Jon Busch was in goal for the best of times the Columbus Crew ever had. It's those experiences he's trying to bring with him to the starting goalkeeping job with the Chicago Fire this season as the Men in Red aim for a first MLS Cup in 10 seasons.
Busch was the starting goalkeeper in 2002 when the Crew won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a pleasing result for team owner Lamar Hunt. He was the starting goalkeeper in 2003 when the team had Brian McBride, Kyle Martino and Mike Clark but suffered a handful of injuries. He started 29 games in 2004 when the Crew went 18 games without a loss (8-0-10).
"That was the best team I have played on professionally," said Busch. "We had a great team atmosphere, and we had great older guys that were fantastic leaders for the good group of younger guys."
The Crew lost a playoff series to New England that year, and then the team's fortunes dropped, as did Busch's. He suffered severe knee injuries in 2005 and 2006 that limited him to 17 games over two seasons.
He signed with the Fire in 2007 but had to sit much of the season, while young goalkeeper Matt Pickens got his opportunity after years of waiting behind veteran goalkeeper Zach Thornton. When Pickens went to Europe after the 2007 season, Busch was more than ready to once again take over the top goalkeeping spot for an MLS team.
"It was a good decision to bring him in because he could push Matt, and if Matt went down he would be able to step in and do the job," said first-year Fire coach Denis Hamlett, who was an assistant coach for the 10 previous seasons with the Fire. "That pushed Matt to the level where he played very well, and he moves on and Jon gets his opportunity. But remember, a couple of years ago Jon was an All-Star goalkeeper in this league. He plays big, and our guys feel comfortable working with him."
The comfort level worked well enough that the Fire did not give up a goal to the opposition this season until the fourth game, when Busch himself committed an error that allowed Sunday's goal by Kansas City's Jack Jewsbury that gave the Wizards a 1-0 victory.
Busch was quick to accept blame for the play, in which he tried to outrace Jewsbury to a 50-50 ball and finished second in the race. Jewsbury made contact, pushed the ball ahead of the on-rushing Busch and had an easy goal.
"I take full responsibility for the goal," Busch said. "If I do better at that play, we end 0-0 at worst. I made the decision to come off my line and it wasn't the right decision."
But Busch has made enough right decisions that he leads the league in goals-against average (0.50) and in number of saves (24 in four games).
At 5-foot-10, Busch is not the large, imposing goalkeeper many teams prefer, but he makes his presence known in a big way with a great desire to communicate with his teammates.
In short, he is a big talker back there.
"That is a big part of being a goalkeeper," Busch said. "I was always taught the goalkeeper doesn't just stand there and wait for shots and crosses. He organizes and tries to cut those out before they happen. That is what the best goalkeepers in the world do. It was dribbled into me at a young age to talk to defenders, to put them into a good spot where I don't have to see 15 shots a game. I'd rather see two or three.
"It has been a part of my game for a long time," he said. "That way it makes my job a lot easier, and hopefully I am not taking the ball out of the net too many times."
Hamlett enjoys hearing Busch, remembering his own playing days as a defender at North Carolina-Wilmington, George Mason and in the NPSL, APSL and MLS.
"As a defender, I was never offended by a goalkeeper talking," Hamlett said. "It is a way for Jon to communicate with the defenders, and hopefully that communication can go all the way down the field, from the keeper to the forwards."
While all teams promote competition at each of the available starting spots, Busch figures to hold on to the No. 1 gig as long as he can stay healthy. Second-year goalkeeper Nick Noble works behind Busch and the Fire signed rookie Tyler Kettering from Gardner-Webb University earlier this week to be the third goalkeeper.
But Busch is the man and he appreciates the position he is in.
"To know that the job is mine to lose this year and being healthy, it's just great." Busch said. "It gives me a new appreciation for playing again. I still take it seriously but I have fun because I went through two years of, to be honest, hell, for me. I'd get on the field for eight or nine games and then I'd have another injury."
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
