Cronin could miss as many as six weeks while recovering from his injury, giving Wicks a chance to shine.
"It's towards the end of the season and I want to show what I can do and show the reasons that (the Galaxy) brought me here," said Wicks. "I want to let the fans know that there is more than one 'keeper that is able to perform. I want to go out there and have fun, have a blast."
Thankfully for Wicks, he feels he won't be overwhelmed by nervous tension thanks to the minutes that he saw against the Revolution. But he admits there will be some anxious energy to burn as Saturday's kickoff approaches.
"(Last Saturday) got my feet wet. It took a little bit of the nerves off. It helped to shake off some of the nerves and getting rid of some cobwebs a bit," said Wicks. "I'm looking forward to Salt Lake. I think if you don't get nervous, there's something wrong. Everybody wants to do well, everybody wants to play well. Nobody wants to make a mistake."
Despite his lack of experience, head coach Bruce Arena is giving Wicks his seal of approval. Outside of training, Arena hasn't seen much of his backup 'keeper, but he has been able to rely on his staff to key him in on what to expect.
"Josh has trained hard and my understanding is he's done well in the preseason and throughout year," said Arena. "I think he's prepared to play."
With the Galaxy's third string 'keeper, Charles Alamo, also on the injured list, the Galaxy will be calling in a backup from the league's emergency pool of goalkeepers as a backup this weekend. To say that Wicks is the de facto starting 'keeper due to the circumstances would be an accurate statement. It also wouldn't be a fair one. Wicks was the USL goalkeeper of the year last season with the Portland Timbers, so he does have some impressive credentials.
"(MLS) is sharper (than USL). I wouldn't say it's extremely better, but it's better," said Wicks. "(MLS) is not as direct. The finishing is a lot more clinical in MLS."
Wicks will be relying on his defense to limit the opportunities for RSL this weekend. However, it's likely that he will be called upon to make some saves, and Wicks feels he's ready for that challenge.
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