Good Friday morning Caps fans, hope you all had a wonderful week and that the weekend brings some rest and relaxation.
It is certainly not as warm where I live as Marbella, Spain, meaning I’ve been looking longingly at all the social media content coming out of Caps’ training camp. The setting is about as good as it gets when it comes to football pitches — beats my view at work these days.
The gang has a new addition and it is another trialist. This time, the Caps are bringing in MLS goalkeeping veteran Joe Bendik to join the preseason.
Bendik played eight matches last year, spelling Andre Blake in Philadelphia — the role he has played for the last three seasons. Before that he was a starter in both Orlando and Toronto, while also serving as a deputy in Columbus and Portland. This guy isn’t Kei Kamara, but he’s been around.
Unfortunately, the 35-year-old was at the bottom of goalkeepers in the league last year. Even when accounting for the small sample size, it is pretty striking — Football Reference literally puts him in the first percentile when it comes to save percentage. His American Soccer Analysis page isn’t much better.
It is clear that Bendik isn’t coming in to supplant Yohei Takaoka, but rather to serve as a backup for a guy who played a lot of minutes last year. Thomas Hasal didn’t work out and the Caps are in need of a backup, unless they want to have Max Anchor or Isaac Boehmer sitting on a bench, rather than getting minutes elsewhere.
I’m sure Bendik is a perfectly nice guy but this seems like a signing to steer clear of. I get that you don’t necessarily want a backup to be a young player with no experience (Thomas Hasal’s MLS Is Back tournament notwithstanding) but Bendik doesn’t seem to have it anymore, even as a backup.
There are surely better options available on the free agent market (the Caps passed on James Pantemis, for instance) or from a Canadian Premier League club. Bendik will surely be dirt cheap but one Takaoka injury could mean the Caps are relying on a keeper who has looked subpar as of late.
This is obviously still a trial arrangement and nobody has committed to anything yet. And, frankly, the Caps could get by against Tigres with one of the kids as a backup if they wanted to keep shopping. But I would bet Bendik will be the guy and, while I have a checkered past of evaluating Caps’ goalkeepers (I thought Zac MacMath would beat out Maxime Crepeau), I don’t feel great about it.
Shameless Self Promotion
The podcast is already in mid-season form, breaking down the new arrivals and the start of training camp
Best of the Rest
Simon Becher’s transfer to Denmark has now been made official. Fare thee well Simon!
Bahia have also been doing some Whitecaps-relevant business, nabbing Caio Alexandre and netting the Caps some dough in the process
A look at where the Caps should be focusing their attention before the window slams shut
The Canadian Premier League will kick off its sixth season on April 13
Pantemis is an overrated keeper. He lost his job to Breza two years before his injury last year opened the door for Sirois who also needs to build on his 2023 breakout as he tailed off at the end of the year.
There is no experienced CPL keeper I would take. Henry gets his tires pumped way too much, Carducci’s prone to big errors, the young-ish guy in Winnipeg looks good getting off the bus but is very inconsistent.
A good back up guy knows his role is more about setting the tone in training and passing on experience to the prospects like Anchor. He provides competition but isn’t a dressing room distraction bitching about feeling that he should be starting.
the Caps are always what they have always been- a Club who usually gets its players as free agents or on the cheap- bendik’s salary for 2023 – as a back-up with Philadelphia- was $192 000 USD – far too expensive for such a weak and older goalie, so if the Caps do sign him, expect a much lower salary, another Cap special- bendik is much like Kreilach and Fafa
why Axel would see him as a reliable back-up is a mystery-you and i could have come up with some goalie younger and better– if i were Boehmer or Anchor- BLOW DODGE ASAP, just like simon becher did- being a canadian young talent with ambition usually means being glued to the bench year-after-year
i was hoping for a better 2024, something to build on from a good 2023- Axel has chosen- at this point- to repeat past CEO’s recruiting and accept mediocrity, fighting to be playoff team- perhaps- NO its 100%- this comes from the cheap ownership group who might be looking to sell the Club after all the expansion is done by 2030 (maybe make a Whitecap in the CPL and move the VFC in Langley to… Vancouver- i have always been suspicious of the VFC logo)
i dont know whether i can stand another year of clawing to be in the playoffs and get past the first round – my son says its our tradition for 45 years since 1979- if i were Gauld or Cubas, i would be thinking of greener pastures
i am leaving a wedge of a door of optimism open until the season starts – will we still be surprised ?