Two years ago, after a match between Forge FC and Pacific FC, young goalkeepers Chris Kalongo and Emil Gazdov, both of whom were on the bench that day, had a chat about how they wished they could be playing more.

Patience can be a virtue for young players, but that is especially true when it comes to goalkeepers, where with one rarely-rotated position available they often have to bide their time as an understudy sometimes for years, occasionally essentially for entire careers. With established CPL goalkeepers Triston Henry and Callum Irving in front of them at the time, opportunities to play were few and far between.

When the teams met a year later, on September 23, 2023, Gazdov was the starting goalkeeper for Pacific, while Kalongo came into the match in the 60th minute after a minor injury to Triston Henry, “we were like ‘ah, okay look at us now’,” said Gazdov. 

This past weekend, when the pair had their first post-game chat of the season, they were able to do so as two of the top goalkeepers in the Canadian Premier League so far this season. The 22-year-old Kalongo was named the league’s Allstate Goalkeeper of the Month for April, while 20-year-old Gazdov has kept a league-leading four clean sheets during Pacific’s league-record five games without conceding to start the 2024 season.

“Every week it’s been kind of, I’ll play a game, I’ll look at the game that he played and see how he did,” Gazdov told CanPL.ca. “Who maybe makes the team of the week, who makes the better saves and stuff. I think it’s great that me and him are doing well and can show that young goalkeepers maybe need some time but they can get there.”

Their heroics for two of the league’s top teams in 2024 have been a big story to start the Canadian Premier League season — especially considering no teams have conceded fewer goals this season than Forge and Pacific.

“Not a lot of leagues, and not a lot of teams in the world would give a chance to such a young goalkeeper like me,” said Gazdov. “You see the same thing with Forge, Triston Henry left and they go ‘okay we want Chris to play’ and Chris comes in and does really well.”

For the pair, they are out to prove that age is just a number, and give hope to the young goalkeepers across the country who were in their shoes just a few years ago.

“At the end of the day it’s not so much the age as much as its what you can do, your ability,” said Kalongo. “I think a lot of younger guys now, even if you look at world football, are a lot more confident, taking opportunities. It’s just good to see that staff is having confidence in younger keepers.”

That opportunity for Kalongo opened up when it became clear that 2023 CPL Golden Glove winner, and four-time CPL Champion, Triston Henry would not be with the club to start the 2024 campaign. The ask was significant, as Forge began their season in February in Concacaf Champions Cup action against one of the most storied teams in the Americas, Chivas Guadalajara.

“I was going to do anything I could to get in the net for those games,” said Kalongo. “I know guys that have played long careers that have never been able to play at stadiums like that or in a tournament like the Champions Cup. For me, I wanted it more than everything and I’m happy that the staff had confidence in me to play those games, because those are definitely the biggest moments of my career so far.” 

The 22-year-old Kalongo performed well, showing a good ability to rebound from the few mistakes he did make to come up with some big saves. It was an incredible learning experience for the Oakville, Ont. native, who used those lessons to prepare him for the start of the 2024 Canadian Premier League season. Through three matches played in the league, he has made ten saves and conceded just two goals.

“One of the biggest things is just trying to communicate with your backline I think for being in a place like Estadio Akron and even being at Tim Hortons Field that game was one of the loudest I’ve ever been in attendance for,” said Kalongo of what he learned for Champions Cup. “But I think just from speaking to my centrebacks, just not letting the pace of the game absorb you too much.” 

With a calm and composed approach to the game, well beyond his years, Kalongo has shown a penchant for making tremendous reaction saves this season. He is also one of the best goalkeepers in the league on the ball, posting an 86.57 per cent pass completion rate this season. Having initially started rep soccer as an outfield player, he further honed his touches playing out of net in pickup runs with friends, putting a particular emphasis on getting touches in with his left foot.

He also says working with Henry over the years, and in a winning environment such as Forge, was essential to his development and preparation. But at the end of the day, nothing can replace playing competitive matches in the growth of a goalkeeper. Training, Kalongo says, can only do so much especially since most of the drills aren’t exactly designed for goalkeepers.

“Gazdov for example, maybe he had an okay season last year but now he’s flourishing because he’s had the time to really hone his craft,” said Kalongo. 

As a 19-year-old, Gazdov played 18 matches last season, but his performances were up and down. He lost the net to Kieran Baskett early in the season, and played just once between May 14 and June 29. When it came time for the playoffs, however, Gazdov was outstanding, posting back-to-back clean sheets in 1-0 wins against York United and then Halifax Wanderers before Pacific finally bowed out against Cavalry in the semifinal. “Maybe it was a little bit of foreshadowing for what was to come,” said Gazdov. 

That boost of confidence carried into the off-season, through pre-season and now into the start of the 2024 campaign. Also aiding Gazdov’s confidence and performance has been the additions of new goalkeeper coach Trevor Stiles, as well as experienced Victoria-born goalkeeper Sean Melvin. The 29-year-old Melvin has instantly become a mentor for Gazdov, while providing Pacific with an impressive level of depth in net.

“I’d say it’s probably the best relationship I’ve had with any goalkeeper partner before,” said Gazdov. “I genuinely just enjoy going to work every day. I don’t think I’ve ever had that before, that kind of friendship where you’re both wanting the best for each other and you’re working hard every day. It’s competition but it’s not negative in any way, it’s all positive. As you can see both of us have been playing great when called upon.” 

Evidence of this relationship came during the team’s opening match in the 2024 Canadian Championship when Melvin was substituted out of the match for Gazdov just before the decisive penalty shootout. While clearly disappointed to be removed from the match at such a critical juncture, Melvin took the time to embrace his young teammate. Gazdov made a pair of saves in the shootout, and Pacific advanced.

The goal Melvin had allowed earlier in that match, a 1-1 draw during regulation, is the only time a Pacific goalkeeper has been beaten in 2024. In league action, they have set a CPL record for going five matches, and counting, without conceding a goal to start the 2024 campaign. Gazdov gives credit to the team’s defensive mentality as a whole, saying there have been matches this season where he hasn’t had to do much because those in front of him have worked so hard to prevent opportunities.

“To break a record like that is a bit unexpected, obviously Trevor had some motivation, he said we’d go to dinner, we’d go do this and that if we get a clean sheet,” said Gazdov. “And I guess it worked because we just keep getting them.”

If things continue to go this way, Stiles’ wallet is going to look a whole lot lighter come the end of the season.

“I told him that’s my goal, bankrupt you by the end of the year, that’s the goal,” said Gazdov with a smile. 

In particular, Gazdov has shown an improved command of his box this year, proactively intercepting opposing opportunities with a league-leading nine clearances (including punches) among goalkeepers thus far in 2024. He has also formed a great understanding with the backline in front of him. When asked if he can speak French in order to communicate with his mostly French-fluent backline, he says with a smile, “It depends if you ask them,” adding, “I like to, I went to French school for a few years and I live with Zak Bahous and we speak French at home and stuff. Aly [Ndom] says he can understand me, I can hold a conversation so that’s kind of cool. Sometimes in the game, I’ll say something to them in French, if it helps.” 

After an outstanding, and in some cases historic, start to the 2024 CPL campaign for Kalongo and Gazdov, the goal now is to master perhaps the most important attribute for a goalkeeper, consistency. If they can do so, however, they have all the potential to join Canada’s exciting crop of up-and-coming young goalkeepers. Jonathan Sirois, for example, made his professional debut in the Canadian Premier League on his 20th birthday with Valour FC, on loan from CF Montréal. He has since returned to the MLS side, where he became their starting keeper, getting to face Lionel Messi this past weekend, and recently received his first call-up to the Canadian men’s national team.

“It just goes to show what is possible, he did the exact same thing, he came in around the same age, did really well, went back to Montréal, got the starting spot and now he’s the starter there doing incredible,” said Kalongo. “It goes to show, that a couple of good years you can do the same thing.” 

The pair know that if they can make good on this opportunity, more will come, and with the level they are already showing at such a young age the future is incredibly bright.

All highlights courtesy of OneSoccer