Quakes boost keeper corps with Busch

• by Ridge Mahoney  @ridgemax, Mar 31, 2010

[MLS] The San Jose Earthquakes are the only team in league history to have two winners of the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award on their roster with their signing of veteran goalie Jon Busch to an MLS contract.

"The addition of Jon gives one of the best goalkeeping corps in the league," said general manager John Doyle in a team press release. "He has been one of the top goalkeepers in the league during his career. We want to have competition at every spot, and this move allows us that luxury at goalkeeper."

Doyle indicated Busch will be a backup to Joe Cannon, the 2002 and 2004 Goalkeeper of the Year who has been the starter since the Quakes were re-born in 2008.

Busch, 33, took a pay cut from the $105,000 he earned last year with Chicago, though terms of his new deal were not disclosed. The Fire jettisoned him last week after the new collective bargaining agreement was signed; as a player older than 24 with at least three years' of MLS experience, he is due a guaranteed salary in 2010. Because he cleared waivers last week and signed as a free agent, his salary could be renegotiated.

After five seasons in the A-league, Busch played for the Crew from 2002 through 2006. His lifetime MLS record is 60-43-42 and he has recorded 46 shutouts. Busch was MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2008; he played every minute that season as well as last year.

(To those who cite the presence of Tim Howard and Tony Meola on past MetroStars rosters, they were not award winners at the time: Meola didn't win Goalkeeper of the Year honors until 2000, when he played for Kansas City. Howard won the award the following year. Matt Reis and 1999 Goalkeeper of the Year Kevin Hartman were teammates at New England but Reis has never won the goalkeeping award.)