We are far removed from the days of Kasey Keller, Tim Howard, and Brad Friedel, all concurrently playing in the Premier League, and playing exceptionally well. To a lesser extent the days of Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, and Marcus Hahnemann are missed as well, since the 2014 World Cup if one position has gotten substantially weaker it has been in goal for the USMNT.
The current crop of talented but shaky US keepers resides in Matt Turner, Ethan Horvath, Zack Steffen, Gabriel Slonina, Drake Callender, and Roman Celentano. All with their upsides but also glaring issues at the club level.
Here is a breakdown of what is going on with each USMNT goalkeeper and what could be next for each one of them as once again the USMNT number 1 spot looks to be up for grabs in the long term.
Matt Turner
A great shot stopper but woeful with his feet, Turner simply was not good enough to play at Arsenal and at Nottingham Forest showed that he is Premier League level, but clearly was never his manager’s first choice. Recently signed it will be up to Turner to regain his starting spot, after a good World Cup and some good Europa League matches with Arsenal, Turner has to make it work in a club like Nottingham Forest, it will be difficult for another Premier League club to take a gamble on a keeper who was not able to leverage having been at Arsenal.
Ethan Horvath
Nottingham’s third choice, behind Turner, it is really shocking to see there were no takers for Horvath who showed he can come up HUGE in big moments, for the USMNT and for his old club Luton Town. With a rumored move to MLS, it will be gut punch for a goalkeeper who has the level to be in Europe to have to start over in MLS, but yet before Brad Friedel moved to Liverpool, he played a year with the Columbus Crew. Ethan needs to start playing, especially when at times he has looked better than Turner with Luton Town.
Gabriel Slonina
The most talented keeper in the pool, Gabriel Slonina is making saves and showcasing his skills for a pretty poor Eupen side in Belgium. Slonina should be the heir apparent, but will Gregg Berhalter integrate a keeper who has the best skill set of any keeper in the pool? That remains to be seen, the Summer Olympics could be Gaga’s coming out party. The long-term reality is that Slonina should become the USMNT’s number one.
Drake Callender
The advantage of playing with Lionel Messi is all eyes are on you, Drake Callender was one of the few players that international media salvaged from a dreadful Inter Miami side before and since Messi’s arrival. Drake Callender knows how to make big saves, but at times is prone to being exposed by an Inter Miami defense that is amateur to comical at times. A move to Europe would benefit Callender in the long run and it will come if in 2024 he has a similar season and better numbers.
Roman Celentano
Not getting his credit is FC Cincinnati’s Roman Celentano, who had a solid season in MLS in 2023. Roman Celentano has been one of MLS’ best goalkeepers and was second in shutouts this season. At 23, Celentano could make a move to Europe soon and break through on a national team goalkeeper pool where spots 2 and 3 are up for grabs.
Zack Steffen
Left off of the 2022 World Cup roster because of rumors he would not have handled being on the bench under Turner, Zack Steffen’s club career is in limbo, with no place at Manchester City after huge blunders in his limited matches, a solid season at Middlesbrough did nothing for his World Cup chances, and even if he found a new club, it would most likely take a solid season before he gets back on the USMNT.
