COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew SC today announced that goalkeeper Zack Steffen, midfielder Wil Trapp and forward Gyasi Zardes have received international call-ups from the United States Men’s National Team ahead of its annual January Camp and a pair of friendlies in the United States to open 2019.
The United States trains in Chula Vista, California and then faces Panama in a friendly on Sunday, January 27 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona at 8 p.m. ET. The contest is the first match under new U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. The United States then plays a friendly against Costa Rica on Saturday, February 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California.
Goalkeeper Zack Steffen has earned six caps with the U.S. Men's National Team, all in 2018, making his debut as a substitute in a friendly match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on January 28. He then started in a friendly against Paraguay on March 27. This summer, Steffen started in a friendly against France on June 9, registering seven saves en route to helping the U.S. earn a 1-1 draw. Steffen also started in friendlies against Brazil on September 7 and against Mexico on September 11. Against Mexico, Steffen earned his second shutout victory for the Stars and Stripes. Most recently, Steffen started in a friendly against Colombia on October 11. This week, Steffen was recognized as U.S. Soccer’s Male Player of the Year. Steffen was also awarded Goalkeeper of the Year in Major League Soccer and was named to the 2018 MLS Best XI.
Crew SC captain Wil Trapp has earned 11 caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team. He earned his first cap for the Stars and Stripes on January 28, 2015 in a friendly at Chile, entering as a second-half substitute. Trapp made his first start and captained the senior squad for the first time in a friendly match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on January 28. Most recently, he captained the Stars and Stripes in a friendly against England on November 15 before making a substitute appearance in a friendly against Italy on November 20. Trapp, who recently completed his sixth season with Crew SC, has made more than 150 regular-season starts for the Black & Gold. He was the recipient of Crew SC’s OhioHealth Humanitarian of the Year award and was a finalist for Major League Soccer’s Humanitarian of the Year honors.
Gyasi Zardes has earned 40 caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team, scoring six goals. Zardes made his debut for the U.S. in a friendly against Chile on January 28, 2015, and he scored his first goal for the Stars and Stripes on June 5, 2015 against the Netherlands. This year, Zardes featured in a friendly match as a starter against Bosnia-Herzegovina on January 28 and in a friendly against Brazil on September 7. Most recently, Zardes started in a friendly against Mexico on September 11. Zardes, 27, led Crew SC in 2018 by scoring a career-high 19 goals in regular-season action, more than any other American player in MLS. In addition to setting a new career-high in goals, Zardes’ 19 strikes moved him into third place on Crew SC’s list of most goals scored in a single MLS regular season en route to becoming the first player in Club history to be named Major League Soccer’s Comeback Player of the Year.
