Although Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum likes to keep his cards close to his chest, he did reveal early on this season that with a loaded schedule during the Amway Canadian Championship tournament, keeper Evan Bush was going to start for the Canadian cup, beginning with the opening matchup next Wednesday versus Toronto FC.
“With a lot of games, I have 20-22 players that I can count on,” said the Swiss coach. “You have to find that right mix to be competitive and well-rested before each game. That’s where Evan comes in. I have always been confident that he can do the job.”
Bush signed with the Impact for MLS after playing with the club in its final season in the NASL in 2011, winning the Golden Glove for the league’s top goalkeeper. Last year, he made only one start.
However, with coach Schällibaum identifying him as the starter for the Canadian Championships even before the 2013 season got under way, Bush got the vote of confidence he’s been working towards.
“The coach feels that I’m capable of doing the job and I’m glad he feels that way because I’ve been putting in the hard work,” said Bush. “These are the times in the season where everyone has to be ready. Not just the top 11. The coaching staff is confident in a lot of guys and that’s something you need as the season builds.”
Despite the possibility of some other changes to the starting lineup, Bush feels that all players are on the same page.
“We have an identity as a team and we are trying to accomplish that, no matter who is playing, so we can’t really stray from who we are. We have to go in and do things the way we are supposed to do and the way we know how to do them. If we do that, I’m confident we can get a result.”
The Amway Canadian Championship begins Wednesday, at 7:30pm (ET) in Toronto at BMO Field, with the return leg scheduled for a week later, at Stade Saputo, same start time. Both games will be televised live on TVA Sports and Sportsnet.
