Five minutes into the July 8 game against FC Dallas, David Bingham surpassed a club milestone playing more than 5,000 career minutes with the Earthquakes, becoming just the fourth goalkeeper in club history to pass the milestone.
Bingham, 26, has played every minute of the 2016 season, earning MLS Save of the Week honors in weeks six and eight and receiving nominations in weeks one, seven, 10, 18 and 19. In week one, Bingham was also named to MLS Team of the Week after making five saves in the Quakes’ 1-0 victory against the Colorado Rapids.
So far this season, the keeper has made 60 saves in 19 games with four shutouts. Of all keepers in the league, Bingham is ranked fifth for saves percentage with 74.1 percent.
A Bay Area native, Bingham signed a Generation adidas contract with MLS and was allocated to the Quakes in 2011 through a weighted lottery following the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. Although Bingham is now a staple in the Quakes’ starting XI having played every minute in the MLS regular season since 2015, it took a few seasons for the keeper to earn his place in the team.
During the first four seasons with the club, Bingham appeared in five regular season games and spent the 2014 season on loan with San Antonio Scorpions and IF Strommen of the Norwegian First Division.
In the six seasons that Bingham has sported the Quakes jersey, he has started 57 games, earning 16 shutouts. In total, the keeper has made 184 saves and, of the games in which Bingham has been in goal, the Quakes have a 23-20-15 record.
“It’s been a long journey to get to where I’m at now,” Bingham said. “It’s been a lot of hard work and some frustrating times but sometimes you have got to put those behind you and look forward.”
Bingham joins Quakes legends Joe Cannon, Pat Onstad and Jon Busch in the record books for reaching the 5,000-minute milestone. Cannon, Onstad and Busch left their marks in Quakes franchise history by helping the team win a major trophy in each of their tenures.
With Cannon in goal, the Quakes won MLS Cup in 2001, defeating Los Angeles 2-1. Onstad protected the net in the 2003 MLS Cup Final, helping the Quakes earn their second championship by defeating Chicago Fire 4-2. In 2012, Busch helped the team earn their second Supporters’ Shield in franchise history.
Quakes’ keepers that surpassed the 5,000-minute milestone have also been recognized individually. Cannon (2002) and Onstad (2003, 2005) are the only two goalkeepers in Quakes history to be named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
San Jose goalkeeper coach Tim Hanley coached Cannon and Onstad in his second stint with the Quakes and now is leading Bingham through his second season as the Quakes No. 1 keeper.
“Everyone is different. Each guy has his own personality and the approach that you use with David is going to be different than the approach with Joe and Pat,” Hanley said. “It is one of those things that you learn how to treat a person and what works for them.
“[Last year] there was a lot of talking, a lot of sitting down and thinking about what makes him happy and what makes him play well. I think we got there so now it is showing up in his play. He is confident and doing fantastic.”
Bay Area native & first-time #MLSAllStar, @BinghamDb. #Quakes74pic.twitter.com/FDduLInFvO
— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) July 18, 2016
Bingham will represent the San Jose Earthquakes at the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game against Arsenal on July 28 at the Quakes’ very own Avaya Stadium. Bingham joins Cannon (2001, 2002) and Onstad (2004, 2008) in becoming the third keeper in franchise history to be named to MLS All-Star team.
While in many ways it seems that Bingham is following in the footsteps of Cannon and Onstad, the Quakes’ keeper’s motivation stems from his desire to help the team.
“It is the drive I have within myself and wanting to win games,” Bingham explained. “I want to help the team out in anyway I can and that is kinda where the motivation comes from.”
Catch Bingham and the Quakes squad as they take on Real Salt Lake Friday, July 22 at Rio Tinto Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. PT. Friday’s game will be available on UniMás, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF.
