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When Rémi Garde introduced Joël Bats he seemed very excited of what he could bring to the team. Sevem games into the season we are seeing just what Bats has been able to do with the keepers of a team.
A big element of a successful team is the keeper, he needs to be able to make the big saves to keep his team in the game and maybe even steal a few games. Evan Bush was said to be the starting goalkeeper very early on. Evan Bush was the hero in 2015 and since then his play has somewhat been on decline. This being said, it was obvious that fans were going to need a little convincing given the lack of success in recent seasons.
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In the few games that we've seen thus far, Evan Bush is a different keeper than in 2017. With two shutouts already in the 2018 season, against the two MLS Cup Finalists of 2017 and 2018, he definitely seems ready to prove everyone wrong. While his 17 goals (3 on penalty) are not super impressive, it is important to look at the bigger picture. Bush has 39 saves and two penalty saves and many of these kept his team in games, even if it didn’t come to fruition.
The question is, how has Bush managed to turn around his play so much in just a few months? His answer is Joël Bats and Robert Duverne. In an interview with LaPresse Bush gives a lot credit to both coaches who've helped him feel lighter on his feet through specific training. He also said that Bats has helped him feel become more active in his box and quicker in his movement.
While Bush is taking bits and piece from all the coaches he's had along the way, it seems that Bats has allowed him to perfect the elements of his game that he wasn't as comfortable with. More than just that, Bush has also embraced the technique that Bats wants him to implement and it has been working very well up to know.
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Parts of his game, like his distribution and coming off his line quicker, will take time to perfect but have both improved immensely since the beginning of the season when compared to the past.
It will be important for Bush to focus on what he is doing well and continue progressing because playing the way he is and not winning is something that can be a burden on a keepers play.