Next Man Up: Stefan Cleveland puts in man of the match performance in 2022 debut

Without the heroics of Stefan Cleveland, the Seattle Sounders may not have emerged from Q2 Stadium with a valuable road point in their Western Conference matchup with Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Sunday.

Called on to start with Stefan Frei out due to quad tendinitis, Cleveland proved up to the task in a venue that has quickly become one of the most hostile for traveling opponents in MLS. The 27-year-old backstop made seven saves, including two huge stops in the second half, the top highlight being his 76th-minute denial of Austin FC midfielder Alex Ring from right on the doorstep.

Although Austin FC did find one goal on a second-half tally from Diego Fagundez, Cleveland’s effort and a first-half go-ahead strike from Will Bruin allowed Seattle to procure the road result.

“That was a tremendous performance,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said of Cleveland after the match. “I don’t know what it looked like to you guys on TV, but that was an exciting game. They had some chances, we came up big with some defending, some good goalkeeping. 

“Grit, determination, we had our chances at the other end, but certainly Will and Cleveland had big parts in this game. It’s a just reward for those two guys, who keep working, keep grinding. And when they get their opportunity, they can show what they’re capable of.”

For Cleveland, it was the continuation of his strong form dating back to last season, when he filled in for a lengthy stretch when Frei was sidelined with a knee injury. 

With Frei considered among the top goalkeepers in MLS, Cleveland’s proven ability to slot in effectively when needed creates a luxury for Schmetzer, especially with a hectic early-season schedule that has seen Seattle balance the league season with a run to the semifinals in Concacaf Champions League.

“Every day I go into training, it’s just focusing like you’re the starter,” Cleveland said. “So when you need to step in and play those minutes, it’s kind of like the same thing as last year, when you step into those minutes you have to be mentally prepared. 

“It’s doing all these mental reps of these games and being ready for this environment and taking full concentration each training so that when you have to do it for 90 minutes, it’s not the first time you’ve done it.”

Cleveland’s standout effort was one of the handful of strong performances from players filling in the starting XI, which he said speaks to the depth of the club’s roster. 

Now in his third year with the club, Cleveland said he’s developed a level of trust with his teammates that allows for a seamless transition whenever he’s asked to step up.

"We can trust each other when somebody steps in that hasn’t been starting,” Cleveland said. “The team trusts me, and that gives me confidence, and at the end of the day it’s a confident team and that’s where we’re going to find some results.”