farr said. “For me, it's about pushing it all the time, especially come gametime, there's no holding back ever in challenges, aerial balls, commitment to maybe beating someone off the line or making a save.”
An injury to SAFC’s starting goalkeeper is actually what brought Farr to SAFC in the first place after Cardone got injured in the last match of the 2021 regular season. SAFC already had Farr on its radar and was able to bring him in on an emergency loan from Indy Eleven for the playoffs, which is when he and Cardone began bonding.
“I can't say enough good things about Jordan,” Cardone said after his final match on July 2. “He's a great player, great person, great teammate. His energy is infectious, [he] brings so much positivity to the locker room.”
Farr gives Cardone a ceremonial sports drink shower after Cardone played his last match for SAFC on July 2 at Toyota Field. (Image: Darren Abate | USL Championship)
Farr is confident that Bosshardt could step in to finish a match if needed, but SAFC would be taking a gamble by playing a 17-year-old who has yet to make his senior debut for longer than that.
“Jude is incredible, he's fantastic – he’s an academy kid, he's looking to go to college, he's looking to try to play at the next level, but in a couple years,” Farr said. “Is he ready to sub into a game now? 100%. But at the end of the day, it's a kid, and so having another senior goalkeeper around is extremely helpful.”
Bonilla’s departure in March was a surprise to everyone, but Cardone’s midseason retirement was something SAFC knew would happen before a ball was even kicked this season, giving the club three months to start looking for a replacement. Because of that, it’s a bit odd that Marcina has said on multiple occasions the club has been “very proactive” in its search, considering it’s been a month since Cardone’s last match and there still isn’t a new goalkeeper.
SAFC wants to make sure whoever it brings in is the right fit, though. As Marcina points out, most players brought in during his two and a half years as head coach have been right for the team. SAFC may be in a precarious position, being so thin at goalkeeper suddenly, but it’s not a problem — yet.