MONTREAL – “That one doesn’t taste good”
Montreal Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush’s Twitter-conciceness was exemplary on August 23 after his seventh career MLS game, lost 4-2 at New York Red Bulls.
He’d had a fine first half. In the opening 10 minutes only, Bush got just enough of Lloyd Sam’s low cross to throw off the onrushing Bradley Wright-Phillips, before diving low to stop BWP’s header on the ensuing corner kick.
Then, like always when Montreal visit New York, Thierry Henry happened. As BWP ultimately did, Henry scored a brace, his second part magic on his behalf, part mishap on Bush’s. The ‘keeper misread Henry’s low curler, diving short of it. After conceding four goals in 45 minutes, maybe Troy Perkins would return between the posts?
He didn’t. Last weekend against Columbus, Bush carried on and rebounded, making five saves on his way to his second MLS win – two weeks after the first.
“It’s one of the parts of being a professional: you’re going to have tough games,” Bush told reporters on Tuesday morning. “If you look at the D.C.-New York game this week-end, [Luis Robles] gave up a bad goal, and he’s had a great year. That’s one of those things where I’m sure he’s going to bounce back and I was able to bounce back with just keeping a positive [and focused] mindset.”
And, Bush said, with a little help from his friends – not just the back four, but the entire group.
“I think everything from keeping the ball to keeping ourselves compact defensively, everything worked out and the Columbus game was one of our better games this year,” Bush said.
The 2011 season was the Impact’s last in the second division. It was also the last time Bush had been given a run in the first team; Bush started 18 games, but Montreal stuttered through the season, missing out on a playoff spot by a point.
It still won Bush the third MLS contract Montreal ever handed out. He made only one league start in each of his first two seasons but kept impressing in training. Head coach Frank Klopas often says that he can count on two quality ‘keepers. But he still had to see what Bush could do in game situations.
“The clean sheet, obviously, goes a long way for the confidence to him and to the team,” Klopas said after Saturday’s game. “This is a moment, now, nine games left, with CONCACAF [Champions League] – I’m not saying he’s going to play all the games –, but I think it’s important to give him a run of games and see what we have.”
