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When you’re involved in two of the most memorable free kick goals in the history of a team, you can expect your fair share of ribbing from that team’s fanbase.
If you’re named Joe Bendik — the goalkeeper who has watched a decisive late game-winning free kick go by him on two occasions at Talen Energy Stadium — you even get your own hashtag in tribute.
Starting in a game in Chester for the seventh time in his career in place of Zack Steffen, who withdrew from the USMNT camp with a minor knee injury, Bendik was greeted with a banner in the River End blazoned with the words “Give ‘Em #BendikFace.”
The face refers to the look he wore on game-winning free kick goals from Kleberson in October 2013 when he played for Toronto FC and from Tranquillo Barnetta in April 2016 when he played for Orlando City.
With the 3-0 loss to the Union on Saturday, Bendik’s record fell to 2-4-1 in seven games in Chester.
Bendik came close to watching another goal float past him when Haris Medunjanin lined up a shot in the second half off a feed from Brenden Aaronson. In the end, the shot sailed wide and the three goals the Union did score were enough to give them all three points for the first time this season.
This was so close to a 3rd #BendikFace @SonsofBen pic.twitter.com/gGjwhWrCNZ
— Scott Pugh (@SPugger77) March 24, 2019