Spencer Richey: FC Cincinnati has 'champagne problems' at goalkeeper

Charlie Hatch | Cincinnati Enquirer

Show Caption Hide Caption FC Cincinnati vs. Nashville SC post match review Pat Brennan and Charlie Hatch discuss FCC's victory over NSC as Cincinnati continues into the playoffs.

Spencer Richey called it a champagne problem.

Throughout Futbol Club Cincinnati's successful season, consistency from the goalkeeping position is arguably one of the squad's strongest strengths.

Uniquely for Cincinnati, though, is the actual keeper alters regularly between Richey and Evan Newton. Thus, FC Cincinnati has its champagne problem: there are two proven, reliable goalkeepers and only one can play.

This isn't new.

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That reality remained during the regular season. But its significance in recent times doesn't revisit the situation as much has highlight its potential importance moving forward.

Last week, the United Soccer League announced Evan Newton won its 2018 Golden Glove award after only allowing 0.8 goals per game across his 20 league appearances.

Days later, Richey produced one of the better individual performances of the season and said his recent run of form is the best of his career.

Again, champagne problems.

"It's a cool situation," goalkeeping coach Jack Stern said Monday morning after practice. "We wanted to make sure we had competition for the goalkeeping spot. It’s a credit to Mark (Village), too, and Spencer and Evan, and the way they’ve competed together in the right way."

This season, Richey has 15 league appearances, which includes the penalty shootout win against Nashville SC on Saturday afternoon at Nippert Stadium. Of those, he has six clean sheets (Newton has nine).

During the Nashville match, Richey was FC Cincinnati's most-dominant player. Throughout the 120-minute match, he made save after save that kept the No. 1 seed from potentially losing in the first round.

His one-on-one stop against Brandon Allen late in extra time was not only one of the most important plays of the season from any individual, but kept the season alive. Eventually, Cincinnati beat Nashville 6-5 on penalties, where Richey didn't make a save, but made all the timely saves to allow the home side to advance into that situation beforehand.

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In Cincinnati's last 15 games, Richey has played 11 of them. Before that, Newton was the usual starter.

During the current run, Richey said the 2-1 win over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Sept. 1 at Nippert was the turning point where his confidence grew and minutes increased.

"It's been pretty fun," he said. "This is probably some of the best form I've been in in my career. When the games start coming and the games start coming, confidence is growing and I'm just trying to take it into next week."

Cincinnati hosts No. 5 New York Red Bulls II on Saturday in the Eastern Conference semifinal. (Both keepers have played against New York.) If the team advances, it moves to the conference final, and potentially, the USL Cup Championship Game on Nov. 8.

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In the meantime, Richey's performances offer no reason for a goalkeeping change. That said, Newton's minutes this season have been similar and led the USL.

But for as interesting as head coach Alan Koch's goalkeeper selections in the future can be, the long-term options are equally interesting.

Richey is already a Major League Soccer goalkeeper, technically.

This season he's on loan from the Vancouver Whitecaps and would return to the Canadian side unless the two teams agree to a transfer.

"It’s the same objective whether I'm on loan or not on loan, I want to play as well as I can in every game that I get," Richey said. "If I don’t play well, then neither team is going to want me next year. I’m just trying to string as many good performances together and hopefully I have more options come offseason."

As for Newton, he's a former MLS player as well, and his previous club, Sacramento Republic FC, looked primed a first-tier expansion big when he was there. Of course, his current one joins MLS next season.