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Sam Stejskal has indicated that former goalkeeper Zach Thornton may about to be the new D.C. United goalkeepers coach, replacing Preston Burpo. Thornton played for 15 years in MLS, most of that time with the Chicago Fire. Since his last days as a goalkeeper with Chivas USA, he has been a goalkeeper coach, first with his alma mater the Loyola Greyhounds, and most recently was goalkeeper coach of the Villanova men's and women's teams. As a side note, there are some quick tutelage videos he did with 'Nova you can view online, one of them being here.
And if you REALLY want to overanalyze something, let's take a look at these MLS tweets at the prospect combine featuring Ben Olsen and Jay Heaps in the foreground, with Thornton potentially included like the ghost in Three Men and a Baby:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Beach B-ball. <a href="https://twitter.com/NERevolution">@NERevolution</a> vs. <a href="https://twitter.com/dcunited">@dcunited</a> style. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLSCombine?src=hash">#MLSCombine</a> <a href="http://t.co/h5PdqKX5iE">pic.twitter.com/h5PdqKX5iE</a></p>— Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/553957153350774784">January 10, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>. <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveZeitlin">@DaveZeitlin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NERevolution">@NERevolution</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/dcunited">@dcunited</a> No Jim Curtin in sight. At HT we're level, 10-10. More to come. <a href="http://t.co/lrxRPDyjTZ">pic.twitter.com/lrxRPDyjTZ</a></p>— Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLS/status/553960792895549440">January 10, 2015</a></blockquote>
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So, nice to see D.C. United possibly replacing a staff position of need so soon (and Thornton IS a two-time MLS goalkeeper of the Year), but thoughts otherwise on his presumed tutelage of Bill Hamid, Andrew Dykstra and (mystery third goalkeeper)?