EDITORIAL – This interview was conducted a couple of days before Austin FC’s historic victory over Portland Timbers, a game in which ATX finally scored at Q2 and secured their first-ever hometown win. Prior to that match, we asked Verde keeper Brad Stuver how he’d feel about the prospect of swapping a coveted clean sheet for a team ‘W’? “Absolutely. This is a team game. Individual accolades are great, but at the end of the day, the only thing we really care about are hoisting trophies. If I gave up two goals a game every game for the rest of the season and we went on to win MLS Cup, I would make that sacrifice in heartbeat.”
Man On: With Austin FC’s Brad Stuver
It’s easy to see why Stuver has fast become one of the most popular players on the Austin FC roster. In addition to having the season of his life so far, he and his family have wholly embraced their new hometown and those within it. Brickwall, Superman, Supporters Section-favorite, #StuVERDE, goalkeeper jersey model, and already a significant part of the Austin community, Ladies and gentlemen, Brad Stuuuuuuver…
LWOS: What’s your earliest football memory?
Stuver: My older brother was the first one in our family to play soccer. So really my earliest memories are just in the backyard with him and his friends kicking soccer balls at me because I was the little one and they just threw me in the goal, so that’s probably where it all started for me! I was just five foot two my freshman year of high school. By the time I went into college I was six three.
LWOS: Have you always been a goalkeeper?
Stuver: So, I’ve played other parts of the field, but I was mainly the goalkeeper (Stuver admits to having a soft spot for the ‘6’ position – watch out Alex Ring!). I would play the field with my club teams, and on more competitive teams I would play in goal, so I kind of got like a mix of both. Being a goalkeeper for me was probably out of preference. I didn’t like running so it was very easy for me to choose!
LWOS: Prior to joining Austin, you had nine starts in MLS, which for a goalkeeper of your undoubted ability is crazy! Were there frustrations at not being a starter at your previous clubs?
Stuver: Yeah, it was difficult. I think for the first couple of years my mindset was a little bit different. I was still learning how to be a pro, I was still going through like the typical rookie stuff. I was trying to fight to be the back-up. Then, once I solidified that back-up spot, obviously my next goal was always to be the starter. I got a chance to compete against Zack Steffen for the starting role in Columbus, in 2017. Obviously, he won out and is doing great things with Man City and for the US Men’s National Team, but that was the year that I decided that I needed to go to a different club.
I did everything I could, in Columbus, and it was time for me to move on. There are a couple of different ways I could have went about it. I could have went to a different club where I may have been competing for a starting job but either the scenario wasn’t right, or the system that they played wasn’t right, or I could go to New York City where I knew the club was a top-notch style of play, but I wasn’t gonna start right off. So, when it came down to it, I chose to go to NYCFC. I talked to their goalkeeper coach, and he basically said, “Sean (Johnson) is going to get called into the national team, you’re going get games while he’s gone”.
So, for me, that was kind of the next step to one of the bigger name clubs in MLS. They have a huge ownership group, they have European ties. I wanted to learn from Patrick Vieira, I wanted to learn from coaches that had been around some of the best players in the world. So, that kind of opened my eyes to a little bit of a bigger picture than just like the US Soccer scene. But I tried to stay grounded, staying motivated and trusting in my ability to grind it out. I might not have always been the best player, but I knew that I was going to be the player that withstood the most crap. And I knew that I was gonna just put my head down and work until I got my shot.
LWOS: Being where you’ve been and where you are today, what have you learned that you can channel back into the Austin FC ‘Goalkeepers Union’?
Stuver: You’ve just got to believe that if you do the right things, good things will happen in the end. For me, it was just believing in myself and believing in the process and just continuing to do the right things every day. As much as I got frustrated with not playing, I was always looking for the next opportunity, the next chance, the next way for me to take the next step in my career. It’s also about surrounding yourself with people that believe in the same things you believe in.
When you’re waiting for your shot, it helps to keep in mind that goalkeepers have a longer shelf life than outfield players. But knowing that only one can play at any given time, the ‘GK Union’ always looks after one another, no matter what. I still stay in touch with Zack Stephen. I still talk to Sean, a lot. It’s one of those things where you want to see the guy in front of you do well because you’re with them for so long. You just form these friendships, you form these bonds, and you want to make each other better. Like, for me right now, Andrew (Tarbell) and I are still pushing each other. He’s pushing me to be better, I’ll push him to be better, Will (Pulisic) is there with us getting better every step of the way, and when Brady (Scott) was here, he was doing the same thing. As much as you want to see them do well, you want to make sure that you are keeping pace with them as well.
LWOS: Another facet to your character is your engagement in social causes. We’ve seen your work with The Laundry Project here in Austin. You’ve been front and center with your support during Pride Month. And we saw you sporting a Bootbag recently, another company with a great social mission – why is being involved in these social efforts so important to you and your wife?
Stuver: Where I grew up, it was a very tight-knit community and we leaned heavily on each other, you got to know everything about it, and you took care of each other. My parents were definitely very caring and very outgoing when it came to community work. My dad was Army, so it was kind of built into him from an early age to give back and serve something bigger than yourself. My mom has always worked in nursing homes, she was an RN for a hospital, so her entire life was always about giving back to people as well. I think for me and my brother it was ingrained in us from an early age that you only get one life and to give back to others is probably the most important thing.
So, no matter where Ashley or I went, we always wanted to be part of the community. And as a professional athlete, I felt even more responsible to give back to the communities that I play in because they’re giving me the opportunity to play the game that I love, as a job. For us it’s just about connecting with the fans, connecting with the people in this community, and becoming part of the culture in the city. It’s less important for me my legacy on the field, as it is just what can we do for the communities that we’re in, where I play. I’d much rather leave behind something in the community than leave something behind on the field.
LWOS: The Q2 atmosphere, the noise generated, has been insane! What’s that experience like of having particularly the fans in the Supporters Section (The End) at your back for half a game?
Stuver: Yeah, kind of sucks because the players can’t communicate! (laughs) But no, it’s great! It’s a great problem to have. We talk about it all the time in the locker room, the energy that is in that stadium just flows through you, and you just feel this invincibility almost. No matter what you do, you know the fans are going to be there. You know the fans are going to be pushing you on every corner kick, every good play, every one-two that leads to a break. I have some friends on the Columbus and San Jose teams and they both looked at me after the game and they’re just like, “Wow, that was great! This is the atmosphere we love to play in!” Q2 is one of those places that can be one of the best in MLS consistently.
