After 12 matches away from the Columbus Crew lineup, goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum may make one final start before the season is over in Sunday's finale at Crew Stadium.
The veteran keeper battled shoulder issues for much of the summer, and after toughing out the team's July 27 match, Gruenebaum hasn't seen action since, leaving net-minding duties to second-year goalkeeper Matt Lampson.
But Gruenebaum's health has returned, and while the coaching staff was willing to ride Lampson's good performances through the end of the season, the team's mathematical elimination from the playoffs may make it possible for Gruenebaum to see the field again, though he isn't worried about it.
"If my name is called, my name is called. I'm just trying to make sure that I’m getting better for myself, and then I can help the team as much as I can and do whatever I need to do," Gruenebaum said before last week's trip to New England. "We all want to play. So any time I can get a chance to play, that means a lot. And whether it's an injury I'm coming back from or not, it really doesn't make any difference. I'm just happy to be back playing, so that's really my main focus."
While Gruenebaum has been away, he's taken a more leadership-based role after the team parted ways with former Goalkeeper Coach Scoop Stanisic, and Lampson has said throughout the season that he appreciates the extra work Gruenebaum puts in as a teacher for the young keeper.
"I can't imagine how difficult it must be for him right now to be injured and not be able to play. But it talks about how great of a guy he is that he doesn't think too highly of himself to not help me get better," Lampson said earlier in the season. "I made a big mistake on the third goal this past weekend (In the Crew's 3-0 loss to Kansas City), and he was right there to say, 'just bounce back from it, you're going to learn from it.' Every day that I have with him helping me out is invaluable."
As the team prepares for its final matchup of the season, Lampson is well aware that he might miss out on the team's last game in favor of Gruenebaum. But Lampson said there are no hard feelings, and that he understands the move and will act the way he did before he took over the starting role.
"Should they decide to go with Andy, they've already told me it's not that I've done anything wrong. They're really happy with the way I've played and they're confident in me. They know I can get the job done," Lampson said. "So it's not necessarily a confidence shot or anything like that, it's more or less giving the guys an opportunity to come back from injury and get a game. It's nothing to really read into, and they explained that to me. I'm taking it in stride, and just like when I was backing up, whatever role I'm going to take on the team I'm going to do it."
