KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tim Melia is his usual matter-of-fact self until someone brings up his status as a finalist for the 2015 MLS Comeback Player of the Year award. Then he reacts with a flustered grin.
“The Comeback of the Year thing embarrasses me,” Melia told reporters earlier this week during Sporting Kansas City's end-of-season media day. “I don't know what I came back from.”
The margins of MLS, perhaps?
Melia was a career backup and a former league pool goalkeeper when Sporting offered him a roster spot before the 2015 season. The rest has already been chronicled – how he took over from new No. 1 Luis Marin nine games into the season, how Marin went home to Chile shortly after that, how Melia racked up eight clean sheets and a 1.22 goals-against average in 23 starts, how he was in goal for Sporting's shootout win over Philadelphia in the US Open Cup final.
“Obviously, it was a quick change that we made,” manager Peter Vermes told reporters. “We never knew it was going to be long-term, that he was going to be the guy, but obviously he had the opportunity. I'm very happy that he took it and never opened the door for anybody else to come in.”
His teammates had a lot to do with that, Melia said.
“It's an honor any time you can be nominated for a league award, obviously,” he said. “It's great. I'm happy for it. I hope I win it, and I'm happy that my teammates put me in a position to be able to win an award like that. Because without the guys in front of me, goalkeepers are useless.”
Even if he does win the award, Melia still will have to win his job back in 2016 – which would make him the first Sporting 'keeper since 2013, Jimmy Nielsen's last season, to end one year and enter the next as the club's No. 1.
“I think it was a good season, but I also think it was a good learning year for him,” Vermes said. “Obviously, he still has a lot of work to do, and like anybody else, he still has to come back and compete again next year and it starts all over again.”
Melia understands that – but having experienced life as a first-choice keeper for the first time in his MLS career, he's determined to keep his job.
“It's just more motivation than anything,” he said. “It's hard when you're working out over stretches in the offseason and you're not sure how much you're going to play. So for me, it's just a bigger motivational piece that I know if I perform correctly and prepare myself in the offseason, I'm going to have a real opportunity to play week in and week out.”
Homegrown ‘keeper Jon Kempin is out of contract, but should be in the mix for a starter spot if he re-ups. Kempin saw sparing action this season but was stellar in the penalty phase of Sporting's final match, coming on for Melia as an 84th minute injury substitute and making three saves in 11 rounds before Kansas City finally fell to Portland in the Knockout Round of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs.
“Kempin did a phenomenal job,” said Melia, still bearing a pink scar on his cheek from getting fouled by the Timbers' Rodney Wallace. “I knew coming off the field at that point was probably the best decision for the club. Kempin's an extremely talented goalkeeper, and he showed that. And I knew that me not being 100 percent for the club, it was the right decision and he'd be able to handle himself. It's something he should be proud of.
And if Kempin is back next season?
“Kempin and I have a good relationship. We're both super competitive, so we both just have to play our best. Then it's up to Peter.”
