USMNT: Top 3 goalkeepers for Gregg Berhalter era

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 11: Brad Guzan #1 of the United States gestures during the second half of the game against Cuba at Audi Field on October 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 11: Brad Guzan #1 of the United States gestures during the second half of the game against Cuba at Audi Field on October 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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AUGSBURG, GERMANY – DECEMBER 17: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) goalkeeper Zack Steffen of Fortuna Duesseldorf gestures during the Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and Fortuna Duesseldorf at WWK-Arena on December 17, 2019 in Augsburg, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
AUGSBURG, GERMANY – DECEMBER 17: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) goalkeeper Zack Steffen of Fortuna Duesseldorf gestures during the Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and Fortuna Duesseldorf at WWK-Arena on December 17, 2019 in Augsburg, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)

1. Zack Steffen

You could make a very fair argument that Brad Guzan is the highest-performing USMNT goalkeeper at present. He is the most consistent performer, rarely making bone-headed mistakes, he is the most experienced, and the man who was the premier option at the position has struggled across the pond.

Zack Steffen’s performances for Fortuna Dusseldorf have underwhelmed. Mistakes have crept into his game, the confidence has slipped, and he no longer plays with the authority he commanded in Columbus. He also made one particularly poor error in possession for the USMNT against Venezuela last year, following up another poor performances virus Jamaica the week prior.

Nevertheless, while questions are beginning to be asked regarding Steffen’s reputation as the number one for the USMNT, his potential demands that he remains in the team. While Guzan might be the more reliable option at present, he is not a long-term solution at the position. Hamid is not 30 yet so might be more competitive to Steffen over the coming years, but he has not been popular under Berhalter.

In reality, then, Steffen, for better or worse, is the future of the USMNT goalkeeping position. For that reason, and for that reason alone, he is number one on this list, even as the question and criticisms rise.