TFC's Bono survives pressure of the position by staying in the moment

Toronto FC flew out of Vancouver the same night it lost the Canadian Championship final to the Whitecaps this week.

Goalkeeper Alex Bono didn't sleep a wink on the red-eye charter.

"No. It was a long way," he said. "It was weird. You're kind of up in the clouds and at a certain point you see the horizon. And the sun starts to come up. And you're like … 'It's morning.'"

Proof positive that the sun does rise — even after a painful 5-3 penalty shootout defeat.

In his eighth season with TFC, the 28-year-old Bono has grown up in Toronto colours. On Saturday, barring unforeseen circumstances, he will celebrate his 150th appearance in all competitions with the MLS club when Toronto (6-12-4) visits the New England Revolution (6-7-8).

Bono holds franchise records for goalkeeper wins (64) and clean sheets (33) and stands eighth in appearances (third among active players behind captain Michael Bradley and Jonathan Osorio).

Along the way, he has outlasted goalkeepers Joe Bendik, Chris Konopka and Clint Irwin. Bono and Quentin Westberg have essentially shared the No. 1 duties for the last four seasons, with Bono holding down the starting job most of this year.

Over the last four seasons, the 36-year-old Westberg has started 69 regular-season and playoff games compared to 54 for Bono.

"Joe was the guy when I first got here," said Bono, Toronto's sixth overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. "So I've seen it all play out. I've been here through all of it.

"I've been around long enough to know how the game is played and the trials and tribulations of the position, and different coaches and their philosophies on goalkeeping and the way they decide who's better for the team … I understand the nature of the business. There has been a lot