by PART I: Rebel Scum PART II: Forwards PART III: Attacking Mids & Wingers PART IV: Center Midfielders PART V: Fullbacks PART VI: Centerbacks
GOALKEEPER
First, a confession: I had to go and look up the name of last year’s starting keeper – the one before Fernando Pina. His name is Colin Miller, and the reason I had a hard time remembering him isn’t because of his play, which was actually quite good, but because Pina burned himself into my memory in his very first appearance.
He saved that penalty, made several other excellent saves, and earned a clean sheet the day he took over for Miller. Any worries about goalkeeping for the end of the season were erased, and Pina turned out to be one of the main reasons City made it all the way to the NPSL Semi-final.
He’s 6’1”, but with his athleticism plays like he’s 6’3”, and exhibits strong vocal and physical command of his area. Now 24, his college career has been a long and winding one: he began at Akron in 2012, transferred to Coastal Carolina in 2015, and is now at Fort Hays State, where somehow he’s still only a redshirt junior.
Because of Pina’s performance at the end of last season, I had him pegged as the definite number one keeper heading into 2018. After seeing the play of Nate Steinwascher this preseason, however, I think we have more of a 1A/1B situation on our hands.
In hindsight, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Steinwascher has showed his quality time and again for City, beginning with his epic performance against Louisville City in 2016.
Continuing in 2017:
And now this spring:
This double save from @nstein_15… 😳https://t.co/Au9SwS9udM
— DCFCFC – The Podcast (@DCFCFC) April 22, 2018
Pina has a slight height and athletic advantage, so I give him the smallest of edges, but I expect to see the number of starts split fairly evenly between the two. No matter which of them happens to be in net on any given day, both should fill City supporters with confidence.
And, as if two quality options weren’t enough, there may even be a third. Pearce Skinner started 11 matches as a redshirt freshman for Cincinnati in 2017, recording two clean sheets and winning a conference player of the week award.
At 6’2”, he’ll be the tallest keeper on the roster, and he doesn’t appear to be lacking in reflexes or ability:
Pina and Steinwascher are both much more experienced, but I could see Skinner earning some time of his own. The mid and late-season friendlies will be great opportunities for him to showcase his talents.
One Reason to Be Excited 🙂
City has two starting-caliber keepers, plus a number three who’s a starter at the D-1 level. I’m hard-pressed to remember when, or if, the team has ever gone into a season with a stronger group from top to bottom.
One Reason To Worry 🙁
As with forward, I’m having trouble coming up with any serious concerns. Barring an injury or departure, we should be able to make it through the season without any keeper anxiety.
Player to Watch 😎
For the first time ever, I’m going to pick two: Pina and Steinwascher. While we know what both are capable of, I’m interested to see if one or the other will raise their game enough to grab the number one job all for themselves. If that happens, City’s goalkeeping may reach new heights.
Header Photos: Detroit City FC/Univ. of Cincinnati/DCFC
