USMNT World Cup buzz: Zack Steffen not in 26-man squad; Ethan Horvath, Sean Johnson, Matt Turner make cut

The United States men’s national team roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, set to be announced on Wednesday, is not expected to include goalkeeper Zack Steffen’s name on the list, sources tell CBS Sports. While the announcement is set to come on Wednesday evening at an event in New York, CBS Sports understands that Ethan Horvath (Luton Town), Matt Turner (Arsenal) and Sean Johnson (NYCFC) are set to be on the roster with Steffen, shockingly, excluded. 

Steffen has long been USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter’s No. 1 goalkeeper. Limited for minutes at Manchester City, he moved to Middlesbrough on loan to get back into the swing of things ahead of the World Cup and even earned a clean sheet on Monday night in a win at Blackpool. Yet, it appears his performances have not been enough for him to make the final roster. 

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Listen below and follow In Soccer We Trust: A CBS Sports Soccer Podcast where your three favorite former USMNT players — Charlie Davies, Jimmy Conrad and Heath Pearce —  will go live immediately after the World Cup squad announcement to break down the list.  

The 27-year-old veteran has made 15 appearances for Boro this season but just three for the national team in 2022. He started seven games in 2021 for the U.S., coming off injured in the Nations League final against Mexico. In came Horvath to save a late Mexico penalty as the U.S. won the competition.

Steffen’s omission opens the door for Turner to battle for the starting keeper job when the Americans take the field to play Wales on Monday, Nov. 21, less than two weeks from now. The last goalkeeper to start for the United States in a World Cup game was Tim Howard, who made a record 16 saves over the course of 120 minutes in a round of 16 loss to Belgium in 2014. The U.S. will then play a Black Friday game against England before closing out group stage play against Iran. The top two teams from the four-team group will advance to the knockout stage.  

In terms of other players, sources tell CBS Sports that Berhalter was still deciding on the squad earlier this week. We’ve seen a couple of players already pull out due to injury in Sam Vines (broken tibia) and Chris Richards, who took to Instagram to show support for the group that will be on the plane to Qatar after suffering a leg injury. 

We know the big names — Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna — will be there, while things appear to be trending in the right direction for Josh Sargent to make the team as a striker due to his solid form for Norwich City. Cristian Roldan is another name expected to make the roster, while his Seattle Sounders teammate Jordan Morris could join the fray.

A couple of other names to keep an eye on for the squad are full backs Joe Scally and Shaq Moore.

Due to the tournament taking place in the middle of the club season, squads will now consist of 26 players as opposed to 23. Each team privately submitted a pre-list consisting of 35 to 55 players in October and they will have until Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. ET to reveal the full 26-man squad.

For all of the rosters that have been announced, click here. For our last round of USMNT squad predictions, click here. 

And remember when the World Cup ends you can watch every match of the UEFA Champions League all year on Paramount+. Paramount+ is the only place to watch every minute of every UCL match this season in addition to Serie A, NWSL, Europa League and more. Get 50% off the annual plan with promo code ALLYEAR! A subscription not only gives you access to all the soccer you could want but also the NFL on CBS, and countless movies, shows and original content.

Event: USMNT roster reveal partyDate: Wednesday, Nov. 8 | Time: 5 p.m. ETLocation: Brooklyn Steel — Brooklyn, New YorkTV: ESPN2 | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)USMNT World Cup futures odds: +10000 (via Caesars Sportsbook)