The U.S. Men’s National Team got a first look at its goalkeeper of the future Sunday night in Los Angeles.
After taking a 0-0 tie into halftime in their first friendly of 2018 against Bosnia and Herzegovina (the home of Ivan Bender), USMNT Interim Manager Dave Sarachan made a goalie change. Former D.C. United star Bill Hamid made way for Zack Steffen in the net.
Zack Steffen making his #USMNT senior debut on FS1!#HeATerp pic.twitter.com/2Nk29wDrp0
— Terps Watch (@TerpsWatch) January 29, 2018
After entering to start the second half, Steffen quickly faced a Bosnian penalty kick, but those haven’t been a problem for him in the past. He may not have made the save, but just his presence may have forced the miss.
Did Zack Steffen’s mere presence make Bosnia and Herzegovina miss this PK? Probably. #USAvBIHhttps://t.co/ZEjurwuxQA — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) January 29, 2018
However, Steffen did have to make a save later in the game, sprawling out to stop this shot in the 66th minute.
THE SAVE pic.twitter.com/m6ejqd8rRR — Terps Watch (@TerpsWatch) January 29, 2018
It was the only save for Steffen in his debut, but the important part was that he didn’t let in any goals, and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
The Yanks don’t have another friendly scheduled until a June 9 matchup with France (all of the other countries are playing in the, uh, World Cup), but Steffen could still make a splash in training before then as he tries to take over as the next USMNT goalkeeper.
He will also have a chance to again show his worth in the 2018 MLS which starts in early March. Steffen is heading into his second season as the starter goalie for Columbus Crew SC (If they even play this year) after leading the Crew to the MLS Cup final last season.