Last night saw Crew SC players Wil Trapp, Gyasi Zardes and Zack Steffen all feature for the U.S. Men’s National team in a friendly match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Trapp and Zardes both started for the Stars and Stripes, while Steffen came in as a substitute in the second half.
Wil Trapp, who earned his third cap and made his first start on the night, was given the captain’s armband. While the midfielder had previously captained the U.S. at the Under-23 level, he realized the magnitude of leading the senior team for the first time.
“It was a pretty special moment, of course,” said Trapp. “Even more so it would have been nice to win the game, but I’m honored by the vote of confidence from Dave [Sarachan] and I think the group responded pretty well.”
Gyasi Zardes – who notched his 38th appearance for the Stars and Stripes – played in the first half of the match, starting out on the left wing before being moved to the right wing. The forward managed to draw a foul in the 34th minute before being substituted at half time.
The second half saw the introduction of Zack Steffen, who made his debut with the senior national team. The goalkeeper had a bit of a trial by fire, as he faced a penalty attempt just seven minutes after coming into the match. While Haris Medunjanin’s effort struck the post, captain Wil Trapp admits to feeling relaxed leading up to the attempt.
“When that guy [Steffen] is up against a penalty, I’m more confident than anyone else just because I’ve seen him save so many. He’s a great goalkeeper,” said Trapp.
Steffen was once against forced into action in the 66th minute, as he made a dive to his left to stop an effort from long distance. The goalkeeper did not allow a goal during his 45 minutes of play, with the match ending in a 0-0 draw.
“It was awesome to be out there in front of the fans and to be out there with the senior crest,” said Steffen after the match.
The goalkeeper also reflected on his first U.S. Men’s National Team January Camp experience.
“It was good to get out here and connect with all the players who came in – to connect with the coaches and work for three weeks before preseason – and to get touches on the ball before most of the guys in the MLS do.”
Up next, the trio heads to Casa Grande, Arizona to join the rest of the Crew SC players for preseason camp from January 29 until February 6. From there, the Black & Gold will be in Hawaii for the inaugural Pacific Rim Cup from February 6-11. During the window of February 15-25, the club will be in Charleston, South Carolina to participate in the 2018 Carolina Challenge Cup.
