Goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum is one of the longest-tenured players on the Columbus Crew roster. Only Chad Marshall has been around longer.
While Marshall has started more than 200 games for the team, Gruenebaum has had to be patient. Injuries and other 'keepers have limited him to 25 starts before this season.
The Crew drafted Gruenebaum in the MLS Supplemental Draft in 2006 after graduating from the University of Kentucky. But he has watched as Jon Busch, Bill Gaudette, Noah Palmer and William Hesmer have held down the top spot. A hip injury kept him out of action for a large part of the 2010 season.
The waiting has paid off. Hesmer is out for the season with a hip injury, so Gruenebaum is now the Crew's starter in goal. He has made seven starts already this season and will likely pass his career high of 10 games played before the end of May. He has two shutouts so far, one off his career high. His two wins are just two less than the four he recorded in 2009.
"It feels good to be getting games consistently," Gruenebaum said. "But the position does bring added pressure. It's not enough to be starting now — you want to be the leader of the team."
Scoop Stanisic, the Crew's goalkeeper's coach, has been pleased with how Gruenebaum's business-as-usual reaction to his new role.
"I didn't notice anything different in his approach to practices and games," Stansic said. "He still goes out hard, practices hard. He prepares himself for the games."
It's tough to get game action at the goalkeeper position. Only one goalie can play at a time, and it's a position at which the understudy gets little action. The wait for a starting position can be long. Gruenebaum has had to play in non-league competition, such as the CONCACAF Champions League and the US Open Cup tourney while he awaits his turn.
Gruenebaum credits this experience in helping him transition to the starting role and the recent difficulties the team has endured.
"Over the years you see a lot of different types of situations" he said. "Any goalkeeper that's been in the league has gone through weird games in their life and get bad breaks here and there."
He's also seen the flip side.
"There are also games where you’re on fire and nothing can get by," Gruenebaum said.
The bottom line, though, is that Gruenebaum is dedicated to doing what it takes to get the Crew back on track.
"I've been here a long time," he said, "and I want to help us win games and not make mistakes."
Gruenebaum knows he has help, pointing out that he's surrounded by supportive teammates, including fellow goalkeepers Hesmer and rookie Matt Lampson. Gruenebaum developed a strong friendship with Hesmer during the five years they've played together.
"Will and I have been together for a long time and we feed off each other, always have." Gruenebaum said.
He also understood his role as a backup, noting "If (Hesmer) is the starter, he's the starter. I've tried to push him over the years."
Now, however, Gruenebaum is in the role of tutor to Lampson. The veteran is using his experience as a backup to help the younger players, both on the field and with the mental aspect of sitting the bench.
"Hopefully I can bring up (Matt) Lampson the same way," said Gruenebaum, who never lost focus on his goal to be the starter. "Barring bad injuries in the past, I could have been here a long time ago."
Now that he has the top spot, Gruenebaum doesn't plan to give it up without a fight.
"Hopefully, I can use this year to make my case," he said. "We have a lot of games left."
