Andrew Thomas’ MLS debut was a major milestone for the 25-year-old goalkeeper. But that moment paled in comparison to what he experienced at Lumen Field on Saturday.
“It was a pretty special moment,” said Thomas.
Thomas earned his second career MLS start in the Sounders’ home opener against Austin FC on March 3. It was a surreal feeling for the London native from the minute he stepped onto the pitch.
“I’ve driven past that stadium a bunch, sat in the stands a bunch, sat on the bench a bunch, and just pictured that moment of walking out here during scarves up and hearing the ‘Boom Boom Clap,’” said Thomas. “It took a second to take it all in, took a deep breath and just enjoyed the surroundings that I dreamed about playing in front of.”
It was even more memorable with the match finishing in a 0-0 draw, earning the goalkeeper his first shutout.
“It’s definitely a box that I wanted to tick, getting that first clean sheet,” said Thomas. “At the end of the day, if all the games I play are like that then I'll take it.”
It has been a journey for Thomas up to this point. The Sounders goalkeeper has been a part of the organization since 2021 after getting picked up in the supplemental draft. Since then, he’s been a key component in the Tacoma Defiance’s success while also supporting USL Championship’s New Mexico United in 2023 on loan.
The Stanford University alum faced a number of hardships over the last few years with two back injuries and eventually surgery in 2022, but he’s continued to persevere, leading him to where he is today.
“[My back] has felt great since then, honestly,” said Thomas. “So I'm grateful for the support of the club, the trainers that have helped me through that, the doctors and the surgeon.”
Head Coach Brian Schmetzer expressed enthusiasm for Thomas’ shutout post-match.
“Andrew is a super talented goalkeeper and he's enjoying himself right now,” said Schmetzer. “He's all smiles in there because we made a point out of it. Getting a clean sheet and getting one at home certainly is one of the positives of the night.”
An exciting achievement for Thomas, he still gives a lot of credit to the defense displayed on the pitch.
“It's a testament to the guys that were in front of me the whole time and worked incredibly hard for 90 minutes and kind of limited [Austin] to just some simple crosses into the box,” he said. “Defensively we were pretty sound and that speaks to the kind of work that everyone ahead of me did.”
And Thomas can’t wait to see what the future holds for him and his teammates as they look ahead to their upcoming match against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday (4:30 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360AM) and beyond.
“We're two games into the season and I think if we keep playing the way we showed in moments in the last couple games I think we're going to be alright,” said Thomas. “I think there's more cause for optimism and hope and excitement than any sort of apprehension.”
