The Pulskamp Era Begins

Tim Melia has been Sporting Kansas City’s locked-down goalkeeper since 2015. Let it be known that Melia was a miracle. He was a pool goalkeeper, came to SKC, then took the job from a seasoned vet from the Chilean league. Not to mention he is an MLS legend for his penalty kick saves, never once losing a shootout. It’s important to set the expectation that a goalkeeper like Melia doesn’t come around often, and there may never be another quite like him.

As Melia’s age came to light through injuries in recent years, our young Californian homegrown, John Pulskamp, stepped into the second-string role, making 42 appearances across all competitions over four years. Once the club parted ways with Melia, one of the many questions throughout the offseason was if the club would look for a veteran goalkeeper, more so, one with consistent starting experience. However, Peter Vermes answered that question decisively in a Zoom press conference, confirming that Pulskamp will take over as the club’s new No. 1 goalkeeper.

Defensive Rebuild

While it’s more exciting to focus on the offensive part of Sporting KC’s rebuild, the defensive rebuild has already been underway for the last year. Looking at Pulskamp’s time in goal during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he should not be quick to blame on every goal (some, yes.) Old lineups had an average age of just shy of 33, which showed as players struggled to keep up with the pace and physicality of this new MLS era. In more recent games, lineups have been filled with inconsistencies in backline formations and playing time.

Sporting utilized 36 different starting lineups in 40 total matches in 2024. Of the three last games that Pulskamp played, not a single defender was in the starting lineup for all three games, these situations lead to too much exposure for any goalkeeper to handle.

This upcoming season will have even more change with the addition of three defenders all under 30 years old (includes Fernández). If healthy after the off-season, consistency would come with a much younger backline, which could bring an intensity that SKC supporters haven’t seen in recent years.

With Pulskamp, at just 23 years old (24 in April), time is very much on his side—goalkeepers tend to peak later, often around 28, and some continue to improve into their 30s. Seen as when their ability to position themselves, read the game, and command their backline gets better with age. However, Pulskamp hasn’t had the opportunity to build that experience yet. His playing time has been very inconsistent, with only three consistent weeks of starts across MLS Next Pro, MLS, and the U.S. Open Cup in 2024. The 2023 season offered slightly more consistency with five MLS starts early on and a mix of Leagues Cup and MLS Next Pro appearances. A more settled backline in 2025 could finally give Pulskamp the chance to grow into the goalkeeper many hope he will become.

Credit: Thad Bell

Now, what if it doesn’t work out?

Concern hit the SKC discourse the moment Peter Vermes stated that there were no plans to add a veteran goalkeeper. At this point, something would have to go completely wrong with the goalkeeper situation for a veteran to be brought in during the summer window, as the rebuild has more pressing issues to address.

There is going to be a learning curve for this team with the overhaul of players from last season, but it’s time to see if Pulskamp can rise to the occasion.