Goalkeepers need to have short memories. Mistakes are often punished by goals, and whether on a moment’s notice within a match or from one game to the next, they must be able to move on and refocus. Such is the life of a goalkeeper.
For Seattle Sounders backup goalkeeper Andrew Thomas, he had been playing well in the Sounders’ match against the Colorado Rapids on July 16. Seattle was up 3-0 and appeared to be cruising to three points at home. But after a penalty conceded by Cristian Roldan early in the second half, Thomas came out for a loose ball and conceded another penalty just a couple minutes later. The match was turned on its head, and the Sounders ultimately drew 3-3.
“I’m trying to learn some of the lessons from the other day,” said Thomas. “I was generally pretty happy with how I played the other day, despite that one decision.”
Thomas put the disappointment of the Colorado match behind him and rebounded tremendously well three days later in a win over the San Jose Earthquakes. Thomas made five saves, including a few crucial denials in the game’s waning moments to preserve the victory.
“Andrew had a really strong performance,” Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer said after the Earthquakes match. “He was upset with himself for the penalty that he gave up in the last game, and as a young goalkeeper to come back after a situation like that and have a performance like that and make some really strong saves, especially at the end of the game when there’s added pressure, I thought he was fantastic.”
By goalkeeper standards, Thomas is still a relatively young player. At 26, he’s made 12 appearances in MLS play with numerous other starts in the U.S. Open Cup and the Leagues Cup as he spells veteran starter Stefan Frei.
Thomas has gotten a recent run of games and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future as Frei recovers from a concussion he suffered on July 6 against Columbus Crew SC.
“Games can be a little hard to come by as a backup,” said Thomas. “Stef’s had a fantastic season. It’s a case of trying to enjoy the games and take the opportunities as best I can. Any conversations about [who is the No. 1 goalkeeper] are way outside of my control. All I know is I’ve got a few years left on my contract, and I love playing here. I love the fans, I love the stadium, I love the crowd. I like everything about the place. So, it’s just taking it one game at a time because I never know when [appearances] are going to be given to me.”
Thomas is widely considered the heir apparent to Frei in the Sounders goal, and he’s doing his best to soak up everything he can from the MLS legend. When he comes into matches, he aims to make the transition as seamless as possible for his defenders and keep the structure as sound as possible.
“I definitely try and [organize],” said Thomas. “How can I give the people in front of me just that tiny bit of information to make their jobs easier? It’s a run off their shoulder. It’s a, ‘Move five feet to the left.’ Those little things. The most important thing is that I can try and inspire a little bit of confidence in them. If they can trust me behind them, then they can focus on their jobs and everyone can have a good game and we can get a result.”
Thomas and the Sounders will have one final MLS match on Saturday in Georgia when they take on Atlanta United (4:30 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) before beginning their 2025 Leagues Cup journey on July 31 against Liga MX side Cruz Azul. A strong showing this coming weekend will go a long way in building Thomas’ confidence even higher as he prepares for a tough test against Mexican opposition.
“It’s going to be fun to get some of the [Leagues Cup] ones,” Thomas said. “There’s a good challenge against the Mexican teams, so I’m looking forward to those, but Atlanta’s first, so we’re focused on that one.”
