Major League Soccer's awards voters may not have taken notice, but the Portland Timbers certainly did. As did the player himself. When it came time to negotiate a new contract this offseason, neither Steve Clark nor his team had any doubts as to how important he was last year. By the numbers, the team's starting goalkeeper proved one of Portland's most valuable parts.
Undoubtedly, that is part of the reason why the veteran will return for a third season with Portland, but the line between his 2019 performance and his new contract wasn't necessarily a straight one.