Report: Zack Steffen will not receive a call up to the USMNT

The head coach of the United States men’s national team Gregg Berhalter will announce the 26-man roster that will be playing in the upcoming FIFA World Cup on Wednesday night in New York City. To the surprise of many, it is being reported that Zack Steffen will not be included in this list even though he has been the starting goalkeeper since Berhalter took over the job in 2018.

Steffen shockingly excluded

The 27-year-old lacked playing time with Manchester City so he was sent out on loan to Middlesbrough in the Championship so that he would be in peak condition for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Zack Steffen has made 16 appearances in the Championship, conceding 19 goals and kept four clean sheets, including Monday’s 3-0 win over Blackpool.

Yet his performances in England’s second tier have not been convincing for Gregg Berhalter and Steffen even made some rookie mistakes that cost Middlesbrough points and goals against. Also, the 27-year-old has been dealing with several injuries all-year long and he has only started three games for the national team in 2022.

The exclusion of Steffen from the World Cup squad opens the door for Ethan Horvath to receive a call up and secure his spot with the USMNT. The Colorado-native came onto the scene when he replaced Zack Steffen in the 2021 Gold Cup final against Mexico and saved a late penalty to give the United States the title.

With Zack Steffen out of the picture, Gregg Berhalter is expected to call Matt Turner (Arsenal), Sean Johson (New York City FC) and Ethan Horvath (Luton Town FC). If the reports are correct, it is expected that Matt Turner becomes the United States No. 1 goalkeeper during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.