With some variations, Toronto FC typically trots out four defenders, three midfielders and three strikers. There’s only ever room for one goalkeeper.

But Stefan Frei and Milos Kocic showed last season the net can be shared. Each had a stint as the No. 1 goalkeeper and, playing behind the most porous defence in Major League Soccer, each had plenty of opportunities to shine.

The two are battling for the starter’s job, on the eve of the 2012 season which begins March 7 with the opening leg of a CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final against David Beckham and the LA Galaxy.

You’d just never know it.

During training camp sessions in Oakville, Frei and Kocic often work in a far corner of the indoor facility with new goalkeeper coach Stewart Kerr. In a series of drills that are exhausting to watch, they jump for balls and dive to their right, spring up and then dive to their left to tip away hard, low shots.

Each goalkeeper yells encouragement to the other during the drills. Over rest periods, the three of them chat about how to improve their technique.

It may seem unusual for so much camaraderie between two guys competing for the same job. But neither of them sees it that way.

“We both want to play. There’s no doubt about that,” said Frei, a 25-year-old Swiss and TFC’s main goalkeeper the past three seasons since being taken in the first round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.

“But not commenting on how he does and trying to get him better is not really going to make me play.

“If I can raise his performance to make sure I have to raise mine, that benefits both of us.”

It’s a mindset shared by Kocic, a 26-year-old Serbian who played four games for D.C. United as a rookie in 2009, then signed with TFC in 2010 before a loan out to the Canadian Soccer League’s Serbian White Eagles.

“Every day we push each other to be better,” said Kocic, who played in all CONCACAF Champions League matches last year before taking over for an injured Frei two-thirds of the way into the MLS season and remaining the go-to guy even when the Swiss was fit.

In the end, Frei appeared in 31 games — 27 in MLS, four in the Canadian championship. Kocic made 16 appearances — eight in MLS, all eight in Champions League as TFC advanced to the quarter-final round.

Frei, who trained with Liverpool FC just before Christmas, has established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in MLS. There’s long been speculation that he might one season leave North America for an opportunity in Europe.

That makes the continued development of Kocic, who was named the 2010 CSL goalkeeper of the year, even more important for TFC. And, with the Reds playing in at least three competitions in 2012, that should be possible.

“There’s plenty of games to play,” Kocic said. “Whatever competition we play it’s very important we be ready for it and focused for it.”

Kerr, the former ’keeper with Scottish side Celtic FC who has only been working with the pair for three weeks, calls their relationship unique.

“I’ve been in positions before, coaching and playing, where the two goalkeepers have a rivalry and it’s a battle,” Kerr said. “These two guys generally want the best for each other and I think it pushes them as well.

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“Their attitude as well as their ability is just fantastic.”

With the grinding travel of an MLS regular season as well as the Canadian championships and Champions League, Kerr said both will get their chance.

“You can’t expect a goalkeeper to play 55 or 60 games in a season,” he said.