Let’s be blunt: If Owen Goodman sees playing time at the FIFA World Cup, there will have been a disaster.
The 22-year-old Crystal Palace player is on Canada’s roster as its third goalkeeper. Uncapped, he is well behind starter Maxime Crepeau and backup Dayne St. Clair on Jesse Marsch’s depth chart. Barring a catastrophe, Goodman’s World Cup will consist of watching it. The role of the third keeper is a thankless one.
But Goodman wouldn’t have it any other way. He is exactly where he is supposed to be. Goodman did everything he could to be a part of this Canada program, fighting tooth and nail to be amongst his adopted brethren.
A native of London, England, Goodman’s family moved to Alliston, Ont., a little under 90 minutes northwest of Toronto, when he was five. He spent nearly a decade in Ontario before returning to England where he joined the Eagles academy in 2015. While he wasn’t officially a citizen, Goodman says he felt Canadian.
Marsch wanted to turn that feeling into something tangible. After the Copa America in 2024, the Canada gaffer stated a priority of his was trying to get commitments from dual nationals to commit their footballing futures to the Canadian program as the team prepared for the World Cup. He was successful in bringing the likes of Marcelo Flores, Alfie Jones and Niko Sigur into the fold. Goodman wanted to be among that crew.
“He didn’t need to sell me, to be honest,” Goodman told TSN.ca of his initial conversations with Marsch. “He didn’t need to sell me at all. I grew up here. I’m Canadian by heart. I just needed to get my citizenship. Once I got my citizenship, I knew I’d be given an opportunity. Once I told them I had my citizenship, Jesse was on the phone with me and he spoke to me and that was it, really.”
Despite Goodman previously representing Canada at the U20 level in 2022, obtaining official citizenship wasn’t a straightforward process. In fact, it became a discouraging and mentally taxing one.
Still, Goodman was undeterred.
“It got to a point where I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get it or not, [even though] I had eligibility before [with the U20 team],” Goodman said. “I spent eight years here and it’s like, that was my childhood. I ended up contacting a law firm in Toronto and they helped me out. They put up a massive case study for my application. And, obviously, thanks to God, they got it approved and now I’m here and I’m grateful for it.”
Goodman faced a challenging club season ahead of his return to the Canada camp this summer. With England keeper Dean Henderson firmly established as Palace’s No. 1, there’s been no real opportunity for playing time at Selhurst Park. Young keepers must play, so Goodman has been loaned out for three straight seasons. After stints at League Two sides Colchester United and AFC Wimbledon, Goodman joined Huddersfield Town of League One last summer.
“It started off really well and then it didn’t really work out for me,” Goodman said of his time with the Terriers. “I struggled a little bit. It was probably mental more than anything.”
Goodman would start the first six league matches of the season for the Terriers with the final game in that stretch coming on Aug. 30 against Barnsley. Trailing 1-0 in the 36th minute, Goodman was sent off for a high boot on David McGoldrick. Huddersfield would go on to lose the match by a score of 3-1.
The defeat ended up being incredibly costly for Goodman personally. Banned for three matches, Goodman could only watch as manager Lee Grant turned to Lee Nicholls in the Huddersfield goal. Nicholls would stay there for nine straight matches with Goodman finally getting another start on Nov. 8 against Plymouth Argyle. His Terriers career would be over only three matches later.
“I went to Huddersfield really high in confidence, obviously, coming off of the back of a promotion [to League One with Wimbledon],” Goodman said. “And I started off really well and then stuff happened – football is football. I think I lost all that confidence in me at one point and then, mentally, I was in a really bad place, I really struggled. And obviously, it affected me on the pitch… It was just in and out [of the lineup], drop and change, and I don’t think it was good for me.”
In January, Goodman moved to Barnsley where he earned regular playing time and regained his form under former Aston Villa and Ireland midfielder Conor Hourihane.
“For me, it was a new experience,” Goodman said of the move. “I’ve never joined somewhere in January. I had to go straight in. So, it’s like you join midweek and then you’re literally into a game two days later. So yeah, it was very important, but, obviously, I think it does take time. I think what I’ve been grateful for was I was given time at Barnsley, because I went in, I’d done really well, and then maybe struggled just a little bit for a few games. But [then I] definitely found my form, found myself, and I was given that time and that confidence through the team and the gaffer and all keeping pushing everyone there.”
The key to the turnaround for Goodman was that regular match action. He believes people don’t realize how difficult it is to go without it when you’re a goalkeeper. Nothing can take the place of gametime.
“I think that’s one thing a lot of people don’t understand,” Goodman said. “They’ll say, ‘Well, you still train every day.’ Games are different to training. It’s not the same thing. It’s different pressures. You’ve got the crowd around you. It’s completely different. And that was definitely the hardest thing, going from playing to not playing to playing to not playing. I don’t get rhythm. The other goalkeeper doesn’t get rhythm, which is hard. It’s difficult. So that’s probably why I struggled quite a bit at Huddersfield. But I’m still grateful for the opportunity that I got to play there.
“But being at Barnsley, I’d been given the opportunity to play every game. I’ve been able to get that rhythm…once you get that rhythm, it’s a lot easier. Some people say, ‘Well, you don’t have time [to struggle],’ but I think everyone needs to be given time in football because just being chucked in like that is not easy.”
Now back in the Canada camp only days away from the World Cup, Goodman has his task. There won’t be that regular playing time he craves. In fact, there won’t be any playing time. But that suits him just fine – Goodman has a part to play, even if it’s not a glamourous one. He’s in the brotherhood of the gloves.
“It’s just the GK union,” Goodman said. “It’s just one big group. Obviously, I’m the new kid here. I’m not coming in expecting to play straight away or anything. I’m here to learn. I’m here to be around a good group of players and just get better. That’s all I care about. Just being in camp, I’m grateful enough as it is. But yeah, obviously, I’ve got that burning feeling in me. I want to play. But at the end of the day, I know my role. I know what I’ve got to do. I’m always going to be supportive of Dayne and Max no matter. I’m here to learn. I’m here to just enjoy the experience and keep learning.”
