After witnessing a phenomenal, acrobatic, double save right in front of them, the Cauldron began chanting "That's Our Keeper!" 21-year-old John Pulskamp has been in goal far more than he expected this season, so he says hearing that level of support from the fans "is hard to describe exactly."
Tim Melia has been out with a hamstring injury, and his contract is up this year. Pulskamp, however, signed an extension earlier this year through 2025 with an option for 2026. Therefore, Peter Vermes and Co. are getting a nice long look at the potential heir to the throne. The Cauldron let their feelings be known as Pulskamp shut down any hope the Portland Timbers had of making a comeback.
The task at hand for the young is not lost on him. The competition is fierce, and only getting more challenging. Pulskamp explains the importance of looking inward and always working to find that next level.
"There's a lot of guys on the roster. There's a lot of guys in the league," he says. "Those guys are constantly getting better, they're making themselves better."
He's a California kid and thought he had an idea about what Kansas City might be like, but he's since grown to love it. And brings his family & friends in town to enjoy it as well. From the LA Galaxy academy, to trials overseas, he shares with us his path to landing at Sporting. Pulskamp reveals the best cities in US Soccer for getting heckled. He misses the feisty fans of the USL.
We also learned why Tim Melia started calling him The Big Bear. It's hard to avoid with paws like that.
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