With a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup and homefield advantage on the line, Clint Peay will be giving Jacob Jackson his second MLS start.
Jackson earned his debut against Nashville SC in what ended up being a 3-2 loss. While the scoreline might not suggest it, the 2022 SuperDraft selection held his own making seven saves.
On Thursday, interim head coach Clint Peay announced that Jackson would be the man in net come Saturday evening.
“We’ll continue with Jacob Jackson on the weekend,” Peay stated. “I think he’s done well again. I think for every position it’s a battle, and I think Jacob has earned the right to be back on the field.”
Center back Henry Kessler was also impressed by Jackson’s performance against Nashville.
“I thought [Jackson] did really well against Nashville,” Kessler said. “He made a really good save on a [Hany] Mukhtar shot from outside the box. He was good with his feet. I think he performed well against Nashville, and I think they’re hoping he continues to perform well.”
After recovering from an ACL injury suffered towards the end of the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season, Jackson made 14 appearances for Revs II this season prior to making his MLS debut. In over 1,000 matches played, he racked up 55 saves and three clean sheets.
With Jackson earning the start, the presumed replacement for Djordje Petrovic, Tomas Vaclik will not grace the field during the 2023 regular season. The transfer of the former Sevilla goalkeeper grows more confusing by the day.
Either Vaclik will make his first-ever MLS start in the playoffs or he will not play at all. While it will likely be beneficial to have a veteran like Vaclik in 2024, the move looks like a panic buy after the departure of Petrovic. If Curt Onalfo is vying for the permanent sporting director role, this acquisition will be a blemish on his resume.
But for now the focus is on Jackson. With a strong end to 2023, the 23-year-old will show if he is ready for MLS and furthermore the Revs' permanent starting goalkeeper in the future.
