2023 Dynamo Position Groups: Goalkeepers

(image via Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

In 2022 the goalkeeper position was easily the least shaky position group the Houston Dynamo had, with veteran Steve Clark starting 33 of 34 games. Michael Nelson struggled in MLS, filling in for a game and a half, but played incredibly well in his three Open Cup starts, saving a penalty in one. Goalkeeping was not very high on the offseason priorities for Pat Onstad and company. The only one to leave was Nelson, who was recently waived. We wish Michael all the best wherever he lands! The only incoming was Andrew Tarbell, who was previously at Austin FC. Steve Clark and Xavier Valdez return for their second seasons in Houston. Let’s take a look at these three shot stoppers and see what their outlooks are for 2023.

Steve Clark

Clark, who will be turning 37 in April, comes in as the undeniable starter for this season. Steve brings an excellent veteran presence to a younger backline while also being a solid shot stopper. For most of last season Steve was fairly consistent, making solid saves consistently while also being a good sweeper for his age. Steve’s one massive downside is his distribution. He ranks amongst the lowest in MLS for starters in long passes per 90 and average pass length per game. This is not the worst thing in the world, but it can limit the effectiveness of quick transition plays that are so prevalent within soccer now. Against Dallas we did see that struggle with his feet and a struggle to claim and punch crosses. We are hoping this is just preseason rust and nothing serious to worry about. Expect Clark to do more of the same as last year and put in solid shifts for most games this season as the starter.

Andrew Tarbell

29-year-old Andrew Tarbell is the newest goalkeeper to join the squad. He joined on a free transfer after playing in San Jose, Columbus, and most recently Austin. For the most part, Tarbell has been a career backup everywhere he has been except for the 2018 season where he started 29 games for San Jose. San Jose did win the Wooden Spoon that year, conceding the joint second most goals in the league. Andrew however did have a resurgence as a backup in Columbus, starting two playoff games on their road to winning MLS Cup. He started in the conference semifinals and finals, playing great in both while filling in for Eloy Room. Andrew has only made five appearances in the past two seasons for Austin so we could probably expect the same this season with him being the backup to Clark and playing Open Cup minutes.

Xavier Valdez

Valdez is one of the youngest players on the roster at 19 years old, which is extremely young for a goalkeeper. Xavier signed last year from the academy and went straight into playing with Dynamo 2. He made 13 appearances, conceding 15 goals. We can expect him this year to be the emergency third choice option while being the number one for Dynamo 2. Maybe we see him start an Open Cup game but expect only MLS NEXT Pro minutes for another season.

The goalkeeping department won’t be much different from last year, although the Dynamo did get a nice upgrade to our backup goalkeeper, he is still a backup. We are around middle of the road league wide at the position, but if there is any position in MLS you can get away with being average in it is your goalkeeper. Let’s hope we see a good season from everyone who appears between the sticks in 2023!