Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum is one of five finalists for MLS Save of the Week. The Overland Park, Kansas native earned the nomination for his diving save to turn away Vincent Nogueira's free kick in the 41st minute of a 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union on Friday.
ANDY GRUENEBAUM: KC ROOTS
VOTE NOW: Save of the Week
In front of 21,000+ at Sporting Park and a national television audience, Gruenebaum proved pivotal in extending the club's unbeaten run to eight games and moving the reigning MLS Cup champions atop the Supporters' Shield standings. Voted Man of the Match on SportingKC.com, Gruenebaum made his first of a season-high six saves minutes before halftime when Nogueira struck his free kick from 20 yards out toward the top corner.
Gruenebaum's full extension effort to tip the shot over the crossbar drew the praise of NBCSN commentator Shep Messing, as well as Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes.
"(A) big time save and this is all about technique because Andy Gruenebaum takes a little shuttle step, gets the opposite hand over, that elevates his body and he's able to parry it away. That ball (is) bending, ripping to the far post; a superb save," said Messing, a former goalkeeping great who represented the United States at the 1972 Olympic Games.
"He made a great save, and not an easy one because you always think that the guy’s going over the wall. You don’t think he’s going around it, especially from there," Vermes said in his postgame press conference. "He’s been very solid, as I said last game as well. He’s done a good job; he manages things and has good distribution in the back."
#SKCvPHI POSTGAME: GRUENEBAUM
Since becoming the starter last month in place of the injured Eric Kronberg, Gruenebaum has led the team to a 4-0-1 record with 13 saves and a 1.00 goals against average. The ninth-year professional was acquired prior to the 2014 season from Columbus, where he was part of their 2008 MLS Cup championship squad and back-to-back Supporters' Shield titles (2008, 2009).
Other MLS Save of the Week nominees for Week 21 are Troy Perkins (MTL), Bill Hamid (DC), Clint Irwin (COL) and Nick Rimando (RSL). Voting runs until 11:59 p.m. PT on Thursday.
