Columbus Crew SC's Zack Steffen continued his case as the No. 1 goalkeeper for the U.S. Men’s National Team following Thursday’s friendly against Colombia in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Steffen, who played all 90 minutes in the 4-2 defeat to 14th-ranked Colombia, registered his sixth appearance in goal for the Stars & Stripes, tying the modern era record for caps earned in a debut year by a goalkeeper for the National Team.
Steffen's appearance tied the record originally held by Kasey Keller (1990) and Troy Perkins (2009).
Notably, Keller, a four-time World Cup veteran, went on to have one of the most illustrious careers in U.S. Soccer history, earning 102 caps and a team-record 47 shutouts during his international career.
Steffen is 2-2-2 in his six starts for the MNT, including three shutouts. The latest clean sheet came on Sept. 11 in a friendly against Mexico, as the US went on to defeat El Tri 1-0, marking the MNT's first shutout in the storied rivalry since 2015.
For Crew SC, Steffen has totaled 10 shutouts – a personal single-season career high – in 27 starts this season and holds the Club's longest shutout streak by total minutes at 525, good for eighth-longest all-time in Major League Soccer.
Kickoff against Peru is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET from Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, in East Hartford, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 16.
