Crew hopes Curacao keeper fills void left by Steffen’s exit
The Crew seems to have found its successor to Zack Steffen with the signing of Curacao national team goalkeeper Eloy Room.
After making 160 appearances in the top division in the Netherlands, most recently with PSV Eindhoven, Room is joining the Crew, the club announced Friday.
Room, 30, has made 30 appearances with the Curacao national team and started in net during the team’s Gold Cup quarterfinal run before being ousted by Steffen and the U.S.
Steffen’s shotstopping skill, international experience and ability to play with his feet are things Crew coach Caleb Porter believes he has found with Room.
“He checks all the boxes,” Porter said. “He’s at a good age. He’s in his prime. He’s played at a high level, so he has experience. And you saw in the U.S. game, they played through him all the time. Very calm, composed, good presence to him, good feet, and he can make saves.”
Before Room can join the Crew, he has to obtain an Eloy Room, center, was in goal for Curacao in the Gold Cup. Curacao advanced to the quarterfinals before losing 1-0 to the United States. international transfer certificate from Major League Soccer and a work visa when the transfer window opens Tuesday. Until Room arrives, Joe Bendik and Jon Kempin will play in goal.
The Crew has known since the offseason that it would need to address the goalkeeper situation once Steffen departed this month for Manchester City of the English Premier League. Porter said visa issues might prevent Room from arriving for a few weeks, but this appears to be what the Crew had in mind since the winter.
The Crew has one international roster spot open for Room and recently acquired Costa Rican winger Luis Diaz, so the club has to acquire an international spot from another club, loan an international player to another club, or one of the international players could obtain a U.S. green card to open a spot for Room.
Porter said he wasn’t concerned about it.
Room played three games for PSV Eindhoven when it won the Eredivisie championship in the 2017-18 season, which qualified the club for the UEFA Champions League. Primarily, Room played in the top Dutch league for Vitesse Arnhem.