ORLANDO

To begin, ex-TFC coach Stewart Kerr referenced MLSE — and its former CEO — with a joke so dry it dumbfounded me.

A subtle nod towards history, Kerr’s deadpan expression slowly morphed from a straight-face to a grin. Then the comedy hit me. It will remain off-record for certain reasons.

After being relieved by Toronto FC two summers ago, the Orlando City ’keeper coach likely has plenty he’d like to say. He already has, in some cases.

And Orlando’s starting goalkeeper — Kerr’s pupil, once again — Joe Bendik likely feels the same.

Both look back at last season in Toronto and struggle to understand.

“I think it was difficult for Joe,” Kerr said following Orlando’s 2-1 exhibition win over Toronto FC. “He got the injury early in the season, but was playing well.

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“He probably should have been put straight back in. He’d earned the right.”

But with reserve ’keeper Chris Konopka picking up wins, TFC bench boss Greg Vanney stood pat.

Bendik, the first-choice ’keeper since 2013, couldn’t get a game. There wasn’t much clarity.

“When he was in and out, in my opinion, he should have been put straight back in,” Kerr told the Toronto Sun.

“You need assurance. You need to know that if you make one mistake, they aren’t going to put you out of the team.”

Instead, the goalkeeper situation last season resembled musical chairs, with Bendik and Konopka swapping places three times during a 34-game campaign.

What resulted was uncertainty at a position where questions shouldn’t persist throughout an entire season. It was an arduous situation for everyone involved to be in.

“I think it was pretty difficult,” Bendik told the Toronto Sun following Sunday’s exhibition.

“Whoever Vanney put out there, it was his choice. We played well, we played poorly. It was such an interesting season. I had never experienced anything like it.”

Things began to unravel following a 3-0 shellacking at Red Bull Arena — a loss Bendik took heat for despite watching his teammates get completely outclassed for 90 minutes.

Afterwards, Bendik — away from cameras — struggled to explain it. It didn’t seem right that he needed to, either. You could tell it was likely time for a change.

“From the outside looking in you could see what was going to happen,” Kerr added, pointing to the negative social media fodder that eventually emerged.

“It’s very difficult because then there’s a perception more than a reality. The reality is Joe had been playing well. But the perception was that he hadn’t been playing well. People just jump on it and jump on it.”

During Sunday’s exhibition win, Bendik came up big in denying a second-half strike from Sebastian Giovinco. The would-be equalizer appeared destined for the upper-corner before Bendik sprawled to push it wide of frame.

“He makes those saves,” Kerr insisted. “He always makes those saves. People are just so quick.

“Supporters here will have fresh eyes. There’s no perceptions. They’ll just look at him as a goalkeeper.”

It’s still unclear why those perceptions existed.

Yes, bad goals were conceded. But you can count them using a few fingers.

The vitriol that eventually arose in the stands was largely unfounded. Go back and watch last year’s season-opener — one of many examples — if you don’t believe me.

Bendik’s timely saves altered far more games than the few blemishes on his TFC resume.

“It’s difficult when (fans) aren’t a part of it to see what goes into it every day,” Bendik said. “Fans’ opinions are fans’ opinions. If they don’t like you, they’ll tell you. You have to live with that as a player. It happens with everyone, everywhere.

“It never impacted me throughout my three years in Toronto, but when I started to hear chirps in the stands, that was a little bit confusing to me.”

Perplexing to Kerr, too, who continued watching TFC’s ex-’keeper throughout the 2015 season.

“He’s easily, in my opinion, a top-eight goalkeeper in this league,” Kerr said. “I mean, easily. At best, probably higher.”

“I might be wrong, but I’ve worked with a lot of goalkeepers in my life. I didn’t understand it. He makes saves that other goalkeepers can’t make. It’s clear for everybody to see.

“Even in games where people where giving him stick, he was making saves. He was making big moments. But people have a perception.”

That perception — right or wrong — eventually made its way into the club’s front office just two years after Bendik was deemed good enough for a wage increase.

Looking back, Stefan Frei was labeled expendable due to Bendik’s consistent play.

“They wanted to move a different way,” Bendik told the Sun. “At the end of it, that’s just the business.”

The question now becomes whether or not Orlando made the right play. And if TFC’s new ’keeper, Clint Irwin, is here to stay.

“My goal for Joe is to be an all-star goalkeeper,” Kerr finished. “That’s what I think he is. He’s more than capable.

“I think he’ll have a big, big season.”

Which shouldn’t surprise anyone who watched Bendik the past three seasons.

He has far more quality than many Toronto FC fans want to believe.