Veteran goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell ready for his first start of the season for Austin FC
Andrew Tarbell knows to always be ready.
The backup goalkeeper for Austin FC, Tarbell prepares for every game as if he’ll be playing a full 90 minutes, even though Brad Stuver has entrenched himself as the starter since the club’s first game more than a year ago.
So when Stuver suffered a severe laceration to his knee five minutes into Austin FC’s game at Houston on April 30, Tarbell had no issues entering the game with no notice.
“That’s just part of the job description as the No. 2 goalkeeper,” Tarbell said. “You have to stay calm, stay focused and be ready to do your job and rely on your training and previous games.”
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It was only the third time El Tree fans had seen Tarbell, as he played in only one match in 2021 and started the club’s U.S. Open Cup match April 20 in San Antonio.
But he quickly showed why he was a top-10 pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft and has more than 50 professional appearances. He made several impressive saves and was a big reason Austin FC came away with a 2-1 victory to push its winning streak to four.
“He came in and just did a tremendous job,” Austin FC coach Josh Wolff said. “Life as a second goalkeeper isn’t easy. You sit idle in the background most days, but when called upon he did a great job. He hasn’t seen the minutes for us, but he’s been in the fire already in this league and has a lot of experience in the league from his time in San Jose and Columbus.”
Tarbell spent four seasons with the Earthquakes, where he was the team’s main starter in 2018, before moving to Columbus in 2020 and helping the Crew win the MLS Cup as a backup.
He was one of Austin FC’s first signings in December 2020 and since then has spent his time waiting for his opportunity while trading tricks of the trade with Stuver.
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“I have one of the best jobs in the world being a professional soccer player, so being a backup is not a bad thing,” Tarbell said. “Everyone obviously wants to play, but my job is to be ready to play when called upon — and I will be. Brad and I have a really good relationship, and I’m hoping he has a quick recovery.”
Physically, if you could build a goalie, it might be Tarbell.
He stands 6 feet 3, has a wide wingspan and is agile with a decent touch on the ball with his feet, and Wolff said the club has full confidence in him when he’s on the field.
“Andrew is actually a leader on the team,” Wolff said. “He’s a shot-stopper and has good size and physicality. His calmness and the ability to come into the Houston game and make passes and play against pressure was very good. We’re really comfortable with him back there.”
With Stuver still recovering from his laceration, Tarbell could be Austin FC’s man in goal for the foreseeable future. He will make his Q2 Stadium debut Sunday when El Tree hosts the Los Angeles Galaxy in a showdown between two of the top three teams in the Western Conference.
And even though he knows he’s starting, Tarbell said his preparation and mentality won’t be different — he’ll be ready to help El Tree continue what has been a phenomenal first 10 weeks of the season.
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“We just have a fantastic team that is deep at every position,” he said. “We’re in a good spot — we’re focused, driven and hungry for every match. For me, it’s just nice to be part of a group like this.”
Austin FC to play Liga MX's Pachuca in a friendly
Austin FC announced Friday that it will host C.F. Pachuca of the Mexican league — officially known as Liga MX — in a friendly June 11 at 8 p.m. at Q2 Stadium.
The match will take place during the June international break and will be El Tree's third against a Liga MX club.
Pachuca is in the midst of a campaign in which it finished atop the Clausura regular-season table — the Mexican league has two seasons per year — and is preparing for the playoffs. It is considered one of the stronger clubs in Mexico and has won the CONCACAF Champions League five times.
Sunday's match
Austin FC vs. LA Galaxy, Q2 Stadium, 6 p.m., FS1, 97.5
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Andrew Tarbell ready for first goalkeeper start for Austin FC in 2022
