US goalkeeper Zack Steffen injures knee and will miss CONCACAF Gold Cup
CHICAGO (AP) — Zack Steffen injured a knee and became the second goalkeeper dropped from U.S. training camp ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Steffen was hurt during training Tuesday, returned to the Colorado Rapids for more exams and will miss the tournament, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Wednesday.
Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte injured an oblique on May 24.
Matt Turner, the No. 1 American goalkeeper for the past three years, remains in camp along with Chris Brady and Matt Freese, who both have never played for the national team.
Turner, who turns 31 on June 24, played just four matches for Crystal Place this season, one in the League Cup and three in the FA Cup — the last on March 1. Turner's last game was on March 23, the
Americans' 2-1 loss to Canada
in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place game.
'I don't see myself as the number one No. 1 all the time,' Turner said Wednesday, referring to a goalkeeper's frequent jersey number. 'I think that's my mindset going into every camp right now, is that every inch, every opportunity needs to be fought for and every opportunity that I've had under this current staff I've earned by my performances within training and the opportunities that I had this past season with Crystal Palace.'
Turner hinted a club change is possible. Dean Henderson started all 38 Premier League matches this season.
'Hopefully I'll have some news for you in terms of my future this summer,' Turner said.
The Americans have friendlies against Turkey on Saturday at East Hartford, Connecticut, and Switzerland three days later at Nashville, Tennessee, then meet Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the first round of the Gold Cup.
___
AP soccer:
https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Canada, US, Mexico brace for World Cup extravaganza
The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the World Cup final next year, the climax of the largest and most complex edition of the finals ever staged (AL BELLO) The largest and most complex World Cup in history kicks off in just over a year's time, with the United States, Canada and Mexico co-hosting the football extravaganza against a backdrop of political tension triggered by Donald Trump. Forty-eight teams and millions of fans are set to descend on North America for the first ever World Cup shared by three nations, with the tournament getting under way on June 11 next year. Advertisement In theory, the 23rd edition of the most popular sporting spectacle on the planet has all the makings of a successful tournament. An array of venues ranging from Mexico's iconic Estadio Azteca to the glittering $5 billion SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles will play host to 104 games spread over nearly six weeks. The United States will host the bulk of those fixtures -- 78 -- with Canada and Mexico staging 13 each. All games from the quarter-finals onwards will be held in the United States, with the tournament culminating in the final at New Jersey's 82,500-seater MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026. Advertisement - 'Like 104 Super Bowls' - American officials believe the return of the World Cup to the country -- 32 years after the United States hosted the 1994 finals -- could represent a watershed moment for football in the country. "The World Cup is going to raise the attention of the sport in ways that nobody ever dreamed of," said Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer. FIFA's President Gianni Infantino meanwhile has been hyping next year's finals as the equivalent of "104 Super Bowls", contrasting the World Cup's estimated six billion viewers to the 120 million or so who tune in for the climax of the NFL season. Advertisement There are historical precedents which suggest the hype might be justified. The 1994 World Cup in the United States remains the best attended World Cup in history, with an average of 68,600 fans flocking to each game. Yet while organisers eagerly anticipate a commercial success, with one FIFA estimate suggesting it could generate a mammoth $11 billion in revenues, questions over other aspects of the tournament remain. The 48 teams -- up from 32 in 2022 -- will be spread into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the knockout rounds, and the eight best third-placed teams joining them to make up a last 32. That expansion is likely to reduce the sense of jeopardy in the first round, a problem seen in other major championships which have increased in size in recent years. Advertisement - Visa backlog - There is also the question of how the polarising policies of US President Trump may impact the tournament. Since taking office, Trump has launched a global trade war, repeatedly threatened to annex World Cup co-host Canada and launched an immigration crackdown at US borders which has seen overseas visitors from countries like France, Britain, Germany and Australia either detained or denied entry in recent months. Trump this week signed a travel ban on 12 countries including Iran, who have qualified for the World Cup, but the ban will not apply to players taking part in the tournament. Advertisement Trump, who is chairman of a White House task force overseeing preparations for the World Cup, says overseas fans travelling to the tournament have nothing to fear. "Every part of the US government will be working to ensure that these events are safe and successful, and those traveling to America to watch the competition have a seamless experience during every part of their visit," Trump said last month. FIFA chief Infantino, who has forged a close relationship with Trump, echoed that point, insisting that America was ready to "welcome the world." "Everyone who wants to come here to enjoy, to have fun, to celebrate the game will be able to do that," Infantino said. Advertisement With one year to go however, it is by no means clear that Infantino's pledge will hold up. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that some embassy staff may be required to work double-shifts to expedite visa processing, citing the example of Colombia, where US visa wait times are currently 15 months. "If you haven't applied for a visa from Colombia already, you probably won't get here in time for the World Cup unless we go to double shifts," Rubio told lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Those fans who do make the trip to North America may also find themselves having to fork out a small fortune due to FIFA's reported decision to use dynamic pricing to determine ticket prices. Advertisement That system, where prices on ticketing websites fluctuate according to demand, may well force fans to shell out thousands of dollars to obtain tickets for the highest profile games. "Dynamic pricing does not belong in football because it is an exploitation of fans' loyalty," Ronan Evain, the executive director of the Football Supporters Europe fan group told The Times. "It would be a fiasco for FIFA to use it for the World Cup." rcw/gj
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
PHOTO COLLECTION: Best of French Open Tennis Semifinals
France's Lois Boisson reacts as she plays against Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their semifinal match of the French Tennis Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
French Open: No. 2 Coco Gauff faces No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the women's final
PARIS (AP) — The biggest difference Coco Gauff sees between the player who lost her first Grand Slam final at the 2022 French Open at age 18, and the one who will play for the trophy again on Saturday at 21, this time against No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, is the way she views the importance of the occasion. Three years ago at Roland-Garros , Gauff was making her debut on that sort of stage and with that sort of prize at stake. It felt like the outcome meant absolutely everything, a burden that was a lot at the time and made her nervous. Now, the No. 2-ranked Gauff says, she understands 'how miniscule' the result Saturday is in the scheme of things. 'Everybody is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final,' the American said after beating 361st-ranked French wild-card entry Loïs Boisson 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals Thursday. 'I'm sure there are hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose a final, so just knowing that (makes) me realize how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position,' Gauff said. 'At first, I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost, and, you know, the sun still rose the next day. ... Regardless of the result, the sun will still rise.' Here's another key difference: The Gauff of today is a Grand Slam champion. She won the 2023 U.S. Open ; her opponent in that final just so happened to be Sabalenka. 'I just remember kind of feeling,' Gauff said, 'like I was holding my breath to the match point.' Their head-to-head series is tied 5-5 entering the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in a French Open women's final since Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova in 2023. Sabalenka beat Gauff in their most recent meeting, which came at the Madrid Open in May on the type of red clay used at Roland-Garros. So Gauff is well aware of Sabalenka's many talents, which were on full display during a 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 semifinal victory over three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek . 'She can come up with some big shots and big winners pretty much at all areas of the court,' Gauff said about the 27-year-old from Belarus. 'She's a fighter, as well. She's going to stay in the match regardless of the scoreline.' After getting pushed to a third set by Swiatek, who had won 26 matches in a row at the French Open, Sabalenka was pretty much perfect down the stretch. Even Sabalenka called the lopsided nature of that last set 'shocking for me.' She didn't make a single unforced error; Swiatek had 12. 'The pace was from her (was) super fast,' Swiatek said. 'It was just hard to get into any rally.' Sabalenka took over the top ranking from Swiatek last October and has remained there. Sabalenka is 40-6 this season with three titles and, while her three major championships all came on hard courts — at the 2023 and 2024 Australian Opens and the 2024 U.S. Open — the work she's put in to improve on clay is clearly paying off. 'I can go flat. I can (play) with the spin. I can go back and play in defense,' Sabalenka said. 'That's what works the best on the clay court for me.' The truth is, regardless of the surface, Sabalenka still appears to be most comfortable when she hits the ball as hard as possible. Her high-risk style offers a contrast to Gauff, who has been making an effort to be more aggressive with her forehand but usually is at her best when she is making opponents hit shot after shot because she can get to everything with her speed, instincts and defense. 'She's going to come out swinging,' Gauff said. 'I just have to expect that and do my best to kind of counter that.' ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: . More AP tennis:
