Why Sporting KC is thrilled to lock up its backup goalkeeper to a contract extension
Sporting KC and John Pulskamp agreed to a multi-year contract extension this week that will keep the (for now) backup goalkeeper in Kansas City until 2025, with an option year for 2026.
Sporting manager Peter Vermes on Friday hailed the 21-year-old’s growth, work ethic and confidence, calling him “the future goalkeeper in our club” once veteran starter Tim Melia’s time in KC is through.
“If he continues on the path that he’s on, he’s definitely the future,” Vermes said. “He’s got all the qualities. And I’ll tell you again, his work ethic, his competitiveness, desire to win, all those things are just tremendous.”
On the flip-side, it was an easy decision for Pulskamp to re-up with Sporting. He said he believes this is the best fit for him as he continues to work toward developing into the goalkeeper he wants to be.
“I think it’s very important that I’m in a place that has a plan in place for me, goals for me, and sees the potential that I have,” he said. “I feel at Sporting that I have a lot of room to grow.
From Tony Meola to Kevin Hartman, the Wizards had some of Major League Soccer’s best goalkeepers in the league’s early years. The Sporting era of the franchise is no different, boasting the legendary runs of Jimmy Nielsen and Tim Melia.
While Melia has played every minute of the 2022 MLS campaign for Sporting KC, the 36-year-old is out of contract and Pulskamp has been knocking on the door for a while. He credits a competitive yet positive goalkeepers room — one that includes himself, Melia and Kendall McIntosh — for helping him grow as a player and a person off the field.
“Any goalkeeper will tell you the goalkeeping union with the club has a massive effect on personal growth, personal development and your enjoyment of coming in every day to work,” Pulskamp said.
In 2021, Melia missed the first five matches of the year. That enabled Pulskamp to get his feet wet with the first team. He pitched an October shutout against the L.A. Galaxy (in whose academy he initially developed) when Melia was suspended for the “Suplex in Seattle.”
Pulskamp officially signed with Sporting KC II in 2019 and earned a homegrown contract with the Sporting KC first team a year later. Pulskamp has played in 31 matches for SKC II since 2019, making 105 saves.
Despite his limited number of appearances at the first-team level, Pulskamp was called to the U.S. Men’s National Team camp in December 2021.
Pulskamp and the club continue to believe that he can eventually be in the mix regularly at the international level.
“If I continue to progress,” he said, “I can definitely be further integrated with the national team, and I could make my case in that area for sure.
“The club, in my talks and experiences so far, they believe the same thing. We’re just really aligned with my personal goals and what they see for me.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2022 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Why Sporting KC is thrilled to lock up its backup goalkeeper to a contract extension."