Chat(z) with Spencer Richey: Open Cup Win, Mentorship, and More

Spencer Richey wasn’t off the clock when he finally made it back to his home after keeping a clean sheet in the Chicago Fire’s 2-0 win at Austin FC in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Richey, who became a father for the first time in November, was immediately thrust into dad duty, keeping him up just a little longer despite the long trip back from Texas. And no, Richey confirmed that the baby did not have any interest in watching her father’s game earlier that evening.

For Richey, who turns 31 on May 30, the 2023 season has given him the opportunity to showcase his talents more frequently. He’s already made three starts at goalkeeper in the Open Cup and one in MLS action for the Fire, giving up just two goals in those four matches after having only two chances to start in 2022.

Despite not playing in competitive soccer matches frequently, Richey knew that he was going to be in a position to succeed in Austin.

“It’s always difficult to play a one-off game here or there but that’s what your daily training standard is for,” Richey told me at SeatGeek stadium after training this week. “It hasn’t been too long with the Open Cup games coming every two weeks or so, and then I had the game earlier against [NYCFC]. I’ve stepped into some games with less-recent real game minutes played so I felt confident. I felt good physically, mentally.

"Also with the team that we put out, it was a really strong lineup. It’s a game I know the guys were taking seriously, myself included, all those things together gives you confidence. Obviously, it showed in the game.”

The biggest moment of the match for Richey came in the 84th minute when an Austin corner kick found Ethan Finlay and his header was on target, heading for the back of the net. Before I could finish asking Richey the question about the sequence, he blurted out “face save” before explaining the thinking behind his positioning.

“I didn’t know a ton about it, I knew a little bit about it. Not enough to be able to get, I was trying to kind of get an arm, hand, or shoulder up. Just get anything I could behind it and, luckily, I started a bit more central in the goal and was able to slide into the slot there and get in the perfect position to use my forehead to save it. Whatever it takes, especially to keep a clean sheet. It’s a great feeling…”

“When you’re up late in the game, especially on the road, you’re going to need your goalkeeper to come up big at least once, if not more than once. Whether that’s coming off your line for through balls or dealing with crosses. Teams are going to throw the kitchen sink and you. Myself as well as the guys in the middle of the box are going to have to deal with crosses and you’re going to have to deal with chances. You’re not going to hold the team to no half-chances or no quality chances.”

Richey has balanced the need to mentor the Fire’s teenage goalkeepers (first Gabriel Slonina and now Chris Brady) with the desire to continue to compete at the highest level of men’s soccer in the United States. Brady made a point of referencing Richey’s influence after the club’s 1-0 win in MLS over St. Louis City on May 13. It’s not like Richey is some scrub, either. He’s made 95 starts (17 clean sheets) in his professional career between MLS and the USL Championship since being drafted by Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.

Apparently, for Richey, this balance comes down to operating like a decent human being.

“It sounds very complicated when you say it out loud but in reality, the day-to-day part of it is not difficult at all. When I was a young goalkeeper I had a lot of veterans, experienced guys that I played with. Some were great to me, some were not so great to me. When you go through those experiences you quickly realize the type of player you want to be for future goalkeepers or young players on the team that you will have the opportunity to mentor.

“Do I still have ambitions to be a starting goalkeeper and play week in and week out? Absolutely, but it’s not going to help me if I’m being an a**hole at training with [Gabriel Slonina] or Chris [Brady] and vice versa. It makes for a toxic training environment and that’s not what you want for myself, for him or for the ‘GK’ group as a whole. I have no resentment towards Chris for trying to play well and the same way I don’t think he has resentment towards me for trying to play well. We’re just both trying to do what we can do to help the team, to improve our own craft and I think you both turn out better in the long run if you look at it that way.”

Richey has potential spot starts upcoming between the future Open Cup ties and the Leagues Cup later in the summer. Until then, he will continue to train the same way regardless of whether or not he finds himself on the pitch in competitive situations.

What’s On Tap Next?

The Fire return to MLS play on May 27 when they travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts to take on the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. The match kicks off at 6:30 PM CT and will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.

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